Attacks: SAN  gives C’River AG 7-day Ultimatum to retract statement 

From Ene Asuquo, Calabar 

Human rights lawyer, Ntufam Mba Ukweni (SAN) said he is giving the Attorney General and Commissioner for justice in cross river state, Mr Ededem Ani a one-week ultimatum to retract a statement he made against him. 

This was as a result of the inauguration of  taskforce committee by Ukweni’s law firm to enforce a court order regarding the Government-owned Cocoa Estate in Etung local government area of Cross River state.

The Attorney General had described Ukweni’s action as illegal, alleging he had no power to inaugurate the taskforce committee. 

Responding, Ukweni said, “I am giving them a 7-day ultimatum to retract the statement and apologize to me. If he doesn’t, it means he’s not honest with whatever discussions they’re going to have with me.”

Giving insight on why the taskforce committee  that is made of  farmers with like minds called “Team Obey Court Order”, was Inaugurated, Ukweni said, “The farmers  were  united to protect themselves from violent individuals who used to attack them in their farms. 

He cited a case where one of the  allottees was killed while he was working in  the farm  he rented from  Government owned Cocoa Estate and the killers were yet to be  prosecuted, emphasizing  that inaugurating the cocoa  farmers to work as a team would scare their killers from launching attacks.

Ukweni emphasized that the government cannot collect money from allottees and then chase them away from their farms. “It’s never done anywhere in the world,” he said. 

“The court had earlier restrained the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice from evicting allottees from their farms, as they had legitimately paid money into the state government’s coffers.

Ukweni’s law firm inaugurated the “Team Obey Court Order” committee to look into activities of individuals disobeying the court order. 

The Attorney General’s statement alleged that Ukweni’s firm had no power to do so. 

In his response to the Attorney General ‘s statement that described the inaugurated taskforce committee as illegal, Ukweni said, “First, Attorney General should withdraw this notice, that’s my first condition, with an apology. What I mean is he should retract this statement .”

Ukweni stressed that as Attorney General, it’s his duty to obey the court order. “He’s a party in that case, and having acknowledged that there’s was an  order of court, which he’s fought severally to upturn, he has a duty to obey,” Ukweni said. 

Ukweni who is the Chairman Nigerian Bar Association, National Sub committee on public interest litigation and development law, urged the state  Attorney General to advise those concerned  not to violate  the order of  court.

“The order is not an interim order; it’s an interlocutory order pending the determination of the case. Until the case is determined, that order has to be obeyed,” Ukweni emphasized. 

Warning that If the  state Attorney General doesn’t meet the two conditions, “there will be no basis for any discussion, we’ll react.”

Ukweni further stated, “If we react, whoever is bruised by our reaction, the blame should be on him, because he knows what to do. 

I mean the Attorney General, who I know is a lawyer and knows exactly what to do.” He maintained that he would report to the governor if the Attorney General doesn’t advise those pushing him not to obey the court order.

Ukweni concluded that the Attorney General’s failure to retract the statement and apologize would lead to consequences. 

He warned that his law  firm is ready to take necessary actions to protect their clients’ interests and uphold the rule of law stressing that both the Attorney General and himself once  took oath to protect protect law and order advising the attorney general not to allow himself to be used by politicians to violate the law.