RIVERS STATE COUNCIL OF TRADITIONAL RULERS REFUTAL
• Thursday, Aug 28, 2008

The attention of Rivers State Council of Traditional Rulers has been drawn to a report in a local tabloid purporting internal crisis in the Rivers State Council of Traditional Rulers.

In that report, the Chairman of Rivers State Council of Traditional Rulers, Sir (Dr) Chukumela Nnam Obi II was said to be taking “arbitrary actions” and has “hijacked all the functions of the Council, leaving bitter taste in the mouth of their members”.

The paper also alleged that the Council Chairman is purportedly “plotting to remain in office for another five years”, a development, it said, “is causing restiveness within the ranks of the Traditional Rulers”.

Quoting anonymous sources, the tabloid further stated that the esteemed Monarch “brought resource personnel from his place” for the last Traditional Rulers Retreat held at Hotel Presidential “without proper consultation”, and had decided” to effect repair works on the Council Secretariat without the knowledge of other members”.

It is unfortunate and indeed disappointing that the paper, ostensibly in search of credibility through the wrong way, has allowed itself to be “used as sewage press for mischief and untruth by some spineless and “misguided individuals to spite the person of His Eminence, Sir Dr. Chukumela Nnam Obi II (OON, JP), the Oba (Eze Ogba) of Ogbaland and the Chairman, Rivers State Council of Traditional Rulers.

As it were, the Council has never cared a hoot about baseless, unfounded, and unverified reports especially from the lunatic fringes of the press. The Council Chairman, Sir Nnam Obi II, as the Grand Patron of the Nigerian Union of Journalist (NUJ) at the National level and Patron of some six State Councils of NUJ including Rivers State, has decided to put the facts straight for the benefit of unsuspecting members of the public who may be cajoled into believing the content of the said report.

Perhaps, obsessed with satisfying its sponsors and paymasters, the paper, without checking the veracity of its story before going public, gave the erroneous impression that all was not well with the State Traditional Rulers Council.

Let it be stated categorically that the Council Chairman, The Oba (Eze Ogba) of Ogbaland, Sir Chukumela Nnam Obi II has no personal business with any move to review the tenure of the Council Chairman let alone nursing an ambition to “ remain in Office for another five years” as the paper stated.

Again, the allegation that the last Traditional Rulers Retreat was held without consultation is absolutely false as Council members were properly briefed at the Council Quarterly General Meeting preceding the event. Also, the claim that the Council Chairman brought “Resource Personnel from his place” for the Retreat is stupid as virtually all the resource persons, except the Provost of the Rivers State College of Education (COE), Prof A.M. Nwokocha and Engr. Beniah Ojum of NDDC who hail from Ogba, are from different parts of the Country. Now consider this: Prof. Kimse Okoko (Bayelsa), Prof. Mark Anikpo (Enugu), Dr. G.B. Okon (Akwa - Ibom), Dr. S.J. Peterside (Opobo/Nkoro), Mr. Ledum Mitee (Gokana), Mr. N. Walson-Jack (Akuku Toru) and Mr. Ndutimi Alaibe (Bayelsa). Could also these eminent personalities who presented papers at the Retreat be said to be Omoku or Ogba people?

Besides, the two principal officers of the Council Viz - the Council Secretary and the Director of Finance and Supply (DFS), are also neither from Omoku nor Ogba. The Council Secretary, Mr. M.P. Ukusowa is from Degema Local Government Area, while the DFS, Mr. Sunny Worlu is from Obio/ Akpor Local Government Area.

Since Sir Chukumela Nnam Obi II assumed duties as Chairman, no repairs have been carried out in any part of the Secretariat, and no money has been requested for or released by Government for that purpose. Even the government approved secretariat expansion project has not commenced as the budgetary allocation for it is yet to be released.

More importantly, the Chairman has always constituted committees to handle Council specific matters including the burial arrangements of the late Uwena Abuan, Sir Victor Ukwu.

From all intents and purposes, the said report is unfounded, baseless, nauseating and mischievous in every ramification as no effort was even made to reach neither the Chairman nor the Secretary for comments on the allegations.

We wish to inform the general public that the Council Chairman, Sir C.N. Obi II (OON, JP) has, since assumption of office, been enjoying, and still enjoys a very fruitful and cordial relationship with the Council members, and has been deeply committed to efforts at improving their lot and enhancing the progress of Rivers State.

It is advisable that Media practitioners ensure objectivity and truth which are the hallmarks of responsible journalism instead of being used as gutter journalists by certain unscrupulous elements in the society to smear the reputation of the Chairman and the good image of the Council.