Lorine Emenike
Two years after his death, the heads of chiefs of the Oluwari Brigss house in Abonnema in Kalabari kingdom, has announced plans for the burial of their patriarch, late chief Olu Benson Lulu-Briggs.
The billionaire died on his way to Ghana on December 27 2018 at 88, and has not been buried over a family conflict to take over assets estimated to be valued at $1 billion.
Sir, Ibim S. Dokubo who made this known to newsmen in a press conference held on the 1st of January 2021 at the Oruwari Briggs memorial hall in Abonnema, said late high chief OB Lulu Briggs will be committed to mother earth on the 13th of March 2021 in his home town.
According to him, he said the death of High chief O.B. Lulu Briggs was received by the Oruwari chiefs on the 27th of December 2018. He was 88years of age.
Continuing, he said ” we register our deep sadness and regret that more than two years after the death of our leader, he is yet to be buried due largely to family crisis ”
“The major reason we could not plan the burial ceremony was because for more the fifteen months we could not take custody of the mortal remains of High Chief O.B Lulu Briggs because of the series of court cases that denied the family from taking custody of the body.
“The controversies that surrounded the demise of our paramount head were widely reported in the mass media.
“The overwhelming view was that we needed to wait for the relaxation of the covid-19 restrictions because High Chief O.B. Lulu Briggs was a man of many parts who had positively touched so many lives. He was a public servant, a labour leaders, a politician, a businessman, a philanthropist.
“It will therefore be a disservice to his memory to deny his legion of friends and associates the opportunity to honour him at his funeral. His obsequies should be designed to enable various personalities who interacted with him in his life time to participate actively.
“An evening of drama and tribute would hold at the Ebitimi Banigo Auditorium, University of Port Harcourt on Monday March 8th, 2021. There will be a service of songs and tribute on Wednesday March 10, 2021.
” His body will arrive Abonnema, his home town, in the traditional war canoe and boat regatta on Friday March, 12, 2021, which will be followed by a Christian and Traditional Wake Keep.
“Most importantly, we express our most sincere gratitude to the Governor of Rivers State, His Excellency Chief Nyesom Ezenwo Wike, CON, for graciously approving a state Burial for High Chief O. B Lulu Briggs.
” His son Dumo Lulu Briggs thanked the state Governor for promising to give his late father a befitting state burial and used the medium to invites friends of the family especially of his father to attend the burial ceremony of his father as they bid him farewell”.
