Publishers of the biography of the pioneer Military Governor of Akwa Ibom State, the late Air Commodore Idongesit Nkanga, have slammed a N1.2 billion suit on the family over breach of contract.
In a suit number HU/133/2022 filed in High Court 2, Uyo Judicial Division dated April 1, 2022, the claimants Messrs Usienemfon Joseph Akpakpan and Umanah Edet James prayed the court to grant them N1.2 billion damages to recover expenses incurred to sponsor the biography of the former governor entitled Leadership Footprints of Idongesit Nkanga billed for launch one month to the passage of the deceased.
However, the defendants, Princewill Daniel, Mrs Mosunsola Olufunmilayo Idongesit, Elder Amanam Okon Nkanga who is the Chairman, Executors of the will of the deceased, Jacob Udobang, Secretary for the Executors and Mr Etietop Idongesit Nkanga were accused of secretly launching the said biography and making several millions of naira without the consent of the sponsors.
They also alleged that the defendants breached the Memorandum of Understanding relating to the production of the contentious biography and defaced the title cover just to shortchange the sponsors.
Read also: Akwa Ibom Govt Immortalises Late Air Commodore Idongesit Nkanga
Appearing for the defendants on Monday, Uwemedimo Nwoko (SAN) asked the court to adjourn the matter to July 26, 2022, for further mention as the 2nd, 3rd and 4th defendants were absent from court which the Judge, Justice Archibong Archibong obliged.
Nwoko in an interview with newsmen said the matter is a family feud that can be settled out of court and pleaded with the parties to allow the deceased who was a statesman to rest in peace.
His words, ”It is a family feud and I think as much as they can, we should try and resolve it.
”I will encourage a settlement possibly out of court because to me, anything that involves somebody’s name and has to do with the executor of the will (a brother of the deceased person), the children, the wife are involved is a family issue.”
”To me, I think all parties should try as much as possible to ensure that the matter is settled out of court. The man has died and should be allowed to rest in peace. And more importantly, the family name.”
Counsel to the claimants, Victor Nkanang after the court session said the facts are that the family of late Idongesit Nkanga has gone wrong with persons who laboured to write the book in his name.
According to him, ”We cannot also go away from the fact that late Idongesit Nkanga’s family has gone wrong with some persons. Remember that in court, we always say where there is wrong, there is a remedy” and the only place you can get remedy is in the court.
”To show good faith on our path, we took ourselves to them for settlement. We have worked very hard, give us compensation for what we have worked for. But unfortunately, they refused after we have traversed the whole country to gather materials for the production of the biography. And when it was time to allow the publication, they changed the name; that is why we are in court.
“Therefore, we have been seriously wounded and we should be compensated, not to trickishly tricked us out.’’
