The Palace of the Obong of Calabar, Edidem Ekpo Okon Abasi Otu V, and the Obong in Council have performed the traditional rites signifying the acceptance and reinstatement of the Duke Town Family Council into the Efik Kingdom.
The family was ostracised in 2017 with sanctions following alleged desecration of one of the revered shrines of the Efiks as well as desecration of the Ekpe culture and rites by some of its members.
Those culprits were invited to the palace but they refused to honour the invitation. Sanctions were consequently imposed on the family which had since been remorseful. After various interventions, the Obong set up a committee to review the decision to ostracise of the family.
During the reconciliation meeting at the palace, the Obong of Calabar with the full complement of his traditional council carefully listened to the presentations from various speakers and the committee before giving his royal ruling.
He warned against any attempt by any House to disparage the Efik Kingdom in the future, saying “enough is enough” and urged for unity and oneness of purpose.
In an interview after the ceremony, the chairman of the Caretaker Reconciliation Committee, Chief Offiong E. Eyamba, said he was “very much impressed at the outcome of the meeting with the Obong in Council with his Etuboms.”
He added: “Initially, I was very afraid that we would not be accepted amongst our family members again, but I thank God everything went well.”
He recalled that “few of our own brothers pulled out of the committee and we were in disarray. Hence we all came together as one to resist them, resulting in what you witnessed today.”
Also speaking, Effiom Okon Ekpenyong Effiom, said “there is no interest attached to this peace accord at all. We have been members of the Obong’s traditional council. I have been here as an adviser. It is not good for us to continue to stay outside in our own family.”
He declared: “I am using this opportunity to call on our brothers left behind to cue from this divine reconciliation and do the needful so as to return to the fold as no tree can make a forest.”