By Amos Odeh, Yenagoa.
The Bayelsa State Government has given the Oloibiri Clan in Ogbia Kingdom a 3-week ultimatum to produce the Chairman of Ogbia Brotherhood and other nominees zoned to it to pave the way for the inauguration of a new substantive leadership to pilot the affairs of the foremost socio-cultural organization in the state.
The Deputy Governor, Senator Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo, gave the directive on Monday, while presiding over a high-profile meeting with leaders and critical stakeholders of Ogbia extraction, cutting across all the clans of the Kingdom at the Golden Tulip in Yenagoa.
Senator Ewhrudjakpo, in a press release signed by his Senior Special Assistant on Media, Mr Doubara Atasi, emphasized the significance of the Ogbia Brotherhood and urged the present crop of Ogbia leaders and stakeholders not to allow the organization become moribund in their time.
The Deputy Governor maintained that Ogbia Brotherhood founded in 1940 had played pivotal role in promoting the unity and development of Ogbia Kingdom in particular and Bayelsa State in general, and therefore, must not be allowed to die as a result of personal and parochial interests of a few people in the area.
According to him, the state Governor, Senator Douye Diri had directed that the lingering leadership conflict in the organization should be resolved without any further delay in honour of former President Goodluck Jonathan and most importantly in the best collective interest of the Ogbia people and the state.
To this end, Senator Ewhrudjakpo urged the people of Oloibiri, one of the clans in Ogbia Kingdom, to close ranks and work within the next three weeks they pleaded for during the meeting to produce the Chairman and other nominees as part of the executives of Ogbia Brotherhood without delay.
He, however, added that government would set machinery in place to ensure the inauguration of the organization’s new leadership with or without their nominees at the end of the ultimatum.
His words: “Ogbia Brotherhood has been a social torchlight that beams the light of unity and development among our people over the years; a very prominent organization, which predates most of us who are here.
‘The contributions of the Ogbia Brotherhood to the development of Bayelsa, Nigeria, and the world cannot be overstated. And that is why every reasonable person must make sure that, that light keeps shining. So, we must first all look for the lubricant to keep that light burning.
“But unfortunately, for quite sometime it has been going through some leadership problems, which I consider as mere brotherly misunderstanding. So, I want to appeal to our people, particularly the Oloibiri Clan to imbibe the spirit of forgiveness and give-and-take to resolve the misunderstanding.
‘It is in that regard that His Excellency, the Governor has directed that we must resolve the issues without any further delay. I have always insisted that every problem has a solution. So, we must collectively resolve this misunderstanding.
Responding to the Oloibiri clan’s appeal, he said, “Government has granted your request for three weeks. But let me make it very clear that whether you succeed or fail to present your nominees at the end of the three weeks, Ogbia Brotherhood would go ahead to inaugurate the already cleared nominees from the other clans.”
Speaking on behalf of the Oloibiri Clan, former Secretary to State Government, Prof. Edmund Allison-Oguru, assured the state government that critical stakeholders of the clan, including Dr Goodluck Jonathan, would meet to reconcile their differences and present credible individuals to fill its positions in the leadership of Ogbia Brotherhood.
Prof. Allison-Oguru, used the opportunity to appreciate the effort of the State Government to resolve the leadership impasse in the Ogbia Brotherhood, which he admitted, has lingered for some time.
The meeting had in attendance the members representing the three Ogbia constituencies in the State House of Assembly, Hon. Gabriel Ogbara, Hon. Godknows Obein, and Hon. Richard Ibegu, as well as the Secretary to State Government, Prof. Nimibofa Ayawei and other top government functionaries.
Also in attendance were the Obanobhan of Ogbia Kingdom, His Eminence, King Charles Dumaro Owaba, the Acting Chairman of Ogbia Brotherhood, Dr Azibaloguo Seibofa, as well as paramount rulers of the various clans and communities in Ogbia Local Government Area.
