Edith CHUKU
The Bayelsa State Government has described as illegal, appointments made by the paramount ruler of Opuama Clan in the Southern Ijaw Local Government Area, His Royal Highness, Chief Kenneth Engo Opukeme, and declared their immediate termination.
The government also directed the stoppage of all payments of royalties due Opuama through Opukeme’s personal bank account, over what it described as gross violation of the constitution of the community.
This was revealed in a statement on Monday, by the Senior Special Assistant on Media to the deputy governor, Mr Doubara Atasi.
The statement noted that the deputy governor, Senator Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo, gave the directive at a meeting with the paramount ruler and other stakeholders of Opuama in his office at the weekend, where he cautioned traditional rulers to abide by the provisions of the constitutions of their respective communities.
Ewhrudjakpo directed the member representing Southern Ijaw Constituency 3 in the State House of Assembly, Mr Moses Marlon, his deputy chief of staff, Mr Gowon Toruyouyei; the Commissioner for Sports, Dr. Daniel Igali; and the Chairman of Southern Ijaw LGA, Mr. Target Segibo, to ensure the opening of a bank account for the Opuama Kingdom this week.
Similarly, all the federating communities in the Opuama have equally been directed to open their official community bank accounts into which all community funds are to be paid and disbursed accordingly to promote transparency and accountability.
Ewhrudjakpo decried what he described as the high-handedness of the Opuama paramount ruler for making appointments outside the constitutional provisions of the community and other infractions despite earlier warnings.
He maintained that “the present administration will not hesitate to deal decisively with any irresponsible traditional rulers. We urge those who are diverting community funds into their personal bank accounts to desist from the act forthwith.
“You must know that the way we have the power to give you the staff of office that is intoxicating you, we also have the power to take that staff of office from you.
“From reports before me, Your Royal Highness is still allocating to yourself the signing of cheques, and asking money for royalties and other things to be paid into your personal accounts. May be you don’t know the implications of what you are doing.
“You as an individual person you are not the Opuama Kingdom, but you are only a symbol of Opuama as its paramount ruler.
“So while we are still waiting for the Committee to come up with its report, it has become inevitable for us to give some directives and those directives have to be enforced, because we cannot allow you to create a conflict for us.
“The first directive is that within the next 48 hours, the member representing Southern Ijaw Constituency III, the LGA Chairman, the Commissioner for Sports, my Deputy Chief of Staff, the Chairman of the Bomo Clan Council of Chiefs, the RDA Chairman of Bomo East, should ensure the opening of a bank account for Opuama Community.
“The Commissioner for Community Development and that of Mineral Resources should jointly do a letter to SHELL and all other oil companies that all royalties due Opuama Kingdom should be paid into that account. The signatories to that account would be the paramount ruler, the women leader, and the clan youth president.”
In their separate remarks, the member representing Southern Ijaw Constituency 3, Mr. Moses Marlon, and the Commissioner for Sports, Dr Daniel Igali, thanked the deputy governor for convening the meeting, and expressed the belief that the directives would bring about peace and cohesion in the kingdom.
Others who also made brief remarks at the meeting include the Ebenanaowei of Bomo Kingdom, His Royal Majesty, King Joshua Igbugburu, represented by the Chairman, Bomo Clan Council of Chiefs, His Royal Highness Darius David, and the Vice Chairman of Southern Ijaw Local Government, Dr. Ekeuwei Josephine.
