Senatorial aspirant of the All Progressives Congress, APC for Cross River Central Senatorial District in 2023, Chief Okoi Obono-obla has recounted how he saved some Principals who were illegally removed from work by the state government in 2007.
Obono-obla, a human rights Lawyer and activist, said that the principals, numbering over hundreds were treated unfairly by the Donald Duke administration as they were unceremoniously dismissed on an allegation of insubordination without fair hearing.
The Senatorial aspirant who is also a former Presidential Aide said that after all the plea of the principals to be reinstated failed, his law firm was briefed and he decided to offer free legal advice and services which forced the government to rescind their decision to sack them and instead retired them with their full entitlements.
According to him, "in 2007, hundreds of secondary school principals from the central senatorial district of Cross River State were unceremoniously and ignominiously dismissed by Cross River State's government under Donald Duke without affording them the opportunity of been heard on alleged grounds of insubordination. The principals were at the pinnacle of their careers and were directors in the public services that had put up many years of service.
The government that took over the reins of governance from Donald Duke refused to rescind the capacious, whimsical, and arbitrary decision of Cross River State's government. The principals briefed my law firm to challenge the government's decision and seek the Court's intervention to overturn it.
However, the principals didn't have money to pay for the matter. I decided to offer them free legal advice and services. The matter was fought for several months, and then it finally dawned on the government that if it is not settled, it will be messy and likely lead to the payment of enormous damages to the principals. The government agreed to rescind the dismissals to restorations and retirement".
He added that "the government agreed to a consent judgment which was entered to save its face. The decision to dismiss the principals was rescinded and converted to retirement. They were paid their arrears of salary, retirement benefits, and pension.
Yesterday, I went to Assiga in Yakurr LGA to visit a relative to consult him on some political matters, and I run into one of these principals I have not seen for close to ten years. I had even forgotten the matter and my client. He walked up to me, shook my hand vigorously, and recollect how I saved him and his colleagues".
Explaining further, he said that he offered free legal services to many people in his legal career because he believes in social justice and a just society.
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