There seems to be tension between the Special Adviser to the governor on Chieftaincy Affairs, Chief Frank Edet and the Chairman of the Cross River State Traditional Rulers Council (TRC), HRH Etinyin Etim Okon Edet.
According to sources familiar with the matter, the confrontation stemmed from a longstanding grievances and power tussle that have been ongoing even before the appointment of the new SA in the Department of Chieftaincy Affairs. It was alleged that the TRC chairman, who has held the position for more than 10 years, contrary to the customary two-year tenure limit, physically assaulted the governor’s aide in company of three other Paramount Rulers and some unknown persons.
As per insiders accounts, tension heightened on Friday 22nd March, 2024, when the TRC chairman attempted to assert dominance over Chief Edet, prompting a heated verbal and physical attack in the latter’s office. It was also alleged that the TRC chairman, accompanied by some known and unknown persons, forcefully removed Chief Edet from his office and barred him from entering his workplace.
One of the inside sources recalled that the whole fracas started on a Tuesday when Etinyin Etim Okon Edet sent for the Special Adviser to the governor and said he would be having a meeting with some clan heads and that he would like the Special Adviser to be in attendance, a development deemed to be laughable as the Chairman of the TRC is said to be subordinate to the SA on Chieftaincy Affairs in order of hierarchy.
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“Etinyin Okon Edet doesn’t have any right to summon the SA to a meeting he was not even originally invited to. For the sake of courtesy, the SA went there and sat down beside him. He said to the clan heads, ‘this is our new SA on Chieftaincy Affairs. He has been sent to come and work under us here’. The clan heads that were there were mostly from Akpabuyo and Bakassi.
“A few days later the Chairman TRC sent for the SA Chieftaincy Affairs to attend another meeting, but the SA respectfully declined, informing the chairman’s messenger that His Excellency had assigned some responsibilities to be done, reason why he cannot make it. The next thing we knew was that one of the staff in the Department of Chieftaincy Affairs ran into the office saying ‘oga chairman is coming to your office o’.
“Before you could say Jack Robinson, Etinyin had opened the SA’s office and walked in like Mussolini of Italy. The SA stood up in surprise but before he could say anything the TRC chairman started shouting at him querying thus: ‘Who are you? Who do you think you are? Are you king? Are you God? I have worked with other SA’s nobody insulted me or went against my instructions. Since you came here you don’t have any respect for me. You don’t take instructions. You don’t do what I ask you to do. I will not work with you in this office because I cannot control you. I work with those I control’.
“The next thing, some of his boys came and held the SA’s suit and tried to drag him out of the office. We said to them not to drag the SA that way, rather we pleaded that it is better for the SA to leave the office quietly since he was not born in that office and obviously shouldn’t be killed there. Three paramount rulers were there with him. Other clan heads were there too and the other persons he brought to come and push the SA out of the office. You can imagine the effrontery to remove and push out a representative of the governor from his office. The SA wasn’t even wearing his shoes because the place was hot, so he had to removed them. Infact I’ve never seen such a thing. The SA after being manhandled just asked if he could be allowed to take his shoes and they mockingly allowed him to go back and retrieve his shoes. Etinyin and the Paramount Ruler of Calabar South were standing there and shouting at him until he walked away after which the thugs warned him never to come back to the office,” the source narrated.
It was also gathered that soon after the incident, the embattled SA drove to the governor’s office with some workers who accompanied him and he met with the Chief of Staff, whom he told all that happened. The chief of staff was said to have been really shocked over the sad development.
The source further recalled that before the SA got to the governor’s office, the TRC chairman was alleged to have called him on phone and was overheard asking the SA to tell whoever sent him that he cannot work with him. And that he has who he wants to work with.
“After the incident happened on Friday, on Monday the TRC chairman summoned another meeting of paramount rulers from the 18 local government areas. Out of the 18, 13 paramount rulers attended the meeting and he briefed them about what happened, how the SA insulted him, how the SA is not subservient to him, how the SA is very insulting and all of that. He even lied against the SA, saying that the SA claimed all the staff in the office are from “atam” while only one person is from Efik. That’s a big lie. The TRC chairman is trying to play the tribal sentiment card so that the non Efik paramount rulers will support him. Ironically, the paramount rulers who physically stormed the SA’s office are all from the Southern Senatorial zone.
“He even wrote a petition that the governor should replace the SA Chieftaincy Affairs. 12 of the Paramount Rulers signed the petition while one from Biase refused to sign because he said he didn’t see anything wrong the Special Adviser has done. He said the SA’s refusal to attend a meeting for introduction wasn’t enough reason to call for a removal. Those paramount rulers he invited for the emergency meeting he gave each of them stipends for their transport while the Paramount Ruler from Biase declined it,” another source alleged.
When contacted on phone by our correspondent to get his reaction, the Chairman of the Cross River State Traditional Rulers Council, HRH Etinyin Etim Okon Edet said he would only react if the allegations against him were directly made by the Special Adviser to the Governor on Chieftaincy Affairs, adding that he would not comment on accusations merely made by unknown sources.
Earlier, the SA on Chieftaincy Affairs when contacted by our correspondent, declined to react over the allegation against the TRC chairman, saying he does not have clearance to speak to the press about the issue.
However, official documents reveal that the political head of the Department of Chieftaincy Affairs is the Special Adviser appointed by the governor. He is assisted by a permanent secretary; and the department has a deputy director of administration, assistant director, a chief executive officer and a full complement of support staff.
There are about 7 or 8 units in the Department of Chieftaincy Affairs. These units are; the administration which the Special Adviser oversees. There is a state council of chiefs which is under the administration unit overseen by the SA. There is planning, research and statistics unit still under the purview of the SA. There is unit for certification responsible for issuing certificates to village heads, clan heads and paramount rulers. There is also the conflict management; the registry and the accounts unit.