Bassey Ekpo Bassey
Encyclopedia
Obong Bassey Ekpo Bassey II (born November 1949) is a Nigeria
n journalist and politician who was crowned as the Obong or traditional ruler
of the Efik people of the Akwa Akpa
kingdom (also called Calabar) on 6 April 2008.
He followed a career in journalism and politics.
He was for a period vice-president of the Nigerian Union of Journalists and a political editor of Nigerian Chronicle.
A socialist, in February 1989 he was head of the Directorate for Literacy and Chairman of Calabar
Municipal Council.
In 1991 he was a gubernatorial aspirant in Cross River State
, running on the Social Democratic Party
platform.
During the electoral campaigns he lost his car and house to arsonists thought to be political foes.
He was also a kingmaker in the Efik Kingdom, and on 31 August 1991 he crowned Edidem Nta Elijah Henshaw VI as the Obong of Calabar in controversial circumstances.
In 2004, while chairman of Chairman of Cobham Town Combined Council in Cross River State, Bassey called for the federal government to respect the decision by the International Court of Justice
that the Bakassi Peninsula should be ceded to the Republic of Cameroon. In response, the Cross River House of Assembly resolved to withdraw his certificate of recognition as a chief.
Henshaw refused to accept the decision, and cast doubts on Bassey's credibility on the basis that he represented a community in Akwa Ibom
state whose ruling house no longer existed.
According to traditional rules, although an Obong may be deposed, a new Obong may not be crowned until the previous Obong has died.
Henshaw died on 16 February 2008, and Bassey was selected by the 21 Etuboms who are the kingmakers in the Efik Kingdom and crowned in April 2008.
The next day, a rival group proclaimed another man as Edidem.
In April 2008 Bassey accused police of trying to assassinate him.
In August 2008 Bassey's home in Calabar
was stormed by gunmen, and he narrowly escaped death.
Nigeria
Nigeria , officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federal constitutional republic comprising 36 states and its Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The country is located in West Africa and shares land borders with the Republic of Benin in the west, Chad and Cameroon in the east, and Niger in...
n journalist and politician who was crowned as the Obong or traditional ruler
Nigerian traditional rulers
Nigerian traditional rulers often derive their titles from the rulers of independent states or communities that existed before the formation of modern Nigeria...
of the Efik people of the Akwa Akpa
Akwa Akpa
Akwa Akpa, known to colonialists as Old Calabar or Duke Town was an Efik city-state that flourished in the 19th century in what is now southeastern Nigeria.Although absorbed into Nigeria, traditional rulers of the state are still recognized....
kingdom (also called Calabar) on 6 April 2008.
Early career
Bassey was born in November 1949, son of King James Ekpo Bassey of Cobham Town.He followed a career in journalism and politics.
He was for a period vice-president of the Nigerian Union of Journalists and a political editor of Nigerian Chronicle.
A socialist, in February 1989 he was head of the Directorate for Literacy and Chairman of Calabar
Calabar
Calabar is a city in Cross River State, southeastern Nigeria. The original name for Calabar was Atakpa, from the Jukun language....
Municipal Council.
In 1991 he was a gubernatorial aspirant in Cross River State
Cross River State
Cross River State is a coastal state in southeastern Nigeria, bordering Cameroon to the east. Its capital is at Calabar, and it is named for the Cross River , which passes through the state...
, running on the Social Democratic Party
Social Democratic Party (Nigeria)
The Social Democratic Party of Nigeria, popularly known as SDP, was a political party created to encompass the ideals of a center left political organization. It was one of the products of a democracy project by former President Ibrahim Babangida to have two detribalized political parties, one a...
platform.
During the electoral campaigns he lost his car and house to arsonists thought to be political foes.
He was also a kingmaker in the Efik Kingdom, and on 31 August 1991 he crowned Edidem Nta Elijah Henshaw VI as the Obong of Calabar in controversial circumstances.
In 2004, while chairman of Chairman of Cobham Town Combined Council in Cross River State, Bassey called for the federal government to respect the decision by the International Court of Justice
International Court of Justice
The International Court of Justice is the primary judicial organ of the United Nations. It is based in the Peace Palace in The Hague, Netherlands...
that the Bakassi Peninsula should be ceded to the Republic of Cameroon. In response, the Cross River House of Assembly resolved to withdraw his certificate of recognition as a chief.
Etik Kingdom succession
As chairman of the Etubom Traditional Rulers Council, in February 2004 Bassey announced the dethronement of Nta Elijah Henshaw on the grounds that Henshaw had failed to observe traditions and had failed to preserve peace.Henshaw refused to accept the decision, and cast doubts on Bassey's credibility on the basis that he represented a community in Akwa Ibom
Akwa Ibom
Akwa Ibom is a state in Nigeria named after the Qua Iboe river. It is located in the coastal South-Southern part of the country, lying between latitudes 4°321 and 5°331 North, and longitudes 7°251 and 8°251 East...
state whose ruling house no longer existed.
According to traditional rules, although an Obong may be deposed, a new Obong may not be crowned until the previous Obong has died.
Henshaw died on 16 February 2008, and Bassey was selected by the 21 Etuboms who are the kingmakers in the Efik Kingdom and crowned in April 2008.
The next day, a rival group proclaimed another man as Edidem.
In April 2008 Bassey accused police of trying to assassinate him.
In August 2008 Bassey's home in Calabar
Calabar
Calabar is a city in Cross River State, southeastern Nigeria. The original name for Calabar was Atakpa, from the Jukun language....
was stormed by gunmen, and he narrowly escaped death.