Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly has concluded plans to amend relevant sections of the Traditional Rulers’ Council (TRC) law, hurriedly re-gigged last by the immediate past administration of Udom Emmanuel, to confer absolute powers on the Paramount ruler of the majority Ibibio ethnic nationality and hold the office in perpetuity.
Other ethnic groups—Annang, Oro, Obolos, and others – had opposed the new order, arguing in Court that it was alien to the traditional institution of the State, as presently constituted. This forced Governor Umo Eno to probe the matter by setting up a committee to guide the government on the way forward.
Former governor Udom Emmanuel had impressed it on the lawmakers led by the Speaker, Elder Udeme Otong (Abak), to retool the TRC Law to confer absolute powers to the majority Ibibio traditional ruler, Ntenyin Solomon Etuk, akin to the powers of the Northern Emirs, Yoruba Obas, Oni of Ife, the Obi of Onitsha, and other influential traditional leaders in Nigeria.
However, following widespread opposition, Governor Eno was forced to back down to douse tension while setting up a probe committee to correct the anomalies.
However, Eno, who received the report of the committee saddled with the task of resolving the impasse and finding lasting solution to the issues arising from the amended TRC law, 2023, pledged to implement the recommendations.
The report presented to the governor at Government House, Uyo, the State capital, barely two months after he constituted a 7-man committee headed by the Paramount Ruler of Eket, Edidem Abia, LEADERSHIP learnt, made a case for the rotation of the position amongst the three principal ethnic groups, Ibibio, Annang and Oro, at intervals.
Speaking shortly after receiving the report, the governor assured everyone of his commitment to studying the committee’s recommendations and, thereafter, come up with a draft bill reflecting the true wishes of all parties concerned. He assured everyone that the bill would be forwarded to the State Assembly for necessary legislative action.
He thanked members of the committee for accepting to serve in the interest of peace, expressing the belief that the report has addressed all the grey areas, including issues of rotation of the highest traditional stool, the tenure of the traditional headship as well as the Chairman and President-General of the Traditional Rulers Council.
Earlier, the chairman of the committee, Edidem Abia, applauded the governor for taking the bold step of setting up the committee in the interest of peace and unity in the State, describing him as “a true leader.”
While analysing the report, the Eket traditional ruler blamed the disagreements from the earlier amended law on inadequate consultation, noting that the committee has taken time to engage relevant stakeholders in the interest of all.
