*Urges Buhari to release and return them.
Former leader of the Movement for the Emancipation of Niger Delta (MEND) , high Chief Government Oweizide Epkemupolo has called on President Mohammadu Buhari to order the military to return the god’s symbol of authority, the innocent students and palace staff to the Kingdom.
This was contained in an open letter written and signed by the former Warlord and sent to Gbaramatu Voice Newspaper Email today through his media aide Comr.Paul Bebenimibo. It will be recalled that this is the second time that the embattled agitator is demanding for the return of the Golden Sword which is the symbol of authority of the Oporoza deity since may 28th 2016 invasion in Gbaramatu Kingdom which latter saw the return of empty and inconsequential cutlasses that was earlier stollen by the military.
The leader also cautions President Buhari to learn from the Yara Adua regime that witnessed the invasion of Gbaramatu Kingdom in 2009 while also decrying the high level of injustice meted out on the people of Niger Delta by the present Government.
“Your Military Has Not Returned The Golden Sword (Symbol Of Authority) And The Innocent Students As Well As The Palace Staff Picked Up At Oporoza Town, on Saturday, May,28, 2016 To Gbaramatu Kingdom.”
“Please permit and pardon my choice of words in this letter, his excellency sir as I am out to convey the obvious to you. It is pertinent to mention that I respect your position as the President of Nigeria and your age, as I am a well brought up African child.”
“Today is exactly 31 days after the invasion of the traditional headquarters of Gbaramatu Kingdom, Oporoza town, by your military led by Brig. General Faruk Yahaya of the 4th Brigade, Benin City, in search of me, with the allegation that I am the one behind the bombing and destruction of crude oil facilities in the Niger Delta region, and the incident happened in my absence, but I was informed that the army was on the loose, and committed so much abomination in the community. Imagine, the traditional ruler of the kingdom was literally placed on house arrest for one week.”
“As I said in my previous publications, the military made away with the symbol of Authority of the Gbaramatu people from the Egbesu Shrine, which I am the Chief Priest. They also made away with other valuables worth several millions of naira from the community. The most annoying one is the purported arrest of ten young promising men most of whom are orphans, who are secondary school students sitting for the West African Senior Secondary School Examinations (WASSCE) and other palace staff, and labelled them as members of the Niger Delta Avengers. As I write you now, these innocent young promising men are still with your military for no reason. This is truly man’s inhumanity to man in our own country. We are presently being treated like conquered people because of crude oil. This was how they arrested Chevron Nigeria Limited Staff on routine duty in Kokodiagbene community of Gbaramatu kingdom, and labelled them members of Niger Delta Avengers. It took spirited effort by leaders of the kingdom and other well -meaning Nigerians to convince the military, that the arrested men were not involved in pipeline destruction.”
“Mr President sir, please permit me to quickly recall a similar incident that occurred in May, 2009, when this same military invaded several communities in Gbaramatu kingdom, under the command of late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua. Traditional worship centres were desecrated, property were looted and above all, the multi-billion naira ultra-modern magnificent palace of the pere of Gbaramatu kingdom was burned down, and his golden crown was stolen by the military. As peace loving people, the kingdom approached the courts and demanded compensation for the unlawful invasion and destruction of property, in which the court awarded 99 billion naira in favour of Gbaramatu kingdom. After seven years of that sad incident, the Federal Government is yet to pay the compensation. This incident also led to the declaration of the Presidential Amnesty programme for peace to reign, as the government find out that military action is not the best way to address the Niger Delta question, and the rest become a history in the life of those who led that invasion. I believe Mr President should learn a lesson from the 2009 military invasion and do the needful.”
“Your excellency sir, as they say, “wonders shall never end”, am still in a great shock as the only developmental project, which is the Nigerian Maritime University, Okerenkoko, that was established by the previous administration in 2014, in the coastal area of the Niger Delta region to meet the yearnings and the aspiration of the people is yet to commence academic session, even though all is set for the University to take off. For instance, there are over 20 gigantic buildings of various sizes with complete furniture in the temporary site Kurutie town, which some mischievous people have given different narrations.
Mr President sir, I wish to challenge you to send your most trusted persons to come and see things for you, and I bet you, you will discover that some of your ministers are not fit to work with you, because such ones are a clog in the wheel of progress as against your change mantra in which you rode into power. That is not all, there is a governing council and senate properly constituted and a management council headed by a very qualified Professor of engineering. What is more, even money was duly appropriated in the 2015 budget for the University to take off, but was withheld for no reason. This is pure injustice of the highest order.”
“Mr President sir, please kindly direct your army to return the looted items including the symbol of authority, and also release those innocent young men to continue their academic programme, even though they have missed the WASSCE for this year. Mr President, remember, there is no condition that is permanent. I have kept faith in this country. I have contributed in no small measure to the development of this country. It is my prayer that God Almighty should preserve me and meet you again to tell you my side of the numerous stories you have been inundated about me.”
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