Abasi Ita, Calabar
A new twist has been added to the leadership tussle rocking the Igbo Community in Calabar as a faction in the lingering leadership imbroglio has dared the judiciary by holding its annual cultural day celebration despite a subsisting High Court order barring parties in the dispute from organising the annual event.
The defiance factional executive led by Barrister Kingsley Kalu staged the event over the weekend at the playground of the Management Development Institute, Mary Slessor Avenue in Calabar.
The Igbo cultural day, an annual festival which serves as a rallying point as well as an avenue to showcase the rich cultural heritage of the Igbos
Enmeshed in a legal tussle challenging Kingsley Kalu as the purported leader of the Igbos in Calabar is another splinter group led by Prince Raymond Atulomah who goals from Abia state where the position has been zoned to just as all moves to resolve the crisis has failed.
Following the collapse of amicable resolution efforts,Prince Raymond Atulomah’s faction had approached the Court praying for an order restraining Kalu from parading himself or functioning as the president of the Igbos in Calabar while also urging the court to declare him, the plaintiff in the matter, the authentic executive president, Calabar chapter of the Igbo Community Calabar having having been declared and returned duly elected in an election he contested unopppsed
Ruling on the ex-parte motion with SUIT NO. HC/MSC. 207/2022 between Com. Agu Onyekachi, Raymond Atulomah, David Ihesiulo (claimants) and Sam Ebo, Esq, Elder Bassey Ukiwo, Pol Nwokolo, Jeremiah Ezeagu and Sir. Ebere Okonkwo (defendants), the presiding Judge Elais Abua, restrained the defendants from holding any event, by whatsoever name or umbrella called in Calabar.
After hearing Alphonsus A. Uzoma, Esq, for Claimants/Applicants praying the Court for an order of interim injunction restraining the defendants, privies and agents particularly the purported elected executives of the Igbo Community Calabar from holding any event, by whatsoever name or umbrella called pending the determination of the motion on notice and the Court examining the application exparte sought, affidavit evidence of the 1st Claimant/Applicant and also noting the oral submission of Mr. Uzoma, Justice Abua granted “an order exparte to last for 14 days only of today unless the
December, 2022 hereby ordered granted in prayer 1 only.”
But the other faction in the impasse,led by Kingsley Kalu, Esq, without recourse to the court injunction, went ahead and organised the Igbo day celebration on Saturday, December 10, 2022 in an apparent affront to the court order.
Welcoming guests to the event , the embattled factional president of Igbo Community Calabar who is the principal defendant to the suit, Kingsley Kalu, Esq, lauded all the Igbo present and sued for peace to enable Ndi Igbo regain its cohesion, peace and harmony .
Kalu expressed appreciation to Governor Ben Ayade for his assistance to Ndi Igbo and assured the governor of u alloyed support and cooperation in all his development strides.
The ceremony was graced by dignitaries including Hon. Daniel Asuquo, House of Representatives for Akampa and Biase Federal constituency who doubles as Labour Party ( LP) senatorial candidate for southern senatorial district ,some traditional leaders of Imo, Ebonyi and Anambra, some members of the academic community as well as various state’s presidents of some Igbo unions.
