By Sixtus Uket (Calabar)
A State High Court sitting in Calabar, the capital of Cross River State has reinstated the suspended Paramount Ruler of Etung Local Government Area of the State, His Royal Majesty, Ntui Atue (Dr.) Oru Ojong.
The High Court also ordered the State Government to compensate the traditional ruler with the sum of N50 million for the emotional and psychological trauma that he suffered during the period of his removal from office.
This was the outcome of a suit No. HC/96/2022 filed by HRM Ntui Atue (Dr.) Oru Ojong as claimant against the Cross River State Government, the Attorney General of the State and Commissioner for Justice and four others as defendants.
The reinstated royal father was suspended from office by the State Governor, Prof Ben Ayade in May 2021, without payment of any benefit to him, since then.
Delivering the judgement on the matter recently in Calabar, the presiding Judge, Justice Elias O. Abua, said that the claimant, HRM Ntui Atue (Dr) Oru Ojong, is a recognized Paramount Ruler and head of Traditional Rulers’ Council of Etung Local Government Area was arbitrarily thrown out of his throne without due process of the law.
Justice Abue also stated that, “there is no section of the law that authorizes the state government to slam suspension order on the monarch rather, the law only authorizes the state government to withdraw the certificate of recognition that is given to a Paramount Ruler.”
He further maintained that “the suspension was done in breach of the provisions 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.”
The Judge further ruled that the action of the State Government was “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 Calabar High Court further restrained government from issuing any certificate of recognition to any individual under the guise of paramount ruler of Etung Local Government Area given the fact that “HRM Oru Ojong was neither dethroned nor his certificate of recognition ceased from.”
The court further issued an order nullifying every act or every document signed by the 6th defendant, Ntufam Raphael Ekuri Agbor, in his capacity, urging him to desist forthwith from parading himself as acting Paramount Ruler of Etung Local Government Area.
Justice Abue also gave “an order of perpetual injunction restraining the 1st and 4th defendants, their agents, servants and privies from ever recognizing or issuing certificate of recognition to Ntufam Raphael Ekuri Agbor as Paramount Ruler of Etung Local Government Area while the claimant is still Paramount Ruler and president of Traditional Council, his certificate of recognition having not be revoked or withdrawn.”
Reacting to the court judgement on Monday, the re-instated royal father, HRM Oru Ojong said: “I thank God that the court which is the last hope of the common man still exists; I have forgiven all those who framed me up for just no reason.
“I was framed up that I ate the royalty money meant for cocoa landlord communities of Etung. Today, the state government has commenced the payment of that money.
“I did not misappropriate any fund. No funds were misappropriated, instead government was warming up to defray that debt,” the elated traditional ruler stated.
