Expiration of Tenure: Omadino Community heads to court, notifies Oniyesan of Pre- Action to Sue

The Olare-Aja (Oldest Man) and Chairman Council of Elders of Omadino Community in Warri South Local Government Area of Delta State, Elder O.D. Edukugho, the Chairman Board of Trustees of the Community, Prof. Gabriel Yomere, Secretary of the Council of Elders, Mr. Jonad Ometan and 10 others, on behalf of themselves and purportedly of Omadino Community, have dragged Amb. Austine Oniyesan, Barr. Richard Omare, Chevron Nigeria Limited, CNL and Delta State Attorney General and Commissioner of Justice, to the Warri Judicial Division of High Court of Justice, Delta State, over alleged expiration of tenure of Amb. Oniyesan and six other nominees of the community, to the executive of Itsekiri Regional Development Committee, IRDC.

The suit with No: W/264/2020, is coming after Prof. Yomere, “upon instructions from the Olare-Aja and Council of Elders of Omadino”, purportedly on December 4, 2020, wrote a letter titled, “Pre-Action to Sue”, to Amb. Oniyesan, who is Chairman of IRDC, “inundating him that his tenure has expired and formally introduced the 7^th-13^th claimants (vis-à-vis Mr. Godspower Onogho, Mrs. Tsaye Edeyibo Mene, Mr. Matthew Edukugho, Mr. Samson Okoribobo, Mr. Sunny Mofe Eyekosi, Mr. Godwin Tsola and Mr. Alfred Okotie) to the Itsekiri Regional Development Committee, IRDC, replacing the 1^st Defendant and his members”.

In the Writ of Summons dated December 7, 2020 and made available exclusively to Fresh Angle International, the claimants contended that the tenure of Amb. Oniyesan, “and his cohorts, elapsed in July 2019, but held unto power till date, without recourse to the Omadino Community he purportedly represents”.

While arguing that Amb. Oniyesan, who is the first Defendant in the suit, refused to relinquish power to the aforementioned fresh seven nominees of Omadino, the claimants through their counsel, P.O. Okojie Esq., are also demanding an Order from the court, “directing the 1^st Defendant, to render comprehensive accounts of all the monies received and withdrawn in the name of Itsekiri Regional Development Committee, IRDC as it relates to Omadino Community to the claimants, since his emergence as the Chairman, Itsekiri Regional Development Committee, IRDC, from 2016 till date”.

They are equally demanding; “An Order of Perpetual Injunction, restraining the 1^st Defendant from parading himself as the Chairman, Itsekiri Regional Development Committee, IRDC and executive of the GMoU with the 3^rd & 4^th Defendants (vis-à-vis Chevron Nigeria Limited and Delta State Government, represented by the Attorney General and Commissioner of Justice, respectively)”.

Though Amb. Oniyesan, who was said to be having his siesta as at the time of this report didn’t pick calls put through to two of his mobile lines, his Aide in IRDC, who didn’t want his name in print, stated that the notice of Pre-Action To Sue, was not served the Chairman/leadership of IRDC.

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