Former presidential aide and serial commentator on contemporary issues, Okoi Obono-Obla, irked by the ineffectiveness of the chairmen of Yakurr and Obubra Local Government Areas to mediate in and contain the intractable Nko/Onyeadama communal crisis, has called on the Cross River State governor, Ben Ayade, “…to immediately invoke the constitutional powers vested in him by the Cross River State Local government Law to direct the suspension from office of the Chairmen of Obubra and Yakurr local government councils.”
In a written statement sent to www.calitown.com, Obla maintains that, “this call has become imperative following the breakdown of law and order arising from the inter-communal violence that has wrecked parts of Obubra and Yakurr local government areas of Cross River State. The violence in these two communities has led to deaths and wanton destruction of property.”
He added that, “Nko has been under unrelenting attacks from soldiers posted there to maintain the peace. Indeed Nko has been completely deserted and turned into a ghost town, with the population internally displaced. I urge the Governor of the Cross River State Law to invoke Section 11 of the Cross River State Local government Law and direct the suspension of these chairmen.”
Obla was also specific that this “law empowers the governor to direct the suspension of the chairman of a local government council that suffers a breakdown of law and order. Indeed there has been such a breakdown of law and order in Onyedama (Obubra LGA) and Nko (Yakurr LGA) in the past week. The suspension will send a clear and firm signal to chairmen of local government councils in the state to sit down, work and stem inter-communal violence that has become a recurring decimal in some parts of the state.”
The two communities have been enmeshed in a bloody communal conflict that has defied all solutions. At press time, men of the Nigerian Army have been drafted to forcefully enforce a cessation of hostilities.