Paramount Ruler of Owei-wari Community of Biseni Clan in the Yenagoa Local Government Area of Bayelsa State, HRH Elijah Opia Churchman, has alleged that some members of the political class in the clan were against the socio-economic prosperity and development of his community.
The royal father stated this recently at the State Secretariat complex, Yenagoa, the state capital, during an interview with Journalists shortly after his exit from the Federal High Court, Yenagoa, where he said he was currently pursuing a case the community instituted against some alleged anti-development agents.
He said while the Owei-wari Community used to be a compound in one of the communities of the kingdom, some years ago as landlords and host of an oil firm operating in the area, the compound having been overwhelmed by the constant outcry of marginalization by its people, moved for recognition as an autonomous community in the clan.
The monarch, who also bared his mind on the intentions of a group called “the Progressive Minded forum of Biseni clan”, said the group has been a strong advocate of the creation of more clans for the people of Biseni in which his community would also be a clan.
He reaffirmed his commitment to the continued pursuit of peace, progress and development of his community and the entire clan, noting, however, that for years now some members of the political class in the area have conspicuously been working against the realization of the dreams and yearnings of the Owei-wari Community.
“We’re working assiduously to see that at least six clans are created in the current Biseni clan so that Owei-wari Community with over 13 settlements becomes one of them, but some politicians and a few of their followers in the clan are working against us for no obvious reasons.
“We’ve advised the King of Biseni Clan that his scope of domain should extend to all Biseni communities and lands from the Orashi River, River Nun, through River Niger so that he can oversee the entire six clans that we plan to create in the kingdom.
“In our thinking as it were, now that we’ve Okordia/Biseni/Zarama in Yenagoa Local Government Area for the state House of Assembly constituency, when more clans are created in Biseni in which communities like Egbebiri, Tein, Toboru, Akpede and Owei-wari would become clans, then as a kingdom, whenever it’s our turn to produce the Assembly member we can then rotate it amongst the clans in Biseni Kingdom and not as it were presently”, the royal father said.
He continued that, “We think that it’s going to be of political, social and economic advantage to us as a clan, but some members of the political class were bent on undoing Owei-wari Community and the clan in general.
“As a community, recently we’ve written to the Nigerian Agip Oil Company (NAOC) to develop all the satellite villages and fishing camps to modern cities in Owei-wari and make them economically viable.
“So, by our expectations, some are to have the status of academic cities, industrial cities, etc.”

By: Ariwera Ibibo-Howells, Yenagoa

For the first time in its history, the Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project(HYPREP) has interfaced with Ogoni church leaders drawn from four local government areas of Rivers State, as a way of keeping them abreast of what it is currently doing in Ogoniland and carrying them along in the scheme of affairs.
The meeting, which attracted several church leaders from the Ogoni ethnic nationality was held at Casoni Hotels in Port Harcourt recently.
While the church leaders commended HYPREP for the bold initiative to interact with them for the first time, they urged the Project to involve them in its activities, as they are important stakeholders in the development trajectory of Ogoniland.
To facilitate robust interface and participation with the agency on a regular basis in what is currently going on in Ogoniland, they said mobility was key, and requested for provision of a bus to ease their movement as a group.
They essentially praised HYPREP for the several projects and programmes it is carrying out in the area, and urged it to build an Ecumenical Centre in Ogoniland, to enable the people of God from the area to congregate on a regular basis irrespective of their denominations.
The church leaders also noted that as Ministers of God, they are more in touch with the people at the grassroots, who are mostly peasants, and therefore, lend helping hands to them to cushion the effects of the harsh economic conditions in the country. This, they said underscores the need for HYPREP to carry them along in its empowerment programmes.
The church leaders, who spoke at the event included the Chairman of Ogoni Church Leaders Council and Bishop of the Diocese of Ogoni Anglican Communion, Rt Rev Solomon Gberegbara; the Christian Association of Nigeria(CAN) Representative for Gokana and Area Superintendent of Apostolic Church, Apostle Joseph Leemfe; and the President of Ogoni Ministers, Peace and Advocacy Forum, Venerable Joseph B.Johngbo.
Speaking at the event, the Project Coordinator of HYPREP, Prof Deinibarini Zabbey thanked the men of God for gracing the occasion, and assured them of the readiness of the Project to always carry them along. He said it was intended to seek for their guidance and support.
He explained that HYPREP decided to interface with them considering the important place they occupy in the Ogoni society, and urged them to disseminate relevant information on the activities of the Project in Ogoniland to the people through their respective platforms.
Zabbey used the forum to brief the church leaders on the core mandate of HYPREP, as enunciated in the United Nations Environment Programme(UNEP) Report on Ogoniland, as well as how it has kept faith with the recommendations therein to give the Ogoni people a new lease of life.
He enumerated the several projects and programmes the agency is carrying out in Ogoniland, contending that the Project is even going beyond its mandate by accommodating communities not impacted by oil pollution, especially in the provision of potable water for the people.
Similarly, the Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project(HYPREP) has organised a procurement and business strategy workshop for Ogoni entrepreneurs to enable them to take full advantage of the benefits accruing from the procurement sector of the economy in the country.
The workshop, which took place at the Golden Tulip Hotel in Port Harcourt recently, attracted participants from all walks of life.
Speaking at the occasion, the Project Coordinator of HYPREP, Prof Deinibarini Zabbey said the ultimate goal of the workshop is to ensure that there is a thriving ecosystem in Ogoniland so as to address low community participation in the activities of HYPREP.
According to him, there is the need for Ogoni people to understand the procurement intricacies and nuances in the competitive market of bidding for HYPREP’s jobs and contracts, stressing that the workshop is also intended to address community quota concerns.
Zabbey, therefore, urged the beneficiaries to come together to build business partnerships and clusters, as well as relay and teach others what they had learnt.

Some workers in Cross River State have expressed disappointment at Governor Bassey Otu’s announcement pegging the new minimum wage for workers in the State at N40,000.
The workers shared their displeasure in separate interviews with The Tide’s source in Calabar.
It would be recalled that Otu, while addressing workers last Wednesday, said that the state Government would pay N40,000 as the new minimum wage to its workers.
The Governor had listed lean allocation from the centre and unfavourable Gross Domestic Product to debt servicing ratio as some of the reasons for the decision.
Eno said the state government would rely on the realities of the time in making decisions towards the implementation of the new minimum wage.
Speaking to the source, Mr Emmanuel Ekanem, a civil servant in the State, described the N40,000 announced by the Governor as “far below” the expectations of workers.
He said such proouncement did not showcase the Governor as a leader who understood the yearnings of his people.
“At a time when a bag of rice is sold between N70,000 and N80,000, declaring N40,000 as minimum wage is terribly poor and unacceptable”, he said.
Mrs Isu Ewe, a judiciary staff, said she was disappointed at the pronouncement, and urged the Governor to take another look at the decision.
“I expected to hear at least N60,000 as the new minimum wage for the workers in the state. The hardship is too much.
“What can N40,000 buy? Workers have school fees to pay, parents to take care of and rent to pay.
“The Governor should really look at the situation of things in the country and do something about the take-home of workers”, she said.
Another civil servant, Mr Edem Enoh, said workers did not expect such pronouncement from the Governor, describing it as hasty.
He urged the State Government to avoid over-dependence on federal allocation, look inwards and devise other sources of income.
“The welfare of the people should be top on the government’s priority list. This pronouncement is hasty and unacceptable”, he said.