Nicholas Kalu in Calabar reports that since the April 25 invasion of the palace of the paramount ruler of Efut Traditional Kingdom, Muri Munene Efiong Mbukpa, top political interests have been blamed for the prolonged battle for the prime royal stool of Efut tribe in Cross River State.
The raging battle for the prime Efut kingship stool in Cross River State has been nurtured by high stake political interests within and outside the Cross River State Government House. This has not only prolonged the battle but has also made it more complicated.
Calabar is made up of the Efiks, the Efuts and the Quas, headed by the traditional institutions of the Obong, the Muri Munene and the Ndidem, respectively.
At the moment, two of these major tribes seemed embroiled in crisis over the rightful person to sit on the throne. While the struggle for the Obong of Calabar continues, the Efuts also appear divided over their Muri Munene.
The tussle for the Efut stool, which has been in the fore, recently, had already dragged the traditional domain into the muddy waters of litigation and politics. However, the alleged physical attack on the Muri Munene of the Efuts, Muri Munene Efiong Mbukpa, on April 25, brought a new dimension into the struggle for traditional power in Cross River State.
The paramount ruler of the Efut was allegedly attacked in his palace and would have been killed, except for the prompt intervention of the police.
The Nation’s investigation reveals that the crisis in the Efut nation has been on since 2009, when the former Muri Munene Ita Okokon Ekpenyong Ebuka Ebuka IV reportedly “got sick traditionally.” This led to three Muris (Kingmakers) laying claim to the throne. They were Muri Efiong Okokon Mbukpa Ita Odionka Ebuka VII; Muri Ita Okokon Mesembe XII and Muri (Professor) Itam Hogan.
However, it was learnt Efiong Mbukpa emerged as the Muri Munene. It was gathered that in the ensuing meetings held to select a successor to the throne by the Efut Combined Assembly, the two other contenders to the throne were disqualified from contesting on the ground that after their selection as Muris in their respective houses, they were not presented to the Efut Combined Assembly for recognition and capping.
Chairman of the Efut Combined Assembly, His Highness, Ndabo Obo E. E. Obo from Ifako clan, said, “Unfortunately, we lost our Paramount Ruler in 2009. When this happens, out of the eight ancestral clans, I must convene a meeting to select the Muri Munene-elect to lead the obsequies of the late Munene. The Assembly cannot bury the late Munene without selecting a Munene who would lead the burial obsequies. That is the Efut tradition. The former Muri Munene was traditionally sick on September 7, 2009. I convened a meeting of the eight ancestral clans on September 29, 2009. I conducted the selection. Before the Munene is selected, there are some basic qualifications that would qualify you to be a Munene. One, you must be an Ekpe title holder. Two, your clan must present you to the assembly. The third qualification is attendance, which matters a lot. After the screening, I have no powers to declare him Muri Munene. After the screening, the chairman would allow the Muris who are qualified to enter a conclave and bring one of them and present to the Assembly and from there my job ends.”
He said Efiong Mbukpa met all these criteria while the others did not.
Since then, the stool has been mired in litigations, accusations and counter accusations. That was before the physical invasion of the palace. The paramount ruler of Calabar South Local Government Area of Cross River State, Muri Munene Efiong Mbukpa, was allegedly attacked and chased out of his palace by some boys suspected to be thugs sponsored by aggrieved members who do not want Mbukpa on the stool.
It was gathered the invaders had entered the palace with some buses loaded with some boys when Muri Mbukpa and the Palace Secretary Ndabo Godwin Bassey who is also the Secretary of Efut Combined Assembly were having a meeting.
They allegedly broke into the palace, destroyed the royal stool of the paramount ruler, removed the cap of the monarch, his cell phones, destroyed his portrait and carted away documents from the office of the secretary of the palace.
They were alleged to have been led by one Muri Maurice Eyo, who maintained that Muri Effiong Mbukpa was an imposter and hence, should not be allowed to parade himself as the paramount ruler of the area.
The palace had already pointed accusing fingers on Muri Itam Hogan, one of the claimants to the throne, as the mastermind of the attack. Secretary of the Efut Combined Assembly, Ndabo Godwin Bassey, alleged they had received intelligence report the previous day that there would be an attack on the palace to forcefully take over the palace and that Prof Hogan would thereafter make a press statement to take over the palace as the purported Muri Munene.
His words, “We took it lightly because we have been hearing that kind of thing before. On the morning of the 25th I also got another report confirming they were meeting and that it has been perfected to attack the palace that day. We immediately informed the SSS, the police and the State Security Adviser to the governor. We were in the palace when we saw some NTA crew, who came in and said they wanted to cover an event. I told them I did not know of any event to take place, but they insisted there was going to be an event.”
According to him, they later discovered that it was Professor Itam who said he had an event and told them to go to 30 Chamley Street where he operates.
He said after they heard sirens and officials of the Department of Public Transportation (DOPT) and army officers and some boys invaded the palace. “Palace guards then told us that the place had been invaded by thugs and they were led by Maurice Okon Eyo. He was trying to gain entrance into the palace, but the gate was locked. The military men that came with him kicked down the gate and as he did that, all hell was let loose, as they went on rampage destroying things. The next thing we heard was look at him (the Muri Munene) there. Kill him, we would bury him and no one would ask any question. Before you could say Jack Robinson they started destroying, beating palace guards. Then Maurice Eyo pointed at the Muri Munene and said beat him up. They held his neck, beat him up. In short they tried to suffocate him. What saved him was the DPO of Mbukpa who gave him two armed policemen when he was already down to scare them off. The SSA came with some reinforcement which chased the hoodlums out of the palace. It was God that saved him that day otherwise, they would have killed him,” Bassey alleged.
The DOPT had however denied having any hand in the alleged palace invasion. But Ndabo Bassey said, “The director of public transportation cannot say he does not know anything about it because his vehicle was the first vehicle to come there. This is the handiwork of some highly placed persons in government otherwise how did they get the sirens, army and the impression that it is the government that has come there.”
He said, “They want to give the impression that there is problem in the Efut nation and government should lock the palace. They believed the invasion got the backing of some highly placed government official.
The palace also alleged that a highly placed government official, whose name they would not disclose, was actually responsible for fuelling the crisis. According to a source in the palace, this highly placed government official has the penchant for dabbling into traditional matters.
He said, “The motive is that one of this highly placed government official has sworn that until he leaves office, over his dead body, he will not see government recognize Mbukpa.
“The people that attacked the palace are not king makers but trouble makers. In the Efut nation, we have eight ancestral clans and only those eight have the power to elect one amongst them on a rotatory basis as the paramount ruler whenever there is a vacancy. In this case, only three were qualified for the Muri Munune. And it begins the very night the monarch is traditionally sick. He, who says go in peace to him takes over and all the paraphernalia of office. On the night, he even gave him (Mbukpa) all the authorities and power to go ahead and perform the function. Whoever commands the traditional ruler that night, takes over. There are certain things you know I don’t have to divulge here. If you do those things; if you are not qualified you die after eight days. They thought he would die because our custom is if one is not qualified to take over, within eight days you are gone. It is going to four years now and they know he is qualified to sit on that seat and they are now trying to kill him so they can take over.”
The palace source further alleged that “Prof Itam, having so declared himself Muri Munene outside the palace, wants to bring thugs to come and declare him Muri Munene at the palace complex, because he knows the only place where you can do that is within the palace complex.”
When The Nation contacted Muri Itam Hogan, he warned that his name should not be mentioned and that he should be left alone. He declined to make any further comments on the matter.
The foot dragging of the state government to officially recognize the Muri Munene seems to have fuelled the struggle for the throne.
Addressing members of the Efut Combined Assembly at Anantigha, Calabar South during the Peoples Democratic Party’s State Campaign in the area, last year, Governor Liyel Imoke had informed the council that the state government was studying the report of the panel which was set up to wade into the tussle among the factions which claimed right to the traditional stool.
According to the governor, who urged all the factions in the case to remain calm, the State Government and the administration is a responsible government which believes in due process and truth, no matter how long it takes”.
He said it is incumbent on government to do it through the correct process because at the end, its final outcome will be legitimate.
Imoke disclosed that the final report of the panel, which the state government set up to investigate the claims, has been concluded and submitted, promising that the will of the people will be upheld.
But earlier this year, when the governor visited the palace again to solicit for support in the gubernatorial elections, he said the Munene should carry everyone along, especially those who were aggrieved.
He had explained that the government support was to ensure the Kingdom is not factionalized but operate for the benefit of all the people.
He said with the settlement of the traditional title tussle in the area, the state government has tremendous respect for the traditional institution and that its owners must respect it.
Imoke had attributed the peace enjoyed by the Efuts to the acceptance of its leadership position explaining that government stance on the tussle could not have come out earlier due to administrative process.
He thanked the leadership for the peace which the people enjoy in his domain. He noted that the Efut Traditional Stool is not one to be toyed with or desecrated as it is enjoying the support of the Efut and people of Calabar South.
Although the white paper is not yet out, some observers concluded that his tone and body language during the second visit, suggested a level of acceptance of Mbukpa as Muri Munene. Hence Ndabo Bassey said, “The wisdom of politicians is such that you wonder. When the candidate of PDP came to the palace, he was short of apologising not awarding Mbukpa official recognition. But all he said that day clearly showed he had recognised him. Like he said, it was left for administrative procedures to dot the i’s and cross the t’s and that he should go ahead and ensure there is peace. That is what motivated the Muri Munene to set up the peace committee headed by Bishop Archibong Archibong.”
He alleged that it was immediately after setting up the peace committee that opposition factions intensified their aggression.
Meanwhile, the palace of the Paramount ruler of Calabar South and the Muri Munene of the Efut, Muri Munene Efiong Mbukpa, has been shut by the Cross River State Government after the alleged invasion of the palace by rivals of the monarch on April 25.
Chairman of the Efut Combined Assembly, His Highness, Ndabo Obo E. E Obo, said that instead of sealing off the palace, the government should have used the security drafted to the place to secure it.
Originally posted here:
Battle for Efut kingship stool rages