By Nsan Ndoma-Neji, Calabar
A human rights lawyer, Barr. Ichire Okim, on Wednesday urged the acting Comptroller General.if the Nigeria Immigration Service, NIS Carol Wuraola Adepoju, to ask NIS personnel in Cross River State to harassing or intimidating traditional rulers of Effi community in Ikom Local Government Area of the state who the legal practitioner said were his clients.
Okim made the appeal while speaking with our correspondent yesterday in a telephone discussion in Ikom Local Government Area, the commercial nerve centre of Cross River State.
The community lawyer averred that the numerous invitations extended to Effi monarchs by the authority of the NIS in Cross River State were uncalled for, adding that the invitations amounts to infringement on the fundamental rights of his clients, who he claimed had been exonerated of any wrong doing.
In a statement from Principal Solicitor, Ichire Imo-Okim and Co Chambers, dated August 24, and titled, ‘Re: National Security Risk Urgent Action Required, Suspicious Entry into Effi Community Forest and the Cross River South Forest Reserve Without Diplomatic and Security Clearance,’ frowned at the invitations of the monarchs to the Command headquarters in Calabar.
Okim said, “For Christ’s sake, why are they tossing the monarchs around as if they were football? These are my clients. It would be unfair if I sit down fold my arms and watch them toss them around like that!
“Chinese nationals only visited our
community and said that they want something from our community, whether we agree or not, should not be an issue.
“In the first instance, my clients, Effi traditional rulers, had not even entered into any agreement with the Chinese nationals, unfortunately it became an issue.
“Let me state here clearly that it’s because of an inciting and fault-finding letter written by Prince Odey Oyama to the Immigration authority that had raised so much dust.”
Okim accused Odey of plotting to destabilize the peace and unity enjoyed among community members, home and abroad, claiming that Effi community has the right to entertain visitation.
He stated that Odey’s long standing unprovoked and malicious attacks and disparagement against the community chiefs is nothing but a ploy to destabilize Effi community traditional institution.
He added, “The Nigerian Immigration Service and other relevant government agencies have done the needful before the foreign nationals gained entry and accessed our clients.”
Urging Odey to desist forthwith from undermining the traditional institution of Effi community, Okim said that the community would not hesitate to seek redress at the appropriate quarters if need be.
The lawyer, who claimed that the traditional rulers had done no wrong for receiving two Chinese nationals who visited the community, not for evil but for the good of the community.
Earlier the monarchs were invited to a meeting with the Senior Special Assistant to the governor of Security Matters to the Cross River State governor, retired AIG John Abang, where they brainstormed for hours at Ikom Local Government Council headquarters, and later with Ikom Division of the Nigeria Police, where they also brainstormed with the Divisional Police Officer, DPO, CSP Usang Victor, who was represented by SP Terryima Dzuwgwe.
Later it was gathered that some community stakeholders were again invited by the Cross River State Comptroller of the NIS, Emmanuel Akinrinsola.
Irked by this development, tbe community lawyer stated that it was uncalled for for the community chiefs who had done no wrong to be tossed around like common criminals.
Effort to get reaction of Public Relations Officer of the Cross River State Command of the NIS, Nora Ajana, failed, as she was said to be in a Zoom meeting at the time of filing this report.
Also, text messages sent to her regarding the issue were never replied.
But, in a swift reaction to issue, Odey, who is the Executive Director of the Rain Forest Reserve and Development, stated that he had no regret about the petition which he sent to the Immigration authority and other relevant government agencies concerning the issue.
He said, “All I am doing is to protect the forest from being depleted by the Chinese. The forest is a blessing from God which must be protected and passed from one generation to another.
“We are making arrangements to set up a timber shade once we are able to obtain clearance from the Cross River State Forestry Commission that we will do through forest regeneration.”
