Council Of Chiefs Rejects Arbitration Panel

The Ele Divisional Council of Chiefs in Ogu/Bolo Local Government Area of rivers State has reiterated that it is not part of the purported arbitration panel that was set-up to look into the tussle over the traditional stool of the community, describing it as a kangaroo panel and without the consent of the people of the community.
The Secretary of the council, Chief Tamunosiki Tiene Peritiene, who disclosed this while reacting to an erroneous newspaper publication said it was false and misleading and enjoined all to disregard it in its totality.
Chief Peritiene noted that the so-called panel of arbitration was the handiwork of one Rev. Porter Abaraboye Adikiowerima Iyawo, a senior brother to Fred Tiene Iyawo, who claimed to be contending for the kingship stool in the area.
According to him, the legitimacy and legality of the members of the so-called “Ele Kingdom Arbitration Panel” did not go down well with the people of the community as they did not seek the consent of the people and therefore lacked moral justification to adjudicate over a matter that is before a highly competent jurisdiction.
He explained that Rev. Adikiowerima Iyawo cleverly assembled his fellow ministers of God from Okrika to arbitrate over the Ele Kingship stool just to favour his younger brother, Fred Tiene Iyawo who by Okrika native laws and customs is not an Ele man, as it is also applicable to every communities in Okrika clan, including Ele Kingdom which is one of the ancient communities in Okrika ethnic nationality.
The Secretary of Ele Divisional Council of Chiefs further stated that the ploy by the ministers became glaring when they requested to nominate other ministers from Ogu/Bolo Local Government Area to join them was turned down because of their plans to set confusion and crisis in the area, and warned that since the case of the kingship tussle was before a state and federal High Courts, the purported men of God had no locus to adjudicate over such a matter and pointed out that they could be charged for contempt of court as they did not seek leave from the courts.
Chief Tiene-Peritiene noted that the Ele Divisional Council of Chiefs was the only recognized body in the area by the Ogu/Bolo Local government Council of Chiefs, with Chief Stephen Minaseichinbo Omubo-Perefi as chairman, Elder Daju Atamuno as Chairman Ele Community Development Committee (CDC), Mr Isaac Mbu-youth leader and Madam Ndaiseomieye Amiso as women leader.