Controversies Trail Rivers Community’s Arbitration Panel

Controversies have trailed the arbitration panel set up by the people of Ele Kingdom in Ogu/Bolo Local Government Area of Rivers State.
The arbitration panel was constituted to settle the crisis rocking the Amanyanbo (Kingship) stool in Ele town.
Ele town in Ogu/Bolo Local Government Area in the State is one of the nine clans that make up Okrika (Wakirike) Kingdom.
Speaking in a press briefing, the chairman of Ele Council of Chiefs, Chief Stephen Omubo, on Thursday, at Ele town square, said they had totally rejected the composition of the panel.
According to him, the rejection was borne out of the fact that those who were nominated did not have the capacity and moral justification to be members of the panel.
“The facts remained that one Rev. Potter Iyawo, an elder brother to Fred Iyawo, was the person who assembled his friends in the guise of ministers.
We requested to make nomination of known ministers into this panel as they claimed to be ministers of God, but this request was refused and turned down” Chief  Omubo said.
Meanwhile, the Chairman of  Community Development Community (CDC) in Ele , Abele Tubobereni has debunked all claims made by Chief Omubo , in his press briefing, and noted that the arbitration panel was led by respected Bishops.
According to him, the panel was clearly constituted without bias and that it was on that premise the court gave the panel permission to arbitrate.
“ The arbitration team was  led by respected Bishops, after a thorough investigation and hearing given their recommendations and submitted their report to court, that gave the team permission to arbitrate”
Consequently, the CDC chairman, urged all the good people of Ele to disregard all claims made by chief Omubo.

Tonye Orabere