Court restrains newly inaugurated Ugborodo Governing Trust Council

 A Port Harcourt High Court has restrained the newly inaugurated Ugborodo Community Trust Council from performing its functions, even as some members of the elders’ council have restated that no new trust council was inaugurated.

This comes even as the Delta State Commissioner for Special Duties and former Oil and Gas Commissioner, Mr. Omamofe Pirah has stated that the newly inaugurated Barr. Austin Oboroegbeyi-led Trust Council should engage all aggrieved stakeholders in Ugborodo to resolve all grey areas in the present scheme of things or he would be compelled to take further drastic action against the new Governing Trust Executive of Ugborodo Community.

Though details of the court proceedings were still sketchy as at Wednesday August 21, it was gathered that some aggrieved persons actually filed court papers against the recently inaugurated Governing Trust of Ugborodo, saying no election took place at Ode-Ugborodo, where some persons were alleged to have been variously elected into different positions, insisting that what happened was pre-arranged and meant to intimidate some persons into submission.

The community elders led by the Elders' Council PRO, Chief Pullen Esimajemite and many others in a letter addressed to Governor Okowa, said all that happened at Ode-Ugborodo on the said date of inauguration were illegal, apart from the fact that the so-called chairman of the new trust purportedly over-stepped his bounds by engaging in the perceived illegal withdrawal of huge sums of cash from the community account at Sterling Bank in Warri, when he knew he “does not possess such powers to do so, having  left office before the said inauguration conducted and supervised by himself ”.

Mr. Mofe Pirah who disclosed in his post that as a former Commissioner in charge of Oil and Gas, resolving problems between communities and companies, intra and inter community crisis, he cannot be seen to be party to fueling of community strife.

According to him, apart from “financial rascality exhibited by the Oboroegbeyi-led new Trust Council”, he must take steps to reconcile all aggrieved stakeholders and resolve the matter peacefully or he would drag the matter to higher levels.

He said though the Warri Monarch has spoken on the matter to the Governor, he does not have the capacity to challenge the position of the royal father, but insisted that the laid down rules, constitution and custom of the Ugborodo people must be followed by the Oboroegbeyi-led new Governing Trust Council, because huge “financial misdemeanor is involved in the matter” that could have dire consequences for the peaceful community.

Pirah stated that only 10 out of the 29 council members were inaugurated illegally and some of the inaugurated members were not even present at the event and have so disclaimed in a Vanguard Newspaper publication.

He posited that all actions so far taken by the Oboroegbeyi-led executive is a fiasco, alleging that his community, Ogidigben, was short-changed in the current setup as they were expected to present Secretary of the new Governing Trust Council.

The former IRDC Chairman, expressed regret that the new leadership withdrew huge sums running into over N55m in one week after they had left office and allegedly squandered over N350m during their tenure, without “anything on ground”, insisting that they must account for it.

Chief Pullen Esimajemite letter maintained that another election to “elect genuine members of the Trust must be held so that peace can continue to prevail in Ugborodo Community for the benefit of all Ugborodo indigenes”. 

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