By Chioma Onuegbu, 

Uyo—THE plaintiffs and defendants in the suit challenging the Traditional Rulers Council, TRC, Law Cap 155, Laws of the Akwa Ibom State, 2022, which created the State Supreme Council of Traditional Rulers and also confers perpetual headship of the President-General of the stool on the Oku Ibom Ibibio, have opted to settle the dispute out-of-court.

The development unfolded when all the parties expressed their desire to settle their differences out-of-court at the resumed hearing of the case at state High Court sitting in Uyo, yesterday. 

The plaintiffs are all the Paramount Rulers of Annang extraction, Paramount Rulers of Urueffong Oruko; Okobo; Mbo; Eastern Obolo, Ibeno and those of Oron and Udung Uko Local Government Areas, who were joined in the suit. 

Joined in the suit as defendants include the Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Akwa Ibom State Government, Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly, Speaker, House of Assembly, the Attorney General of Akwa Ibom State and, the Paramount Ruler of Nsit Ubium Local Government Area, Ntennyin Solomon Etuk.

During yesterday’s hearing, the lead counsel to the plaintiffs, Ekpenyong Ntekim, a former Attorney General of Akwa Ibom State and six others in the legal team made an oral application to the court for leave to explore settlement out of court and for a short adjournment for parties to report settlement.

Ntekim said his application was premised on the desire of parties to restore and maintain peace in the state.

Responding, the Attorney General of the State and Commissioner for Justice, Uko Udom, SAN,  who was represented by the Director of Civil Litigation, Bassey Ekanem said he was not satisfied with the oral application.

Although Ekanem confirmed that the state Attorney General and the plaintiffs’ lawyer, Ntekim, met with Governor Umo Eno to broker a way forward for a peaceful resolution of the crisis, he, however, argued that the plaintiffs ought to have made a written application in line with the terms of settlement.

The presiding Judge, Justice Archibong Archibong, however, dismissed the AG’s objection, stating that one thing that stands out from the counsel’s arguments was their desire for peace and settlement of the dispute and as such, the form or manner of application should not be a stumbling block.

The court adjourned the case till December 14, 2023 for out-of-court settlement.