By Nsan Ndoma-Neji, Calabar
Chairman for Obubra Local Government Area of Cross River State, Kingsley Arikpo has refuted allegations levelled against him of slapping the clan head and traditional ruler of Iyamoyong community.
The council chairman debunked the allegation while answering questions from our correspondent during a telephone interview yesterday.
The council chairman stated that he is not insane to slap a traditional ruler who he holds in high esteem and have much regards for.
He said the rumour making the rounds that he slapped the monarch was a lie fabricated from the pit of hell to tarnish his reputation.
He said, “I am not mad to assault a traditional ruler who is a custodian of our norms and values in our locality.
“I mm not a drunk to just get up and begin to slap my traditional ruler. All you heard were lies fabricated by certain individuals who want to bring me down at all cost.”
Findings by our correspondent revealed that trouble broke out in Iyamoyong, Obubra Local Government Area of Cross River State when the council chairman, Mr Arikpo, when a suspected group of young men ambushed and attacked his entourage on Tuesday as the council chairman was returning home after a visit to Ogurude and quarry site at Eja, in Osopong 1, earlier in the day.
As he got to Iyamitet community alongside his aides, including the Special Adviser on Peace and Security, Mr. Frank Iyamba and the Supervisor for Due Process, Mr Sunday Ayang, he was confronted with an unusual barricade mounted by some young men who he felt probably were out for something not palatable during his return around Iyamoyong axis of Iyamitet road.
Our correspondent gathered that one of the bikers, known as Mr. Wisdom
disrupted the chairman’s entourage and overtook the entourage in an unusual manner which angered certain individuals within the chairman’s entourage and he was pursued by some of the chairman’s supporters to his father’s compound, unknown to them that he was a son to the traditional ruler where he hid in his father’s palace.
The enraged boys among the council chairman’s entourage demanded that Wisdom should come out from his hidding place to give explanation on why he put up such unruly behavior, but unfortunately Wisdom refused to give them a listening ear, instead, he remained in his hiding place in his father’s palace.
Tension went high, leading to blockade of the Iyametet-Iyamoyong road by boys suspected to be Wisdom’s supporters leading to one of the bikes hired by the council chairman for that journey been taken away from the original rider.
The Chairman’s presence at the palace to initiate peaceful negotiations to secure the release of the bike was given a different interpretation to embarrass him.
However, many Iyamoyong indigenes have dissociated themselves from the episode as opinion leaders and youths of Obubra Urban, Ofumbongha/Yala and Osopong in Obubra 1 state constituency, as well as their counterparts from Adun kingdom in Obubra 2 state constituency have condemned the attack on the chairman in strong terms, urging the people not to treat the office of the executive chairman with contempt.
It was also reported that six tippers and the filling station of the chairman were vandalized by the this group of irate young men who many alledged were probably after the life of the council chairman.
Reports also have it that the residence of the Deputy Leader of Obubra Legislature, Hon Akamba, at Iyamoyong also suffered attack.
