Traditional Methods of Administration and Enthronement of Obongs' (Paramount Rulers) in Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria: A Study of Nsit Ubium Local Government Area

The leadership style of the traditional head or Obong was identified as the main force in developing community potentials in Akwa Ibom State (AKS). The Oblong is entrusted with responsibility to mobilize collectively the material and human resources at his disposal towards development of human capital, production of goods and services, and promotion of the well-being of the people in the community. The study investigates traditional methods of administration and enthronement of Obongs’ (Paramount Rulers) in Nsit Ubium, AKS. The paper described the duties of the family-head, village-head, clan-head, and para-mount ruler, and the kind of leadership style required to harness community potentials for sustainable community development. The study adopted a qualitative research method with the main objectives of collecting data, describing, and contextually analyzing the data to arrive at inferences. The study results revealed that, there is a significant direct influence between traditional methods of administration and enthronement/selection of Obongs’ (Paramount Rulers) in Akwa Ibom State; non-adherence to traditional laws and frequent political interference impact negatively on traditional methods of administration and enthronement of Obongs’ (Paramount Rulers) in Nsit Ubium, AKS; and strict compliance with the native laws, conventions, customs, and traditions of the people positively influences traditional methods of administration and enthronement of Obongs’ (Paramount Rulers) in Nsit Ubium, AKS. It concluded that people of proven integrity should be enthroned to leadership positions such as family-heads, village-heads, clan-heads, and para-mount rulers, and that selection of Obongs’ (Paramount Rulers) should be based on competence, acceptability, compatibility, and entrepreneurship education, which demonstrate the ability of a leader to mobilize government organizations and community groups for development.