August 18, (THEWILL) – The Cross River State government, led by the state governor, Professor Ben Ayade, has been urged to implement all court judgements on the Nko/Onyadama Communal Clash.
The state government has also been urged to publish the White Paper on all panels of inquiry that had been set up to look into the lingering communal crisis.
Spokesman of the Onyadama community, Festus Obo Ntor, made this plea during a media interaction in Calabar.
The Nko/Onyadama Crisis has been since 1928 and the problem recently escalated in 2022, with several people killed, as well as a number of soldiers sustaining various degrees of injuries.
Festus Ntor said the refusal of the government in implementing court judgements and releasing White Paper on panels of inquiry is making the crisis fester with attendant loss of lives and properties.
Listing the court judgements on the crisis, he said, “Suit No. 6/40, (E/1940), as well as a counter claim with Suit No. 7/40 (E/10/1940), which were consolidated on 6th November, 1942, judgement was delivered against the Nko people on the 17th of December, 1947.
“That judgement clearly delineated the boundary of both communities to be the Utara Stream, as shown in Survey Plan of 6/6/43.
“Not satisfied with the judgement of the lower court at Enugu, the Nko people filed an appeal and same was determined at the West African Court of Appeal, Lagos in Appeal No. WACA 2800, Suit No. E/9/1940 and E/10/1940.
“The case was dismissed with cost against the Nko people on the 7th day of April, 1949.
“The purpose of the above being that the boundary point between the two communities remained the Utara Stream and not Okwo River as falsely and reasonably claimed by Nko People”, he said.
He said these judgements are part of government’s official records and the government which entered the judgements through one of its essential arms cannot claim to be ignorant of them.
He stressed that the government owes the duty to enforce these judgement as severally requested as Nko community has been emboldened by government’s inability to enforce court judgements.
He equally said the previous administration in the state, headed by Liyel Imoke, set up a judicial commission of inquiry with very robust terms and had as chairman, Hon. Justice Ekeng Efiong.
He regretted that “the panel’s recommendations were thrown into the trash can and the government willfully refused to bring out a white paper till date.
“Further more, in 2016, the state governor, Professor Ben Ayade, established a panel of inquiry, headed by former deputy governor, Efiok Cobham.
“The panel say for weeks and months over the crisis and several others and its report did not see the light of the day”, he said.
The community urged the government among other demands to retrace and re-demarcate the disputed lands according to existing judgements, survey plans and some beckons deliberately removed and in keeping with the state executive council decision of 4th June, 2006.
They also charged the government to release and implement white oaters in the commission of inquiry into the crisis between Onyadama and Nko communities.
About the Author
THEWILL Correspondent, Aniekan Bassey has over six years experience that spans across several fields in print journalism including development communication, sexual reproductive and health rights issues, crime, climate change, social justice, business and human interest stories.
