THE traditional heads of
Abonemma community in the Akuku-Toru Local Government Area of Rivers State have
suspended the Amanyanabo of Abonnema, King Disrael Gbobo Bobmanuel, as the
Chairman, Council of Chiefs.
Bobmanuel was suspended over an allegation of witchcraft.
In a suspension letter, dated November 20, 2017, served
on Bobmanuel, he was accused of refusing to adhere to the directives of
the Council of Chiefs and the Ekine Sekiapu Society of Abonnema, to embark on
self-cleansing so as to prove that he was innocent of the allegation of
witchcraft levelled against him.
Governor Nyesom Wike had
recently upgraded the traditional stool that Bobmanuel occupy, making him a
first-class monarch in Rivers.
Signitories to the letter suspending Bobmanuel are Alabi
Tonye Graham-Douglas, Chief Enoch Granville, Chief E.K.Y. Jack, Chief Anthony
Oweredaba, Chief A.B. Ajumogobia, Chief Berembo Pedro and Chief M.T. Membere.
The council of chiefs said instead of abiding by the
directives to embark on self-cleansing, Bobmanuel went to the Rivers State High
Court in Degema to enforce his fundamental human rights.
“We, the undersigned chiefs, as incumbents/representatives
of the founding War Canoe Chieftaincy Houses of Abonnema, have viewed with
dismay, discontent and abject disappointment the narratives surrounding the
allegation of witchcraft against you (Bobmanuel), who incidentally is the head
of Owukori House of Abonnema and for which reason you presided over the affairs
of the Abonnema Council of Chiefs as Amayanabo of Abonnema.
“Aware of the far-reaching implications and the integrity
question the said allegation would pose to the nobility of the Abonnema Council
of Chiefs and by extension, the Abonnema Community at large, the Ekine Sekiapu
Society of Abonnema requested you to embark on a self-cleansing exercise to
prove that you are innocent of the allegation.
“Rather than heed the request of the Ekine-Sekiapu
Society, you instituted Suit N0: DHC/10/2017 – HRM DISREAL GBOBO BOB-MANUEL
(II) V. CHIEF PRECIOUS ELEKIMA & ORS to enforce your fundamental human
rights and sought a declaration amongst others, that the decision reached by
the Ekine Sekiapu society of Abonnema through the respondents in the said suit
on the 4th January, 2017 is ultra vires, null and void.
“You said the respondents or their Ekine Sekiapu Society
are not lawfully clothed with authority to pronounce on or make decision on the
basis of a process of a court of competent jurisdiction in Suit N0:
DHC/30/2016.
“We have been duly informed that your attempt to avert the
self-cleansing exercise by the application you filed at the Degema High Court
was unsuccessful as the High Court of Rivers State, Degema Division delivered
judgment in the suit, dismissing your application with cost.
“On the basis of the decision of the high court handed
down on Thursday, the 16th day of November, 2017 and the need to maintain the
integrity of the Abonnema Council of Chiefs, and having exhaustively
deliberated on the issues surrounding the allegation of witchcraft against you,
we, the undersigned, representing a majority of the incumbents of the 11
founding fathers of Abonnema, do hereby give notice to you that you are
suspended forthwith as Chairman, Abonnema Council of Chiefs unless and until
you perform the self-cleansing exercise and in the manner prescribed by the
Ekine Sekiapu Society of Abonnema.
“Consequently, upon the foregoing suspension, High Chief
(Dr.) O. B. Lulu-Briggs, OON, is hereby appointed Regent/Chairman Abonnema
Council of Chiefs to oversee the affairs of the Abonnema Council of Chiefs
until the issues surrounding the allegations are fully and finally resolved,”
the letter read patly.
However, several calls and a text message sent to the
mobile phone of the suspended monarch by our correspondent were not responded
to.
No comments:
Post a Comment