By Ene Ene
The plan visit of Etubom Anthony Ani with his cabinet members to Cross River State traditional ruler’s council was botched as police cordoned the premises of the state traditional rulers council to forestall breakdown of law and order
The Enquirer gathered that the Etubom Anthony Ani led faction had planned to visit paramount rulers in the state at the traditional rulers council’s Chambers to introduce Etubom Anthony Ani as the new obong of calabar elect.
It was also gathered that the planned visit got to the Etubom traditional council of the Obong of calabar, Edidem Ekpo Okon Abasi Otu v who took a step to stop what they described as an attempt to instigate discord and bring an old revered traditional institution to disrepute.
In a three page press statement dated 3/8/2023, signed by the chairman of Etuboms’ traditional council of the palace of the Obong of calabar, HRH Etubom Bassey O. B Duke which reads;
“The Etuboms’ Council has it on good authority, that chief Anthony Ani seeks to visit some paramount rulers in the state and induce them to endorse him as an Obong-elect during a thinly disguised ceremony”.
The statement further maintained that, “The supreme court judgement of 13th January was unambiguous and stated clearly that;”chief Ani appeal was dismissed for lack of merit” and that, “he was not admittedly capped/Inducted into the palace of the Obong of calabar as an etubom at the time of the selection process was traditionally qualified or eligible to vote or be voted for as an Obong of calabar”.
The council in the statement called on the Government and the security Agencies in the state to take appropriate action to forestall imminent breakdown of law and order
Meanwhile, the chairman of cross River State traditional rulers’ council, Etinyin( Dr) Etim Okon Edet when contact to comment on the issue, denied knowledge of having fixed any meeting with paramount rulers in the State and Etubom Anthony Ani.
His words,”I have no knowledge of any meeting with Etubom Ani or any paramount ruler, as I speak with you, I’m not in town, I travelled to Akwa Ibom, I’m not an etubom, I have no business with anything happening there please” he maintained.
But the police high command in cross River said that the heavy presence of policemen around the State traditional rulers council’s office was a normal patrol routine and that there should be no course for alarm
Meanwhile, Etubom Ani’s camp said the planned visit was put on hold, no official statement was given for that