Governor Bassey Otu
By Ita Williams, Calabar
Amid tenure elongation, the Cross River State Governor, Senator Bassey Edet Otu, has approved the immediate dissolution of the State Council of Chiefs.
This was contained in a statement signed by the Secretary to the Cross River State Government, Prof Anthony Owan Enoh, made available to some newsmen in Calabar at weekend.
The statement reads, “His Excellency, the Governor of Cross River State, Senator ( Prince) Bassey Edet Otu, has approved the immediate dissolution of the state Council of Chiefs.
“The action of the Governor is made pursuant to Section 4(1) of the Council of Chiefs Law, Cap C15, Laws of Cross River State 2024. Accordingly, the tenure of the Council of Chiefs had since lapsed”
The statement further stated that, “the tenure of the Council of Chiefs had already lapsed, and the state House of Assembly had recently passed a resolution for a change in leadership” stressing that, “the former chairman ( His Royal Majesty, Etinyin (Dr) Etim Okon Edet) of the Council of Chiefs had overstayed his term in office” leading to the call for a transition in leadership.
The Governor, Prof. expressed gratitude to the Chairman and members of the dissolved Council of Chiefs for their meritorious services to the state.
“The Governor appreciates the Chairman and members of the dissolved Council of Chiefs for their meritorious services to the state and wishes them the best in their continuing roles as Traditional Rulers in their respective domains”, the statement said.
With the dissolution of the state Council of Chiefs, stakeholders and citizens await further updates on the appointment of new leadership and the future direction of traditional governance in the state.
In a reaction, Dr Edet in a terse statement said, “The thought Gov Otu has towards me is good and not evil…..as a lawyer I have overstayed but it wasn’t my fault at all. There is no harm what Gov Otu and the State Assembly have jointly done. It is to strengthen the law we all swore to uphold.
“I have no malice towards none and I have never asked any Governor to keep me. They are all alive. They have always asked me to stay including Gov. Otu himself.
“When you see a man diligent in his work, he stands before Kings, Governors and not mean men !!!”
Edet who is the Paramount Ruler of Bakassi Local Government Council, further said, “With the dissolution of the CRS Council of Chiefs, I have become the longest serving Chairman of the CRS Traditional Rulers Council.
“Thank you Gov Imoke. Thank you Gov Ayade. Thank you Gov Otu for allowing me to make history.
“I hope and pray that the height I have reached and kept both locally and nationally would be raised even higher in the ensuing years by my successors. In the words of a famous writer ‘achievers blow no trumpet, their efforts speak’
“Let me express my profound gratitude to all Traditional Rulers in the State for standing by and supporting me throughout these years. God bless and keep them.
“On my part: I am pressing on the upward way. New heights I am gaining every day; still praying, as I onward bound, ‘Lord, plant my feet on higher ground’, – Redemption songs 797
“In the words of O.J.O. Sanders, ‘The Eyes That Look Are Common, The Eyes That See Are Rare’”.
