One or two people selling parcels of land indiscriminately and twice to different buyers is a common cause of communal disputes, according to HRM Etubom Nyong Offiong Okon Etim Ewa 1st, the Paramount Ruler of Calabar South in Cross River.
More specifically, the monarch blamed the act for most of the conflicts in Calabar’s Efut community.
During an interview with journalists, he cautioned against it and urged the local clan leaders to maintain peace in order to promote Calabar South’s overall development.
In accordance with the traditional rulers’ edict of 1987, he urged all traditional heads to display signs of identification by placing checkposts in their respective domains to deter trespassing.
As true guardians of tradition, he urged all traditional rulers to uphold the virtues of integrity by launching initiatives that would encourage peaceful coexistence.
All clan and village chiefs in the region were cautioned by Ewa to put down their swords and follow the path of peace rather than agitating the political system with disagreements over land.
The Paramount ruler clarified that the traditional ruler edict is very explicit as only the village heads have authority over their domains without external interference. The ruler also took offense at reports of overlapping influence and trespassing on land in other domains.
