Rivers
Ekpeye Kingdom Gets New Monarch
Eze Kelvin Ngozi Anugwo, has emerged the winner of the Eze Ekpeye Logbo stool election conducted on Saturday at Ahoada Town, the administrative headquarters of Ekpeye Kingdom in Ahoada East Local Government Area of Rivers State.
Anugwo garnered five votes out of a total of 12 delegates to defeat his three other rivals; High Chief Nname Robinson Ewor grabbed four votes, while High Chief Stephen Ezekwem Amenim and High Chief (Prof.) Dulu Appah, scored three and zero votes respectively.
Declaring the result, the Electoral Committee chairman, Hon Stephen Umanta Ihua-Maduenyi, ex-Ahoada East Council boss, advised the contestants to accept the result in good faith, noting that the election was conducted in the glare of the law enforcement agencies, Rivers State Government representatives, press men and other observers. The chairman after announcing the result, issued certificate of return to Anugwo, the winner of the election.
Speaking shortly after the declaration, Anugwo said, “I am overwhelmed. I never knew Ekpeye people like me this way; I dedicate the certificate to God, and my late parents, who never lived to see their son become the third Eze Ekpeye Logbo.” Anugwo thanked all his supporters including the law enforcement agencies and both council chairmen for making the day a huge success.
He reiterated his three points agenda which include security, peace and placing Ekpeye in the scheme of things.
Meanwhile, effort to get comments from the losers failed as they had departed the information centre, the venue of the election, before the result was pronounced.
The Electoral Committee Chairman remarked that election of Eze Ekpeye Logbo was not strange in Ekpeye land. He emphasised that it started when the need for a Chief to represent Ekpeye at the Eastern Region House of Chiefs in Enugu, was established by the colonial government.
Maduenyi noted that the maiden election which saw the Late Upata, Eze Edmund Unoshi Ashirim, as winner was keenly contested by late Chief Tom Imo from Ehuda, Late Chief Fred Ogbonna from Igbuduya, while Late Chiefs Aganuzor and J.D. Okwukwu were Akoh and Ubie. He added that Ashirim who represented the Ekpeye at the House of Chiefs reigned from 1960-1977.
The ex-Ahoada East council boss recalled that the second election was occasioned by the demise of the first occupant of the stool of Eze Ekpeye Logbo in 1978. He said, Late Eze Robinson O. Robinson (Ubie) emerged as the winner, while Chief C.U. Ideozu from Ehuda, Eze O. Owukori of Igbuduya and Chief C.A. Okpara – Upata were among the contestants. He added that Eze Robinson ruled from 1978-2018.
He stated further that the vacancy created by the death of Eze Robinson necessitated the formation of the Committee he chaired to conduct the election.
Recall that the Ekpeye people have been grappling with the election of a new Eze Ekpeye Logo since after the conclusion of the necessary rites associated with proper burial of their late monarch.
The Tide learnt that there were agitations from the various clans especially Ubie and Upata clans laying claims as the heir apparent to the stool. To make matters worse, even the incumbent first class monarchs of the clans were allegedly eyeing the apex seat of Ekpeye.
However, relief came their way as the Rivers State Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike, during one of his facility visits to Ekpeye land last December, issued an ultimatum that the Ekpeye should elect another monarch within two months.
Recall also that the people of Ekpeye ethnic nationality had held a special congress last Thursday to address the issue of the lingering Eze Ekpeye Logbo election. While in the convention at Ekpeye House in Ahoada, it was unanimously agreed that the earlier 20 delegates prescribed by the Eleco from each of the six clans of Ekpeye be pruned to two delegates each and a new date fixed for the election.
Also in the said meeting, a 7-man Eleco led by High Chief Godwin Osai was set up to conduct election of Uzugbani Ekpeye Executives (EU) whose tenure expires May 2022.The members of the committee who were drawn from the six clans and one special nominee for EU executive has High Chief Godwin Osai (Upata) and Barr. Hamilton Morrison (Ubie) as Chairman and Secretary. Others include ;Adamu Moses (Ahoada), Barr. Uchechukwu Igbegiri (Igbuduya), Mr Godday Owoh Chizhim (Ugbobi), Mr. Umuna Robinson (Akoh) and Dr. Friday Onyije (EU exco nominee).
Meanwhile, the Eleco after inauguration was given 30days within which to conclude their work.
BY: Agimo, Emenike Benson
The Rivers state Chief Judge, Justice SIMONE CHIBUZOR-AMADI has given an indication to sanction any lawyer who fail to comply with directive of a judge in the state to transferred a case to Rivers State Multi Door Courthouse for Alternatives Dispute Resolution.
Justice AMADI stated this during a brief ceremony held at the chief judge auditorium in port Harcourt Friday held to hand over certificates of operation to two private ADR chambers on Precarious Dispute Resolution Services and Harmony Arbitration and mediation center .
He urged the two private ADR centres to be diligent in the discharge of their duties and warned against compromising the standard of Alternative Dispute Resolution, ADR but should observed the regulations set out in collaboration regulation by the state Multi Door Court House.
Earlier in a address, the Director of the State Multi Door Courthouse, VICTOR NWEKE esq, highlighted some of the achievements of the Multi Door Courthouse especially in decongestion of court rooms.
NWEKE while disclosing how the department certified the two private ADR centres called for serious punitive measures be taken against any lawyer who fail to comply with a case referred to Multi Door Court House by a judge or magistrates in the state.
In her acceptance speech on behalf of the two certified private ADR centres, ALICE NIMI commended the State Judiciary and Multi Door Courthouse for the approval and assured that all the rules and regulations spelt out will be followed.
In a related development; the Rivers State Judiciary has assured its readiness to collaborate with Nigerian Securityding Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC in using Alternative Dispute Resolution to resolve some of the issues in their office.
The state Chief Judge , Justice SIMONE CHIBUZOR-AMADI made the promise when he received in audience the Zonal Commander of NSCDC, Assistant Commandant General, AYINLA TALYE OLOWO and his team who paid him a courtesy visit in his office , Friday where issuees ADR utilization took centre stage.
He used the opportunity to brief his visitors on the hurdles judges faces daily in the court room and the need for the decongestion of the court room , stressing that one judge handle more than three hundred cases but that if lawyers and litigants adopt ADR practice court rooms can be releive of the daily congestions.
The state Chief Judge however urged NSCDC to ensure a wider sensitization of the members of the public on the practice of ADR for a better awareness and knowledge.
Earlier in his speech, the Zonal Commander of NSCDC, Assistant Commandant General, AYINLA TALYE-OLOWO said the visit was to seek collaboration on the use of ADR in resolving some issues which he insisted would help decongest the courtrooms.
Our correspondent reports officials of the Rivers State Multi Door Courthouse led by the Director, VICTOR NWEKE led the team of NSCDC on a technical session where information on how to the fully in cooperated into the Multi Door Courthouse and operation of ADR will be emphasized.
Akujobi Amadi