By Egufe Yafugborhi & Chioma Onuegbu

CIVIL Liberties Organization (CLO) on Monday joined growing calls for repeal of the amended Akwa Ibom State Traditional Rulers Law Cap 55 widely seen as discriminatory and divisive among the state’s ethnic groups.

Akwa Ibom Chapter of CLO, in its position on the development yesterday in Uyo, chided the State House of Assembly for passing the controversial law without conforming with the country’s extant laws.

The law as amended birthed the new Supreme Council of Akwa Ibom Traditional Rulers, trashed the rotational headship of the traditional rulers council among monarchs of major ethnic groups in state and instead lords the Oku Ibom Ibibio, Nteyin Solomon Etuk, head king of the Ibibios as life President General over all other Paramount Rulers.

Godknows Njoku, Chairman CLO, Akwa Ibom, joining the call for nullification of the law, said the civil society group only rescinded its resolve to be joined in the pending suit seeking repeal of the law on perceived understanding that Governor Umo Eno has assured on giving listening ears to traditional rulers opposed to the law.

According to Njoku, “The matter now is in court, but we can safely say the House of Assembly did not consider many things, especially the extant laws of the country before they came to that conclusion.

”We are of the view that the State Assembly should have consulted extant laws of the country especially with regard to Section 42 of the 1999 constitution as amended in 2023, looking at how it will affect other minority tribes. The law passed now is discriminatory in nature; it is offensive.

“We trust the court will do justice to it if this matter will continue. By its inconsistencies, it should be declared null and void. We are of the view that the traditional rulers should look at it, reason together and come up with one voice if they did not want it.

“CLO was to apply to be joined in the suit but we may not join again having considered the good intention of the state governor who has publicly said he does not intend to marginalize or witch-hunt any particular group of people in the state, that they should write to the state government if they did not want it”.