By Tejiri Ebikeme & Frank Efe

Chief (Dr.) Alfred .M. Bubor (JP), The Fiyewei of Gbaramatu Kingdom during the press conference in Warri

The Elders Forum of Egbema/Gbaramatu communities of Warri South West Local Government Area, Delta State, has called on the Egbema/Gbaramatu Central Development Foundation (EGCDF) and other subjects of the Kingdom to withdraw all pending litigations to enable all factions come to a round table for dialogue, insisting also that each council will not exceed two tenures of three years in office.

The Fiyewei (Spokes man) of Gbaramatu kingdom, Chief Alfred Makaraba Bubor (JP), speaking on behalf of Gbaramatu Council, made this call in Warri at a press conference held at his resident, late on Tuesday, March 19, 2013 and advised all those with pending cases in court to withdraw them to allow the Kingdom to wade into the matter fully.

Chief Bubor, who is also the Chairman of the Pere Advisory Council of Gbaramatu kingdom, said this call was necessitated by the fact that despite several meetings held by the Advisory Council to discuss the way forward, some indigenes of the kingdom especially those who had served their tenure in EGCDF still went to court to seek for justice.

He said; “The matter was also referred to us, the Pere Advisory Council to take over where Chief Government Ekpemupolo alias (Tompolo), myself, and other notable members like Chief Clark Gbenewei, (the Tubainghanwei of Gbaramatu Kingdom) and other members of the council. We met and discussed the way forward, still some members of EGCDF did not agree and they went to the Warri High Court to seek for justice.”

Chief Bubor, also a member of the Gbaramatu Elders Council, made a pronouncement that the term of members of the EGCDF will not exceed two tenures of three years as enshrined in the Constitution of the community and the GMoU signed with Chevron.

He said; “As the Chairman of the Pere Advisory Council, I want to on this 19^th day of March, 2013 call on all those involved in this protracted legal battle and other issues to put an end to them, they should stop all litigations. No more court cases and no more petitions to EFCC and that is what the Pere of Gbaramatu kingdom, our reverend royal monarch has said. Two tenures of three years is enough for anybody to lead the EGCDFand let others come in to lead and grow from there too.

According to him, “The Itsekiri Regional Development Council (IRDC) has taken off, Ilaje RDC has taken off, and the only one left is the Egbema/Gbaramatu kingdom. It is very shameful to us. So I plead with the people of Gbaramatu kingdom that if your community takes you for the first tenure of three years and you did well, they can also take you for another tenure. But if you do not do well they can remove you and put another person there. That is the law we want to establish in Gbaramatu Kingdom.”

He also noted that the tenure of the last EGCDF had long expired, adding that they had completed their two tenure of three years but they were asking for an extension, a position he noted, was unacceptable to the kingdom.

He said; “They have done two tenures. They have been there since 2005 and their tenure has already expired. Some want to extend the tenure to another three years again which the communities refused. The communities want their man to come out but the boys said no. there is a cabal in that place which they do not want. They said nobody should exceed two tenures. This is spelt out in the GMoU and the constitution of the communities.

It would be recalled that in December 2011, five indigenes of Gbaramatu Kingdom, in Warri South-West Local Government Council of Delta State, dragged Chevron Nigeria Plc, the Egbema and Gbaramatu Communities Development Foundation, EGCDF, before the Warri High Court, over alleged attempt by the latter to negotiate with Chevron as regards the GMoU when the term of office of the executive members of the EGCDF had expired since December 2010.