Cross River State Governor, Senator Bassey Otu, has ordered the immediate termination of the ongoing Clan and Village Creation exercise, declaring that the process was neither authorised nor approved by his administration and therefore lacked the imprimatur of the State Government.
The directive, conveyed by the Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Ededem Ani, stated that the Governor’s attention had been drawn to the exercise being undertaken by the office of the Special Adviser to the Governor on Chieftaincy Affairs.
According to the directive, “the said Clan and Village Creation exercise was neither authorised nor approved by his office,” stressing that it “does not carry the imprimatur of the State Government, and cannot be allowed to continue or to be given any further effect.”
The State Government’s position, the directive explained, was further informed by a pending legal action before the High Court of Cross River State, Calabar.
“In view of the foregoing, His Excellency has directed that all activities connected with the ongoing Clan and Village Creation exercise, including the processing, verification or publication of any Clan or Village Creation List, be terminated forthwith,” the Attorney-General stated. He added that “no further steps be taken by your office or any officer under your supervision towards the creation, recognition or conferment of Clan or Village status on any community pending further directive from the Government.”
The directive further reiterated that the governor’s approval remained a mandatory prerequisite for any such exercise in the state, warning that “no Clan or Village Creation exercise may be embarked upon by your office, or any officer under its supervision, without the prior approval of His Excellency the Governor.”
The termination of the purported Clan and Village Creation exercise underscores Governor Otu’s determination to ensure that processes affecting the recognition and administrative status of communities are undertaken within the framework of lawful governmental authority.
The Attorney-General therefore enjoined the Special Adviser on Chieftaincy Affairs to treat the Governor’s directive with “the seriousness it deserves” and ensure “strict and immediate compliance.”
