THE OGU DIVISIONAL COUNCIL OF CHIEFS WRITES AN OPEN LETTER TO THE GOVERNOR OF RIVERS STATE HIS EXCELLENCY CHIEF BARR. EZEBUNWO NYESOM WIKE ON THE PLANNED ATTACK BY ELEME, SIME, NORKPO, BARALE, BARAYIRA IN TAI.

Your Excellency,

The attention of the Amanyanabo, the Chiefs and the good people of Ogu Community has been drawn to reports, rumours, conducts, attitudes and even body language of our Eleme and Tai neighbours as they have concluded plans to attack Ogu Community at any given time.

Ogu Community is the headquarters of Ogu/Bolo Local Government Area of Rivers State, geographically, it is bounded on the North by Tai Local Government Communities, on the East by Gokana Local Government Communities, on the West by Eleme Local Government Communities and on the South by Bonny Local Government Communities.

The people of Ogu would want to alert the State and Federal Government on the incessant rate at which Eleme and some Tai communities within the boundaries have been unleashing terror on the people of Ogu and this would no longer be tolerated any more. It is on record that no year passes, without Ogu citizens being killed by Eleme in connivance with Tai Communities; within May to June 2015, Ogu lost four citizens. Even non indigenes who are resident in Ogu were not spared by them through matchet cuts, gunshot and other means of violence.

Fresh intelligence report by our local surveillance reveals that the people of Eleme have concluded necessary arrangement to perfect the attack on Ogu weekly Olobulo market which they even come to trade with the Ogu people.
They have warned their natives in the neighbourhood from coming to the market. While the people of Sime in Tai have concerted effort to divert business people coming to Olobulo market to their Local Sime market on the premise that there is crisis in Ogu, whereas there was nothing of that nature.

Another Local intelligence report had it that the Eleme militia would also attack the Staff Buses owned by the various companies which Ogu youths do board to the port complex for their daily work.  Daily, the same people have being ambushing Ogu people along Eteo-Ogu and Nowa-Ogu road. Several incidents had been reported before the Ogu Divisional Police headquarter. All past Divisional Police Officers can attest to this fact.

The people of Eleme and their cohorts took to this unholy enterprise of waging an attack against Ogu is for the only known fact that the people of Ogu do travel on roads along their communities to Port Harcourt and other parts of the state. As such they could come out to attack at any time. This Government and the security agencies should look into and proffer immediate solution to protect lives in the area.

There is no community that can lay claims on any road. Roads are constructed by Government for public convenience. Therefore, this yearly act of attacking cars, bikes and pedestrian on Ogu people in the neighbourhood must stop. This is barbaric and unethical to modern life. 

We are using this medium to draw the attention of the Rivers State Government, the Rivers State House of Assembly, the Commissioner of Police, The State Security Services (SSS), the Joint Military Task Force (JTF) and the civil society of this imminent threat by Eleme and their cohorts against Ogu Community.

We are also sending the same message to all Eleme, Tai and Gokana Communities within the neighbourhood of Ogu to keep their bounders closed and safe from insurgents so that the angry lion would not trace the foot prints of its prey.

We would also advise non citizens who are engaged in one business or the other in Eleme and Tai Communities to be weary of this imminent threat against Ogu and appeal to their landlords to desist as no meaningful business or development could flourish in an atmosphere of violence. “A stitch in time, they say saves nine”.

Ogu people believed in dialogue and peaceful resolution to any uprising. Whatever grievance should be made known to the people for a lasting peace in the region. Enough of these threats as every community had a tie to one ethnicity or the other. “Agundu Amundu Agamundu (Meaning People are people to other people)”. Therefore, no community has an exclusive preserve of violence. Ogu community would stand to resists such attack.

We would once more call on the Governor of Rivers State His Excellency, Chief Barr. Ezebunwo Nyesom Wike CON, JP, the security agencies to call on the people of Eleme and their cohorts in Tai to order, so that we all could live in peace and unity to enjoy the dividends of democracy in the State. 

While, we would also plead with the Rivers State Government to carry out the boundary demarcation exercise which was started by former governor Dr. Peter Odili’s administration so that the land dispute between Okrika/Ogu and Eleme could be laid to rest once and for all.

Signed.
Chief S.A.W. Ibisiki-Mgbeka
Secretary General
Ogu Divisional Council of Chiefs
For and on behalf of Ogu Community.
14th July 2015.