The Bayelsa State government has given the Oloibiri Clan in Ogbia Kingdom a 3-week deadline to produce the chairman of Ogbia Brotherhood and other nominees zoned to it to pave the way for the inauguration of a new substantive leadership to pilot the affairs of the foremost socio-cultural organization in the state.
The Deputy Governor, Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo, gave the directive on Monday, while presiding over a high-profile meeting with leaders and critical stakeholders of Ogbia extraction, cutting across all the clans of the kingdom at the Golden Tulip Hotel, Yenagoa.
Ewhrudjakpo, in a press release signed by his Senior Special Assistant on Media, Mr. Doubara Atasi, emphasized the significance of the Ogbia Brotherhood and urged the present crop of Ogbia leaders and stakeholders not to allow the organization to become moribund in their time.
The deputy governor maintained that the Ogbia Brotherhood, founded in 1940, had played a pivotal role in promoting the unity and development of Ogbia Kingdom in particular and Bayelsa State in general, and therefore, must not be allowed to die as a result of personal and parochial interests of a few people in the area.
He said the state Governor, Douye Diri had directed that the lingering leadership conflict in the organization should be resolved without any further delay in honour of former President Goodluck Jonathan and most importantly, in the best collective interest of the Ogbia people and the state.
To this end, Ewhrudjakpo urged the people of Oloibiri, one of the clans in Ogbia Kingdom, to close ranks and work within the next three weeks to produce the chairman and other nominees as part of the executives of the Ogbia Brotherhood without delay.
He, however, added that the state government would set machinery in place to ensure the inauguration of the organization’s new leadership, with or without their nominees, at the end of the ultimatum.
“Ogbia Brotherhood has been a social torchlight that beams the light of unity and development among our people over the years; a very prominent organization, which predates most of us who are here.
‘The contributions of the Ogbia Brotherhood to the development of Bayelsa, Nigeria, and the world cannot be overstated.
“And that is why every reasonable person must make sure that that light keeps shining. So, we must first all look for the lubricant to keep that light burning.
“But unfortunately, for quite some time, it has been going through some leadership problems, which I consider mere brotherly misunderstandings.
“So, I want to appeal to our people, particularly the Oloibiri clan, to imbibe the spirit of forgiveness and give-and-take to resolve the misunderstanding.
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‘It is in that regard that the governor has directed that we must resolve the issues without any further delay. I have always insisted that every problem has a solution. So, we must collectively resolve this misunderstanding,” the deputy governor stated.
Responding to the Oloibiri clan’s appeal, he said that the state government has granted their request for three weeks.
Speaking on behalf of the Oloibiri clan, former Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Prof. Edmund Allison-Oguru, assured the state government that the clan, including Dr Goodluck Jonathan, would meet to reconcile their differences and present credible individuals to fill its positions in the leadership of Ogbia Brotherhood.
Prof. Allison-Oguru, used the opportunity to appreciate the effort of the state government to resolve the leadership impasse in the Ogbia Brotherhood, which he admitted has lingered for some time.
The meeting had in attendance the members representing the three Ogbia constituencies in the state House of Assembly, Gabriel Ogbara, Godknows Obein, and Richard Ibegu, as well as the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Prof. Nimibofa Ayawei, and other top government functionaries.
Also in attendance were the Obanobhan of Ogbia Kingdom, Charles Owaba, the acting Chairman of Ogbia Brotherhood, Azibaloguo Seibofa, as well as the paramount rulers of the various clans and communities in Ogbia Local Government Area.
