Okenyi Kenechi
Mr. Stanley Mgbere, an indigene of Onne in Eleme Local Government Area of Rivers State who was declared wanted by the Rivers Governor, Nyesom Wike, is not a member of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB.
Wike had in a statewide broadcast on Friday posted an N50 million bounty on the head of Mgbere whom he accused of being the leader of IPOB, in Onne Community.
He said that a ransom of N50,000,000.00 will be given to any person with useful information that would lead to the arrest and prosecution of Mgbere.
Wike also announced the outlawing of the separatist group in the state, adding that no form of procession and or agitation by IPOB or any of its affiliates are allowed to take place in Rivers State or any part thereof, henceforth.
According to Wike: “I will be meeting with all leaders of youth groups and community development committees in the State on Monday 26th October 2020 to take wholistic measures to counter and stop all IPOB activities in Rivers State;
“Mr. Stanley Mgbere from Onne is hereby declared wanted for leading members of the banned IPOB to cause the recent violence and destruction of lives and property in Onne in Eleme Local Government Area; and
“A ransom of N50,000,000.00 will be given to any person with useful information that would lead to the arrest and prosecution of the said Mr. Stanley Mgbere”.
The decision by the state government to declare Mgbere wanted has been met with anger in the local government as sources say that labelling the activist the leader of IPOB was based on false information and an attempt to frame him up for standing up to the powers that be.
The sources said Mgbere is not an IPOB member, and so cannot be the leader of the group. The sources added that Mbgere is an activist who fights against the nefarious and ills of the society and suffering of the poor youths in his community.
He was said to have led hundreds of youths in the community to block the entrance of the Federal Ocean Terminal on Monday in a bid to demand inclusiveness and employment from hundreds of companies operating in that area.
One of the sources, Victor Soffty said Mgbere’s crime was saying no to the conspiracy of the ruling class of his community and multinational companies operating on his land.
According to Victor, “Onne is housing more than 400 companies, industries and firms on its land yet 89% of the youths are out jobs and 60% has never worked in their entire lives. Rather employment opportunities meant for the suffering youths are sold out.
“The frame-up against Mr. Stanley Mgbere is nothing but simply to cow the youths of Eleme from asking for what rightfully belong to them”.
This is not the first time Governor Wike is acting on false information to declare a youth from Eleme wanted.
On May 9th, Wike declared Princewill Osaroejiji, a PDP youth leader in Eleme wanted for what the government described as ” various criminal activities”
A Five Million Naira reward was to be given to anyone who will give law enforcement agencies useful information that will lead to his arrest.
The next day, Wike led a team that demolished Prudest hotel alleged to be owned by Osaroejiji. He alleged that the hotel’s staff beat up the LGAs covid-19 monitoring team.
However, Osaroejiji went on radio and declared his innocence and fingered Wike’s commissioner for misinforming the government due to a political disagreement.
He said he was only mediating for peace before his name was sent to Brick House.
The hotel owner, a Lagos-based businessman from Gokana LGA, Promise Gogorodari, also disputed the government’s account and denied that the hotel breached any covid-19 protocols.
Gogorodari accused the government of not giving him a fair hearing, adding that no investigation was carried out before the demolition of his property.
The hotel owner said the incident has made his staff members lose their jobs, and that it is a negative development for investors in the state.
“I am based in Lagos but I am not in the right frame of mind to speak now. There is nobody who will not feel bad about this. It is a hotel that I built for the past seven years. The demolition of hotels is a setback to the state in terms of investment,” he said.
“That was an investment that was taking care of my family and relatives and people around me. There was no fair hearing before the demolition took place. With this, many people are out of jobs.
“I did not violate any order. The government was supposed to do some investigations before doing that. And if they found me wanting, then another procedure should be followed; not demolishing a structure like that.”
