WHEN Gov. Liyel Imoke of Cross River State summoned an unusual courage to expel cultists from his administration last year, nobody, including his close political associates, took him serious. The governor immediately became a laughing stock with many referring to him as a time waster. To them, Imoke was daring the tiger and was at a risk of being consumed. It was their belief that cultism was so entrenched in the state that nobody could dare question it.
The doubts cast on the governor‘s war against cultism and secret fraternities could be justified. The state was notorious for all forms of occult activities. Cultists appeared to have overrun the state, occupying various positions of authority. Bloody cult clashes were rampant and in each confrontation, many people, including non-members, were killed and maimed.
There was palpable tension on the streets of Calabar as everybody was a potential victim of cult-related violence and robberies. Last year alone, clashes among rival cult groups in the state claimed over 20 lives. In fact, the state was touted to be home to head offices of many secret organisations and no government had attempted to probe the activities of cultists in the state.
Inundated by complaints of insecurity arising from cultism, Imoke became undaunted to make a difference. He immediately began a campaign against secret cults. As if to weed off cultists from his administration, Imoke mandated all his aides, including special advisers and commissioners, to take oaths denouncing membership of secret cults in the state.
It was a shocking development to most of the aides, but the governor insisted, ”Denounce cult or quit offices.” In a twinkle, over 108 public office holders assembled in the executive chamber of the Governor‘s Office, Calabar, each holding the Holy Bible and renouncing cultism.
Imoke told the bewildered officials that his administration would no longer tolerate the gruesome killings and maiming arising from cult clashes in the state. He was not frightened to tell them that the oath became urgent because a security report had indicted some of them as members of dreaded fraternities and sororities.
He had said, ”We have invested resources in building the socio-economic status of our state and we will not fold our arms and watch cultists destroy our efforts. I am following due process that is why I administer the oath. If you know that you belong to any cult group, please it is better to leave the oath, because if you take it when you are still a member, your life will be at risk.”
That explained the reason behind the oath. Imoke had believed that the spiritual power behind the oath was enough to destroy the loyalty of his aides to any cult group. He thought that by compelling them to take oaths, he would have pitted them against the leadership of their various cult groups. Perhaps, he wanted to show public demonstration of his seriousness and transparency in stemming the tide of cultism in the state.
The aides in loyalty to their boss went through the ritual oath-taking without qualms. But, it was not all over. Imoke took his oath administration to the grass roots level – the local government areas where cultists were believed to be having a field day.
The unwavering Imoke gathered all the chairmen, vice-chairmen, councillors, supervisors, personal assistants and other aides of the 18 local government councils in the state to the main bowl of the Cultural Centre Complex, Calabar for the same purpose of oath-taking. The governor dared the grass roots politicians threatening to initiate a process of sacking any of the elected officials directly or indirectly sponsoring the activities of secret societies in the state. He accused them of using cultism as a means of winning elections in the state. But he said that the era was over as he was determined to ensure that no cultist would stand for the next elections in the state.
Imoke further stunned some of them who thought the ceremony was a joke when he said, ”I will fight cultism in Cross River State. I don‘t care if I lose my life in the course of doing that.” He, therefore, vowed to prosecute any government official found to be a member of a secret cult.
A few days after, 10 councillors from Calabar South Local Government Area of the state became the first casualties of the cleansing exercise. They were accused of playing different roles in the bloody cult clash that killed many people in the state last year.
Acting on a security report, the governor immediately sent a letter to the state house of assembly seeking the suspension of the indicted councillors for 90 days to enable the police to investigate the matter. The request was granted and the councillors were suspended.
The suspended councillors are Mr. Michael Eyo, Ward I; Mr. Effiong Akirika, Ward II; Mr. Antigha Eneyo, Ward III; Bassey Ekpo, Ward VI and Francis Obo, Ward VII. Others include Maurice Archibong, Ward VIII; Philip Okang, Ward IX; Bassey Eyo, Ward XI and Gabriel Edet, Ward XII. While eight of the councillors were alleged to be members of a cult group called the Vikings; one was said to belong to the Ku Klus Klan, while the others were accused of belonging to the Buccaneers.
Imoke mandated the police to thoroughly investigate the matter. For over three months, the councillors were in the custody of the police as investigation lasted. Eventually, they were arraigned and remanded in prison custody. Sensing that the 90-day suspension slammed on the councillors had elapsed, the governor urgently forwarded another letter to the House of Assembly seeking an extension of the suspension to another 90 days. The request was also granted. Though three of the councillors were said to have been bailed on health grounds, others are still languishing in prison.
By all indications, the 10 councillors may not be the last casualties of the cleansing assignment. This is because the governor has further constituted a six-member committee to investigate involvement of local government council‘s officials in secret fraternities. The committee was asked to ascertain the extent to which the involvement of the councillors in cultism impacted on their responsibilities as council members. It was also required to recommend sanctions against any of the local government council‘s officials found to be a member of a cult group. It was learnt that the committee which was given eight-week deadline to carry out the assignment had submitted its report.
It is certain that many heads would roll if the governor could muster courage to implement the report of the committee. Those who are close to the committee said that many government officials were indicted. They said the governor was amazed at the report and was seriously considering what to do with it.
However, for people to take the governor‘s war on cultism seriously, he might need to unmask the identities of those indicted in the report.
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Culled from The Punch Newspaper.
By MIKE ODIEGWU, Published: Sunday, 14 Feb 2010
By MIKE ODIEGWU, Published: Sunday, 14 Feb 2010
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