The Governor of Cross River State, Senator Bassey Otu, has sacked the village head of Mbot Akpa and Ekinta Clan, Ntufam Linus Effiong Oben Tabi.
According to the governor’s Special Adviser on Chieftaincy Affairs, Otuekong Francis Edet, the monarch was removed by the governor based on findings that the dethroned monarch engaged in acts of impersonation and obtained recognition through false claims.
Investigations by the Department of Chieftaincy Affairs revealed that Tabi secured a certificate of recognition for Mbot Akpa village, a community not listed under the Cross River State Edict No. 1 (Clan Creation) of 1996.
The letter of decertification also noted that Mbot Akpa is the same as Esuk Effiom Iyaweh in Iko Eneyo Clan, Akpabuyo LGA, and that Tabi’s move was a ploy to secure legitimacy by trickery.
Further findings showed that Tabi was simultaneously heading two clans in different local government areas, a development described by his opponents as illegal and destabilising.
The action against him followed a petition by five traditional rulers under the Ekonganaku Traditional Rulers Council, who demanded his removal to restore peace in the community.
Confirming the decision, Edet stressed that the government could not overlook such misconduct, adding that peace and stability must guide the recognition of traditional institutions in the state.