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Calabar, capital of Cross River State, stands on the ethnic
tripod of the Efik, Qua, and Efut. Each has its own language, but owing to the
influence of western civilization, Efik is today the lingua franca of the city.
Efik traces its origin to Urruan in Akwa Ibom State, while Qua and Efut
migrated from Central Africa and Cameroon respectively.

The three groups are spread across six of the seven local
government areas of Cross River south senatorial district. These include
Bakassi, Akpabuyo, Calabar South, Calabar Municipal Council, Odukpani, and
Akamkpa. This mixture does not make for a dominant ethnic group in any of these
councils and entire Cross River south senatorial district.

Each of these groups has its own traditional government, headed
by a paramount chief. The Efiks have the Obong of Calabar, the Quas have the
Ndidem, and the Efut, Muri Munene. Before 1973, the Obong of Calabar was the
supreme traditional ruler of the city. Even now, the emergence of other
paramount rulers has not obliterated the influence and national acclaim of the
Treaty King and Grand Patriarch of the Efiks.

Characteristically, each ethnic group is troubled by occasional
succession crisis to its throne. Each time any of the three overall monarchs
joined his ancestors, the vacuum created becomes a recipe for crisis. Although
the Quas have had less trouble in producing a new Ndidem, the Efik and the Efut
have struggled to ensure smooth succession.

Right now, Cross River is gripped by such a crisis among the
Efut. Since the paramount ruler of Calabar south local government area and Muri
Munene of Efut, Ita Okokon Asikpo Ebuka-Ebuka 1V, passed away last September,
it has been impossible for the Efuts to have a substantive Muri Munene [supreme
ruler].

Two clan heads, Muri Ita Okokon Mesembe X1 [Efut Ibonda] and
Muri Effiong Okokon Mbukpa Ita Odionka Ebuka V11 [Efut Abua East] are laying
claims to the throne. Each is claiming to have been screened and installed by
the king makers as the new Muri Munene. Accordingly, two groups of kingmakers
have emerged in the kingdom.

While the Mesembe camp said only the six original clans founded
by the six sons of Efut progenitor are qualified to vie for the coveted crown,
that of Mbukpa has put a lie to it, claiming that by virtue of the Inoyo
Commission of the late 1970s, eight clans now hold sway in Efut land and are
each heir apparent.

That commission also recommended the rotation of the stool
among the eight clans. Both camps have submitted their nominees to the Cross
River State government for recognition, inauguration, and presentation of staff
of office as Muri Munene.

The irreconciliable differences between the two camps have
entrapped state governor, Liyel Imoke, who has found it difficult to decide on
who to endorse. The state government wants the factions to resolve it
traditionally.

But one of the groups is calling for a commission of enquiry
into the crisis, while the other said such an inquest is not necessary as a
monarch has already emerged.

It is believed that it was the turn of Efut Ukem, in Odukpani,
to produce a successor to Ebuka-Ebuka. But the candidate, Itam Hogan, a
professor of medicine, declined and nominated Mr. Mesembe from Efut Ibonda.
Then Mr. Mbukpa from Efut Abua, which produced the last monarch, announced his
interest. He said he took the crown because he was the only bold candidate to
perform the traditional burial rites of his predecessor, as required by the
custom of Efut.

Muri Mesembe has called on the state government to set up a
panel to investigate whether himself or his rival, Muri Mbukpa, is the
authentic successor to the throne of their forebears.

“The suggested investigative panel has become long overdue, as
it was the only way to dig to the root of the crisis and thus save Efut kingdom
from further embarrassment arising from these conflicting claims,” Mesembe said
in an interview in Calabar.

He advised the state government to raise the panel as a way to
rest the controversy, calm frayed nerves, and stave off any violent clash. “The
current struggle is between impostors and the true descendants of the six
original ancestors who founded Efut nation,” he said. “Anybody parading himself
today as leader of Efut nation is an impostor. We have never had such a
nomenclature in our traditional governance at its apex level. Some persons
somewhere are misleading members of the public, including the state
government.”

Unworried Efut chiefs

But reacting to the call for a panel of enquiry, the Efut
Combined Assembly (ECA), the highest traditional governing body in Efut
kingdom, refuted the allegations that the Efut was embroiled in succession
crisis and its secretariat factionalised.

Chairman of the assembly, Ndabo Obo E.E. Obo, made the refutal
at a meeting of the assembly held at the palace of the paramount ruler of
Calabar-South at Anantigha, Calabar, noting however, that the seeming crisis
was as a result of the passing away of the former Muri Munene.

Ndabo Obos said subject to the tradition and customs of the
people and after the obsequies of the deceased Muri Munene, a period was given
for the selection of a successor to the throne based on four criteria.

The criteria, he said, are that such candidates must be
initiates and title holders of Ekpe society; must have been a Muri (a certified
clan head) and officially presented to the ECA for recognition and royal
blessings by the Munene in Council; must have been a regular attendant at
meetings at ECA palace; and must be able to trace his ancestary to any of the
royal houses in Efut.

Based on these criteria, he said, Muri Effiong Mbukpa was
unanimously selected and enthroned as the paramount ruler of Calabar-South and
Muri Munene-elect, a position which had since last year been communicated to
the Cross River State government through the special assistant to the governor
on chieftaincy affairs, Emmanuel Arop.

He said the Muri Munene-elect has since ascended the throne of
his ancestors and had been peacefully coordinating the affairs of the people of
Efut and as such, there was nothing anybody could do to alter the wish of the
people.

“None of those rebels fulfilled the conditions as mentioned,”
he said. “One of them was stripped of his Ekpe title many years ago and he did
nothing to restore his title and could, therefore, not say that he is qualified
to ascend the throne of our fore-fathers.

“And all the four of them had withdrawn themselves from the
traditional matters of Efut over ten years ago on the ground that the former
Muri Munene was not literate and should not lord over them. Thus, they were not
qualified in meeting attendance.

“In effect, we have only one Munene on the throne and anybody
doing something else, is on his own,” he said.

In 2008, the Efik kingdom literally went up in flames following
the demise of the Obong of Calabar, Edidem Nta Elijah Henshaw, occasioned by
the politics over his successor. Residents of Calabar are wondering if the Efut
would manage their own better.