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Kula Chiefs Call For Monarch’s Sack
The crisis in the oil rich Kula community in Akuku-Toru Local Government Area of Rivers State, has taken a new twist as chiefs and stakeholders in the community have called for the immediate dethronement of the Amanyanabo of the kingdom, HRM, King Kroma Eleki.
Speaking to newsmen in Port Harcourt at the weekend, some stakeholders and traditional rulers in Kula community accused the monarch of holding the community to ransom through abuse of power and called on the state governor, Rt Hon Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi to strip him of his title in the interest of peace in the area.
A stakeholder, Alapuye Igkikis, accused the Kula monarch of breaching the existing agreement in the election of compound leaders in Kula, which he said, was based on nomination and election for a tenure of two years.
He said the monarch imposed his cronies on the community to stay beyond the stipulated tenure of two years contrary to the existing order.
Igbikis, a former compound leader in the community stated that the various compounds and traditional rulers in Kula had resolved and written to the local government to the acting chairman to intervene in the matter after which the acting chairman of AKULGA, Hon Stanley Benibo called for a meeting inviting all compound leaders and traditional rulers in Kula, but the Amanyanabo refused to attend.
He said it led to the decision of the acting local government chairman to dissolve existing structures in Kula in the area.
Also speaking, another traditional ruler in the community, Chief David Emineye-Orlu II, attributed the festering crisis in Kula to abuse of power by the monarch.
Chief Orlu, the immediate past secretary of Kula Council of Chiefs, said the deliberate absence of the monarch from the meeting called by the council authorities was an indictment on the monarch over security breach.
He appealed to the state governor to remove him from office and save Kula from drifting into anarchy.
When contacted, the Acting Chairman of Akuku-Toru Local Government Area, Hon Stanley Benibo, said the dissolution of the existing structures in Kula, was based on wide consultations with the community to avert security breach allegedly perpetrated by the monarch and his cronies.
He noted that various council chairmen in AKULGA, had alerted the Rivers State Government of the abuse of power by the Kula monarch but the royal father was adamant to the voices of the people.
The acting chairman said he would not renege in his role as the chief security officer of the council and condone anarchy and lawlessness in the area.
He further accused the monarch of embezzling N35million meant for 40 housing unit allocated to Kula by the Ministry of Niger Delta and sponsorship of cult activities which resulted in the arrest of the monarch in a case that is pending at the State Investigation Burean (SIB).
It would be recalled that the Kula monarch had in a press conference, accused the acting chairman of AKULGA of high handedness in the dissolution of existing structure in Kula, which he said was his prerogative as a royal father.
The Kula monarch also described the decision of the acting chairman AKULGA as “provocative and devised to erode his traditional powers”.
Taneh Beemene
Rivers State Head of Service, Dr (Mrs) Inyingi Brown, has called on rural communities in the State to embrace the Rural Access and Agricultural marketing project (RAAMP) with a view to improving their living conditions.
This follows the ongoing sensitization campaign by the State Project Implementation Unit (SPIU) visits to Degema, Abonnema, Afam headquarters of Degema, Akuku Toru and Oyigbo Etche and Omuma local government areas respectively.
Dr Brown who was represented by the Deputy Director, Special Duties in her office, Mrs Dein Akpanah, said RAAMP was initiated by the Federal Government and World Bank to economically empower rural dwellers.s
She said the World Bank understands the plights of rural farmers and traders in the State, and therefore came up with the programme to address them.
According to her, RAAMP will improve the conditions of farmers, traders and fishermen, and therefore, behoves on every rural communities in the State to embrace the programme.
The Head of Service also said the programme would support the youths to be gainfully employed while bridges and roads will be built to link farms and fishing settlements.
Also speaking, the State project coordinator, Mr Joshua Kpakol, said the programme has the potential of creating millionaires among farmers and fishermen in the State.
Kpakol who was represented by Engr. Sam Tombari, said RAAMP would help farmers and fishermen to preserve their produce.
According to him, the project will build cold rooms and Silos for preservation of crops and fishes while access roads will also be created to link farmers and fishermen to the market.
He, however, warned them against any act that will lead to the suspension of the projects by the World Bank.
Kpakol particularly warned against acts such as kidnapping, marching ground, gender based violence and child labour, adding that such acts if they occur may lead to the cancellation of the project by the World Bank.
During the visit to Oyigbo local government area, Mr Joshua Kpakol, said the team was there to let them know how they will benefit from the Raamp.
The coordinator who was personally at Oyigbo said the World Bank introduced the project to check food insecurity in the State.
He said already 19 states in Nigeria are already benefitting from the project and called on them to embrace the project.
Meanwhile, stakeholders in the three local government areas have commended the World Bank for including their areas in the project.
They, however, complained over the incessant attacks by pirates on their waterways.
At Degema, King Agolia of Ke kingdom said land was a major problem in the kingdom.
King Agolia represented by High Chief Alpheus Damiebi said many indigenes of the kingdom are willing to go into farming but are handicapped by lack of land.
Also at Degema, the representative of the Omu Onyam Ekeim of Usokun Degema kingdom, Osoabo Isaac, said Degema has embraced the programme but needed more information on the implementation of the programme.
Similarly, while High Chief Precious Abadi advised that the project should not be narrowed to only crop farming, a community women leader, Mrs Orikinge Eremabo Otto, called for the construction of cold rooms in all fishing settlements in the area.
At Abonnema, Mr Diamond Kio linked the problem of the area to incessant piracy along waterways.
He also expressed fears over the possibility of the project being hijacked by politicians.
Also at Abonnema, a stakeholder, Ikiriko Kelvin, called on the World Bank to design an agricultural project that will suit the riverine environment, while at Oyigbo, HRH Eze Boniface Akawo expressed satisfaction with the project.
John Bibor
The political mudslinging between the Senate leadership and Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan continued yesterday as the Senate named Senator Aniekan Bassey as the new Chairman of the Committee on Diaspora and Non-Governmental Organisations.
Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, announced the appointment during yesterday’s plenary, confirming Bassey’s replacement of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, who is currently on suspension.
Akpoti-Uduaghan was reassigned to the Diaspora and NGOs Committee in February after she was removed as Chair of the Senate Committee on Local Content during a minor reshuffle.
Bassey is the senator representing Akwa Ibom North-East Senatorial District.
Although no reason was given for her removal yesterday, the change is believed to be connected to her unresolved suspension.
In May, Justice Binta Nyako of the Federal High Court ordered her reinstatement and directed her to tender an apology to the Senate.
However, the Senate has insisted it has not received a certified true copy of the court judgment.
Akpoti-Uduaghan who represents Kogi Central, has yet to resume her legislative duties despite a recent court ruling that voided her suspension.
In a televised interview on Tuesday, Akpoti-Uduaghan said she was awaiting the Certified True Copy of the judgment before officially returning to plenary, citing legal advice and respect for institutional process.
Although the Federal High Court described her suspension as “excessive and unconstitutional”, a legal opinion dated July 5 and attributed to the Senate’s counsel, Paul Daudu (SAN), argued that the ruling lacked any binding directive to enforce her reinstatement.
Akpoti-Uduaghan, one of only three female senators in the current assembly, said the continued delay in allowing her return was not only a denial of her mandate but also a blow to democratic representation.
“By keeping me out of the chambers, the Senate is not just silencing Kogi Central, it’s denying Nigerian women and children representation. We are only three female senators now, down from eight,” she said.