A new Clan Head in the person of Chief Samuel Willie Edohoeket has been elected unopposed by members of Eket Offiong Clan Council in Eket Local Government Area on Friday, August 18, 2017 to succeed Late Chief Sunday Assamudo Otu who was also the Village Head of Ikot Udoma in the local government area.
The election which was done by all the Village Heads within the Clan was conducted by the Chairman of the Clan Council, Obong Friday Johnny Mbre who is also the Village Head of Afia Nsit Eket, and held at Ikot Udoma Village Hall.
The new Clan Head-elect who was the only candidate for the Village Head position was advised by the Clan Council after the election to accommodate all interests within the Clan and provide purposeful leadership for the benefit and satisfaction of all members of the Clan and the Local Government Area in order to boost the image of the Clan and raise its status in the Local Government Area, Akwa Ibom State and beyond.
In his response, Chief Samuel Willie Edohoeket, a former Chairman of Petroleum and Gas Employees Association (PENGASAN) in ExxonMobil and former Executive Chairman of Eket Local Government Council, thanked members of the Clan Council and the entire membership of the Clan for finding him suitable for the position of the Clan Head and the confidence reposed in Him. He strongly promised not to disappoint the Clan but to ensure peace, equity and the progress of the Clan.
In a related development, the Clan Council also used the occasion to formally receive three (3) candidates who are contesting for the vacant position of the Village Head of Ikot Udoma since the demise and burial of the last Village Head, Late Chief Sunday Assamudo Otu. According to our reporter, out of the three contestants, Chief Sampson Simon Obot Nkamiang Assamudo who is the most popular candidate was supported by six out of the ten existing family heads in the village, while Chief Otu Samuel Assamudo and Chief Joseph Assam Ekanem were supported by two family heads each.
In an exclusive interview with our reporter, the most popular candidate, Chief Sampson Simon Obot Nkamiang Assamudo disclosed that the Village Headship stool is the bonafide inheritance of his family, Nung Nkamiang Assamudo and the family of Chief Otu Samuel Assamudo of Nung Assamudo Otu which share the same lineage and one great grandfather who was the founder, originator and pioneer Village Head of Ikot Udoma. He also narrated that his grandfather, Late Chief Nkamiang Assamudo Nnuaedem later became the next Village Head of Ikot Udoma and was succeeded by another member of his family, Late Chief Nkamiang Ekong Nkamiang Assamudo after the death of Late Chief Joseph Assamudo Otu from Nung Assamudo Otu’s family.
But in his reaction, Chief Otu Samuel Assamudo and his family members from Nung Assamudo Otu refuted that their family has no lineage relationship with Nung Nkamiang Assamudo except that of inter-marriage and membership of Abikpi sub-Clan which has led to the migration of their grandfather’s name (Assamudo) into that contending family. Chief Otu Samuel Assamudo and all his supporters claimed that the Village Headship stool is the sole traditional right of their family and that the traditional stool has never been rotatory in the history of the village as alleged by his key opponent.
Chief Otu Samuel Assamudo therefore accused the six families in the Village which have lent their total support to Chief Sampson Simon Obot Nkamiang Assamudo of conspiracy with an intent of introducing the rotation of the traditional stool.
Chief Otu Samuel Assamudo and his kinsmen promised to use all available avenues to retain their traditional right and to seek redress at appropriate quarters if perhaps the Clan Council and Eket Traditional Rulers Council deprive them of their bonafide right.
Our source has further reported that the Clan Council has fixed Thursday August 24, 2017 for presentation of the three contestants to Eket Traditional Rulers Council for appropriate action, and that the Chairman of the Clan Council has disclosed that only the contestants and their Family Heads supporters will be invited to the meeting with Eket Traditional Rulers Council.
No comments:
Post a Comment