Accuse Rivers Assembly Deputy Speaker of invading Community with hoodlums.
Traditional Rulers of the communities of Oil Mining Lease (OML) 54 in Ahoada-East local government area of Rivers State, have distanced themselves from two petitions written against an oil firm, the Niger Delta Petroleum Resources Limited (NDPR) in which the community alleged being marginalized by the oil company.
The Niger Delta Human Rights Coalition (NDHRC) and the Coalition of Upata People (CUP) had a week ago, written two petitions to the Rivers State House of Assembly.
The groups in the petitions, accused NDPR of neglecting its host communities and, including Ogbele, Obumeze and Oshigboko.
But the Paramount Ruler of Ogbele Community, Eze Chituru Festus Oyagiri, told newsmen that the three indigenes of the community whose signatures appeared on the two petitions denied signing any document against NDPR.
He explained that the Ogbele Community never mandated any group to write petitions on its behalf to the Rivers State House of Assembly against the indigenous oil company operating the OML 54.
A
ccording to him: “We never mandated any group to write a letter on behalf of our community. We were not duly consulted before the petition was written and no copy of the letter was sent to me.”
Oyagiri said the Ad-Hoc Committee of the Rivers State House of Assembly, which visited the host communities based on the petitions refused to visit his palace.
“I wish to state categorically that as the Paramount Ruler of Ogbele, I arrived the community at about 0900hours on the agreed date of the visit.
“When the Deputy Speaker of the House of Assembly, Hon. Edison Ehie, who is the leader of the Ad-Hoc Committee, arrived Ogbele with over 200 hoodlums, he did not visit me in my palace.” the traditional ruler said.
Speaking also, the traditional ruler of Obumeze Community, Eze Fineface Agwana, said the community is already on the second stage of signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with NDPR.
Agwana said: “Obumeze Community remains an authority itself. NDPR is under us and it is in our land. We have done first stage of MoU with NDPR and we are in the second stage. We are also awaiting the second process of the MoU.”
