By Kelvin Obambon
The Special Adviser to Cross River State governor on Cocoa Development and Control, Ntufam (Dr) Oscar Ofuka, has cried out over what he described as incessant threats upon his life.
Ofuka, who addressed a press conference alongside the Paramount Ruler of Etung local government area, HRM Ntufam (Dr) Emmanuel Oru Ojong, in Calabar on Tuesday, alleged that an Assistant Inspector-General of Police, AIG Mbu Joseph Mbu (Rtd), has been making series of attempts to eliminate him.
According to the governor’s aide, Joseph Mbu’s hostility started after he refused to join him in his campaign of calumny and hatred against the governor.
His words: “I am compelled to address you today, very distinguished media practitioners and human right activists in the state over the plot to assassinate me by a One-Time Assistant Inspector-General of Police, Mbu Joseph Mbu (Retired) who is so irked over my appointment as Special Adviser on Cocoa Development and Control and wants to take over my job through fraudulent acts, and affront.
“The occupation of Peregrino House by Senator (Prof) Ben Ayade as the Governor of Cross River State provided me with opportunity for service to my people as Special Adviser to the Governor of Cross River State on Cocoa Development and Control. Little did I know that this opportunity also comes alongside trials and persecutions. But AlG Mbu Joseph Mbu (Retired) feels I could have been reporting to him and take instructions on how to run affairs of Cocoa in the State from him.
“AIG Mbu J. Mbu was such a big brother to me in the first tenure of Senator (Prof.) Ben Ayade. The expectation of this my big Etung brother for the 2nd tenure of Senator (Prof) Ben Ayade was as the peak of Mount Everest. As this high expectation became humanly impossible to meet, hatred for the Governor of Cross River State from AlG Mbu (Rtd) started blowing ravaging as the hurricane “Mmakamba” that caused unparalled monumental destruction in the city of Calabar in the month of April, 2021.
“Mbu wanted to enlist me into his battalion to fight Senator (Prof) Ben Ayade. I flatly refused. Hell let loose. I became the object of the hatred against Senator (Prof.) Ben Ayade by AIG Mbu J. Mbu (Rtd). He went viral condemning everything about me.
“His antics include callous publications, insinuations, blackmail and laying a snare on me and Governor Ben Ayade whose good intentions to develop Cross River State is misconstrued.
“Retired AIG Mbu has not only taken offense on cocoa rent and royalty for Landlords in Etung Local Government Area but has directed his punches on what he alleges as misrule in the state, alleging the collapse of Obudu cattle ranch, see Governor Ayade’s Misrule: Collapse of Obudu Cattle Ranch-AlG Mbu, copy attached.
“I did nothing in my defence confident that my selfless service to my people will be my advocate. When AIG Mbu (Rtd) could not succeed in character assassination against me, his next plan was to employ all means to physically eliminate me.
“On a false complaint of criminal conversion of land and other flimsy allegations labeled against me by A.I.G. Mbu J. Mbu to the Inspector General of Police, A.I.G. Mbu J. Mbu had me abducted in Calabar and flown to the Police Force Headquarters in Abuja on 20/02/2021. Investigation of the complaint revealed that the case besides being civil matter, A.I.G. Mbu J. Mbu lacked the locus to petition me on the subject matter and the case lacked merit. In the process of abducting and flying me to Abuja, attempts were made to poison me but God saved me.
“When Mbu noticed that he could not succeed through the Police, he decided to come after me personally. On 16/05/2021, Andeshi, Cletus Ushie; Mbe Erim James; my driver; one other person; and I were on our way back to Calabar after attending wedding at Obudu. At Akparabong Farm Settlement along Ikom Obudu Road about 4:30pm, A.I.G. Mbu J. Mbu, in company of about 15 well armed men in mufti, carrying AK 47 riffles blocked us and ordered me to go down and meet A.I.G. Mbu J. Mbu who was seated inside a black colored Toyota Prado Landcruiser Jeep.
“Since there are many criminals in this country these days carrying guns, (some even falsely claiming to be security personnel when they are not), I refused to go down. These men dragged Mbe Erim Ojong out of the car, slapped him about 10 times insisting that I must come down to meet A.I.G. Mbu J. Mbu. Upon my refusal they all corked their riffle threatening to kill me. I believed that if I had gone down, these faceless men would have fired at me and killed me on the instructions of AIG Mbu J. Mbu. When I noticed that their attention was focused on beating Mbe Erim Ojong before coming to me, I signaled my driver who quickly engaged the reverse gear and took off.
“A.I.G. Mbu J. Mbu and these armed men pursued us, bashing our 2nd vehicle constantly thereby causing heavy damage to the blue colored Ford Ranger. A.I.G. Mbu J. Mbu stationed another team of unknown armed men behind to intercept us from the rear. God helped us that we escaped into Bendege Ekiem in Etung Local Government Area.
“A.I.G. Mbu J. Mbu had warned me that unless I renounce my support and loyalty for Senator (Prof) Ben Ayade, he (Mbu) will kill me and that nobody can do anything to him. What happened on this 16/05/2021 was fulfillment of the promise of AIG Mbu J. Mbu to assassinate me.
“I suffer all these because of my loyalty to my boss and Master, Senator (Prof) Ben Ayade. If I were to renounce my support and loyalty for Senator (Prof) Ben Ayade, all rockets firing from the Gaza Strip of Joseph Mbu into my West Jerusalem will seize and there will be total de-escalation of all hostilities.
“However, with His Excellency I stand. If the price of loyalty to my boss is hostilities from AIG Mbu J. Mbu, let me die from the Hamas Rockets fired from Gaza Strip of AIG Mbu (Rtd). My God of Israel Iron Dome will intercept for me all the Hamas Rockets.”, Dr Ofuka narrated.
Also speaking, HRM Ntufam (Dr) Emmanuel Oru Ojong, said on the 26th of March, 2021, he got a letter from the Chairman of Etung local government area, Hon. John Etuk, conveying the indefinite suspension of the clan head of Effraya, Ntufam Richard Ojong and two other chiefs over the fraudulent sale of land without the consent of the Effraya community.
The Paramount Ruler disclosed that the Chairman dissolved a committee that was set up to look into issues of allocation of Cocoa plantations in the local government, and attempted to replace members of the committee with his cronies.
Ntufam Ojong alleged that his refusal to endorse the new committee put in place by the council Chairman led to his indefinite suspension from office. He said the suspension also affected the clan heads of Bendeghe Ekiem, Afrigon and several others.
He, however, averred that the council boss has no power to suspend him and his clan heads, lamenting that he has not been paid since the suspension was slammed on him.
The royal father claimed that his travails began as a result of his support for Dr Oscar Ofuka, and that what transpired had the finger prints of AIG Joseph Mbu, whom he noted, is a close friend of Etung local government chairman.
When contacted by our correspondent on phone over the allegations made by the Paramount Ruler, the Chairman of Etung, Hon. John Etuk, said although he had wanted to suspend the royal father, he lacked the power to do so, because according to him, it is only the state governor who is constitutionally vested with such power, and that he has made a request in that regard.
On the allegation of non payment of salary to the Paramount Ruler, the Chairman said “When I came on board, I did an audit and discovered that in the traditional rulers council, he was embezzling salaries meant for about 21 chiefs, of which some are death. Even my own late father, his salary was still running. So I have to stop it. Because of that, he started having problem with me.”
On the involvement of AIG Mbu in the controversy, Hon. Etuk said “He (The Paramount Ruler) had a problem with AIG Mbu before now. The problem was with his community. He committed a very serious offence by selling community lands, and was sent on exile for so many years with a fine and duration to pay. After expiration of the deadline to pay the fine, he now summed up money to pay the fine, but AIG Mbu opposed the payment because he also committed other offences.
“So he then took the matter to the EndSARS tribunal, and the tribunal gave him the power to go back to his village. When he got there, he dissolved the existing town council executive and the youth. When he did all that, I now say no. My councillor representing Abiam, where he comes from, called me and say ‘There’s fire on the mountain’. I said no. Let the youth leader and the existing exco remained. I then invited all of them for a meeting. I invited the chiefs, the youths, the town council Chairman and all political appointees to my office so that we can resolve the matter amicably. However, the meeting coincided with the one the deputy governor invited us. I then sent a message that they should not come until when I come back. But the Paramount Ruler was furious at this.
“Before now he has been saying that he is the Chief Executive that I am under him and that I should take instructions from him before doing anything. I disagreed with him on that. He chartered 6 cars and okada people in black cap and came to the council to harass me.”
The Chairman accused HRM Emmanuel Ojong of inciting crisis and dividing the people of Etung for his selfish interest.
Responding to the allegation of dissolving the Cocoa royalty and allocation committee, Hon. Etuk said the committee was dissolved because it was headed by an aged person, Engr. Obi Attah, who according to him, would not be able to meet up with the constant travel demand of that position.
He said the clan heads welcomed the idea and willingly signed the revocation of the power of attorney given to the previous committee. But HRM Emmanuel Ojong declined to sign, insisting that “I should call the meeting of all the clan heads, which I did. When that was done, he still refused to sign, this time around saying I didn’t buy him cow during December and that I don’t use to give him money.”
The Chairman also said after much persuasion by other clan heads, the Paramount Ruler agreed to sign but insisted that the secretary of the committee should bring the documents to his house. And that when the papers were taken to him, he seized them until date.
Meanwhile, efforts by our correspondent to get reactions from AIG Joseph Mbu proved abortive as his mobile phone line was swift off at the time of fielding this report.
