Cross River State High Court sitting in Calabar has reinstated the suspended paramount ruler of Etung local government area of Cross River State, His Royal Majesty Ntui Atue, Oru Ojong.
The court also ordered that the monarch be paid N50 million by the state government as compensation for the emotional and psychological trauma which he went through during his suspension.
In suit No. HC/96/2022 between HRM Ntui Atue (Dr) Oru Ojong as claimant and the Cross River State government, attorney general of commissioner for justice and four others as defendants, the court ordered that the paramount ruler be reinstated.
In the judgement delivered by the trial judge, Justice Elias O. Abua on March 23, 2023, the court said the claimant, a recognised paramount ruler and head of Traditional Rulers Council of Etung LGA was suspended without following due process of the law.
The court averred that there was no section of the law which authorised the state government to slam suspension order on a paramount, rather the law only gave state government power to withdraw the certificate of recognition from such rulers.
The court further stated that the suspension was done in breach of the provision of sections 5, 17(1), 21, (1) and (2) 27, 28 (2), 29 and 30 (2) of Traditional Rulers Cap T4 Vol.6 laws of Cross River State 2004.
It ruled that it is, therefore, illegal, unlawful, arbitrary, wrongful, null and void, stressing that the claimant was never given fair hearing as far as the matter was concerned.
The court restrained the state government from issuing any certificate of recognition to anyone under the guise of paramount ruler of Etung LGA given the fact that HRM Oru Ojong was never dethroned nor his certificate of recognition withdrawn.
The court, however, issued an order nullifying every act or deed and every document signed by the 6th defendant, the acting paramount ruler of Etung LGA, Ntufam Raphael Ekuri Agbor and ordered him to desist forthwith from parading himself as acting paramount ruler of Etung LGA.
The royal father was suspended from office by the state governor in May 2021 without any benefit.
In his reaction to the judgement, the recalled monarch expressed happiness over the development, saying, “I thank God that the court which is the last hope of the common man still exist. I have forgiven all those who conspired and frame me up for reasons best known to them.
“I was framed up that I ate the royalty money meant for cocoa landlord communities of Etung. Today, the state government has begun making payment. So, where did I misappropriate the cocoa fund?” he asked.
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