Cross River Gov Otu halts unauthorised clan, village creation exercise

Cross River State Governor Senator Bassey Otu has ordered an immediate halt to an ongoing exercise aimed at creating new clans and villages across the state. The governor declared that the process was neither authorized nor approved by his administration, according to a statement from the Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Ededem Ani.

Ani stated that the exercise, which was being carried out by the office of the Special Adviser to the Governor on Chieftaincy Affairs, did not have the government's approval. The statement emphasized that the process "does not carry the imprimatur of the State Government, and cannot be allowed to continue or to be given any further effect." The government's decision to suspend the exercise was also influenced by a pending legal case before the High Court of Cross River State in Calabar.

Governor Otu directed that all activities related to the exercise, including the processing, verification, or publication of any Clan or Village Creation List, must cease immediately. The directive explicitly states that no further steps should be taken by the relevant office or any supervised officer concerning the creation, recognition, or conferment of Clan or Village status on any community until further government directives are issued. The governor reiterated that his approval is a mandatory prerequisite for any such exercise in the state, warning against proceeding without prior consent.

The Attorney-General urged the Special Adviser on Chieftaincy Affairs to treat the governor's order with the utmost seriousness and ensure strict and immediate compliance. This development highlights the administration's commitment to ensuring that processes for recognizing and establishing the administrative status of communities adhere strictly to lawful governmental authority.