By Victor Lewis
*Says Attack on LGA Chairman, Asekutu by ELOT fallacious, baseless
*I did not see the Regency letter to governor, I didn’t sign on it – Edmund Tiemo
The Leadership of Egbema Communities Peace Development And Humanitarian Rights Association, ECPDHRA, has declared that Egbema Leaders of Thought, ELOT, led by one Edmund Tiemo, has no mandate, power or locus standi, so derived from the gazette of kingship succession, to challenge the decision of the Egbema Traditional Council of Chiefs, which is the apex body saddled with the duty of the selection/installation of a new monarch for the kingdom.
This is coming as a reaction to the recent advertorial published by Egbema Leaders of Thought and the disbanded Regency Council, in the Pointer newspaper which called on the State Governor, Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa, not to accord recognition to Barr. Napoleon Egin as the Agadagba-elect of the kingdom and also accused the LG Council chairman of undue influence.
In a statement signed by its National President, Comrade Mike J.K. Tiemo, the Egbema Communities Peace Development And Humanitarian Rights Association, ECPDHRA, clarified that only the Egbema Traditional Council of Chiefs is mandated to install and make proclamation of a new Agadagba-elect after due nomination by the ruling house.
Comrade Tiemo described the Egbema Leaders of Thought, ELOT, led by Mr. Edmund Tiemo, an uncle of his, as lacking the authority to challenge the decisions of Egbema Traditional Council of Chiefs as provided by the official gazzette of traditional Institution in the kingdom.
The statement reads in part: “We the Leadership of Egbema Communities Peace, Development And Humanitarian Rights Association, in Egbema Kingdom of Delta and Edo States, a legally-registered body with the Corporate Affairs Commission CAC Abuja, wish to state that Egbema kingdom Unity, togetherness and progressive movement is not negotiable.
“We strongly express the view that our candid position of unity and progressive togetherness of Egbema Kingdom is fundamental and paramount due to the long past unpleasant happenings and occurrences which did not yield any fruitful benefit neither did it support the growth and development of our dear Egbema Kingdom.
“The body wish to observe that the kingship of Egbema Kingdom is an issue that does not require any external forces that will jeopardize the process in accordance to the Egbema Kingship gazette.
“The ELOT which is the Egbema Leaders of Thought led by my uncle, Mr. Edmund Tiemo, is not an authentic and recognized structure in the Egbema king makers affairs and none of their members has a traditional function to perform in the kingship selection process.
“Therefore, ELOT absolutely lacks the locus standi and representative capacity to interfere in the decision taken by the Ogbudugbudu Ruling House and the Egbema Traditional Council of Chiefs in picking Barr. Napoleon Egin as the new Agadagba-elect of the kingdom
“This body, ECPDHRA, hereby affirms that only the Ogbudugbudu Ruling House and the Egbema Traditional Council of Chiefs have the consent, mandate and authority to discharge their core responsibilities in the process of nominating and recommending the candidate or candidates to the Egbema traditional Council of Chiefs to be selected and accredited after due consultation, in line with the Egbema kingship gazette and, make a pronouncement to the Egbema kingdom in general and to the general public”, Tiemo said.
Speaking on the two lists of three names each, submitted to the Egbema Traditional Council of Chiefs, as referred to in the Pointer publication, ECPDHRA further clarified that the names were thoroughly screened by the Council of Chiefs following due process in compliance with the power vested on them by the entire kingdom in line with the gazette.
“The two lists mentioned in the ELOT Publication that contains six name of nominate from Ogbudugbudu Ruling House were thoroughly screened by the Egbema Traditional Council of Chiefs following due process and by the power vested on them by the entire kingdom.
“After due consultation, a candidate met up with the requirement in accordance to the Egbema kingship gazette by name Barr. Napoleon Egin who was selected as Pere Elect, declared and pronounced by the Egbema Traditional Council of Chiefs through the office of the Pere Koriwei of Egbema kingdom, Chief Simeon Igbedikuru JP.”, Comrade Tiemo added.
On the spurious allegation of undue influence leveled against the Warri North Local Government Chairman, Hon. Asekutu, by ELOT and co, Comrade Mike Tiemo described the attack as fallacious and baseless, adding that the LG Council chairman is not only an innocent illustrious son of the kingdom, but a personality whose interest in peace and development of the entire Local Government Area, cannot be controverted.
“Hon. Smart Yomi Asekutu, contrary to the impression given by the ELOT, is not biased in any way neither has he done anything that is creating controversies in the kingdom.
“The ELOT Publications and claims, against the Honourable Chairman, Warri North LGA Council boss Hon. Smart Yomi Asekutu, are all pure fallacies and baseless submission against the innocent, bona fide illustrious son of Egbema kingdom who has the core reasonability to ensure peace and support for the growth and development of the communities in the LGA by doing what is right and needful as a Local Government Chairman.
“So, all their publications against the Local Government chairman as interfering or having undue influence on the Traditional Council of Chiefs, should be disregarded by the general public”, the ECPDHRA President submitted.
Comrade Mike Tiemo further described the role being played by Mr. Edmund Tiemo and his ELOT group in trying to steer up confusion and chaos in the kingdom, as despicable and undeserving of him.
He noted that the ELOT members ought to follow the provision of the official gazzette which bequeaths the power of kingship succession on the supreme Egbema Traditional Council of Chiefs and strengthen compliance to the traditional institution, rather than trying to hijack the power to install a new king.
“I expected him (Edmund Tiemo) and ELOT to make peace to reign because it is the entire kingdom that gave mandate to the Ogbudugbudu ruling house to nominate a candidate for the Kingship.
“Secondly, the ruling house has nominated and forwarded six names from the Traditional Council of Chiefs and based on that, they have carried out their screening and consultation, and have come up with the Pere-elect and announced his name to the entire Egbema Kingdom.
“Therefore, I do not expect any other person to toe the path that is not in line with the traditional process. I expected Edmund as one of the leaders in the kingdom to engage the Ogbudugbudu ruling house to resolve their differences in the interest of peace, rather than engaging in publications and indicting the Local Government Council chairman.
The body however harped on the “need for the Egbema people to avoid unnecessary confrontation, litigation, waste of funds and our precious time on issues that will not be helpful or relevant to the kingdom.
“Indeed, what needs to be done now is to have good Developmental Agenda that will attract accelerated and rapid progress to Egbema kingdom in order for us to achieve progressive goal. The Egbema people should apply the spirit of forgive and forget because we don’t have another Egbema kingdom as our home and no foreigner or stranger will come to fight for our good expectations.
“We call and appeal to all the illustrious sons and daughters of Egbem kingdom or Communities at home and Diaspora to support the effort all made by the king makers to move the kingdom forward without any rancour.”
In the same vein, the Egbema Monitoring Group, EMG, has strongly condemned the role being played by the Egbema Leaders of Thought, ELOT and its chairman, Mr Edmund Tiemo, in allegedly trying to frustrate the ongoing peaceful process of installation of a new Agadagba for Egbema kingdom.
In a 24-paragraph statement titled: ‘ELDER EDMUND TIEMO AND HIS CAMPAIGN OF CALUMNY: WHY THE AGADAGBA-ELECT WILL NOT REACT’
dated 7/11/22 and signed by the Convener, Mr. Ebibotei Johnson, the group bemoaned the activities of ELOT as it affects the ongoing process of installing a new king for the kingdom.
It also condemned, in very strong term, the attitude of Mr. Edmund Tiemo who is alleged to have taken the matter very personal and has attacked, not only the Traditional Council of Chiefs, but also the Local Government Council Chairman, Hon. Smart Asekutu.
“We have watched with absolute consternation the way and manner Elder Edmund Tiemo has thrown all cautions to wind in consistently attacking the Traditional Council, the LGA Chairman and the Agadagba-elect through sponsored media publications and paid advertorials
“After the proclamation of the Agadagba-elect, several attempts have been made to broker peace in the overall interest of the kingdom.
“We wanted a united and peaceful kingdom to enable the Agadagba rapidly develop and transform the kingdom hence several attempts were made to reach all aggrieved persons.
“Of all the persons reached, only few with the likes of Edmund Tiemo have vowed to deploy all their resources to inflict chaos and make the kingdom ungovernable for the Agadagba-elect. These few selfish and unpatriotic persons have resolved that if they are not allowed to install their
preferred candidate, Egbema will not know peace.
“They believe so much in their money and connections. They also know that the Agadagba-elect is not wealthy enough to withstand the attacks. What they forget to know is that God still reigns in the affairs of men.
“We had thought that given the age and exposure of Edmund Tiemo, he would show civility and calmness in handling kingdom matters. Sadly this is not the case as can be seen from all publications sponsored by him”, Ebibotei noted.
The Egbema Monitoring Group Convener gave further clarification, saying that:
“Edmund is not from Ogbudugbudu ruling house. He has no right whatsoever to object to the choice of the Agadagba-elect.
“Edmund’s first attempt to block the installation process was to route it through his brother Chief Mathew Tiemo who called several meetings in attempt to frustrate the selection process but he failed.
“Again. Edmund and his ELOT caucus made several attempts to persuade Hon. Smart Asekutu to block the Traditional Council from performing their traditional function but failed again. When he could not succeed in using government’s power, he has now resorted to cheap unfounded blackmail to cow the LGA Chairman for supporting Egbema Traditional Council.
“Hon. Asekutu understands that kingship matters are handled by the Traditional Institution of the kingdom which Edmund and his ELOT caucus do not belong to.
“Yet Edmund who has vested interest in Meshack Ubabiri will not let Hon. Smart Asekutu rest. Edmund needs to be told that Hon Smart Asekutu is not the person that installs kings. If he has any problems, he should direct same to the Elders and Chiefs of Ogbudugbudu ruling house. They will handle him as they have always done”, Ebibotei Johnson said.
In a telephone chat with our correspondent, the chairman of Egbema Leaders of Thought, Elder Edmund Tiemo, averred that his organization is a key stakeholder in the kingdom and therefore has a role to play in the determination of who emerges the next Agadagba of Egbema kingdom, adding that as an elder (76 years old), nobody can deny him a say in the process of selection/installation of the Agadagba.
He said: “There is no where in the gazzette where it is stated that only the Council of Chiefs can install the king and ELOT has no role to play.
“The traditional installation process is done by the elders of the Communities. So, you cannot say I’m not a part of the process, by virtue of my age. I’m 76 years old. Many of the chiefs are junior to me.
“It was the Local Government chairman that drummed it into the chiefs that they are the only people who can install the king”, he said.
Edmund Tiemo also disputed that there were two lists comprising of three names each submitted by the Ogbudugbudu ruling house. He accused the Local Government Chairman of allegedly conniving with some chiefs to smuggle in another list of three names.
He also alleged that the chalk with which the Agadagba-elect was marked was not the original chalk from the shrine, saying that “they bought a fake chalk from Igbudu (market) or whatever and they went to Ofunama which is not the traditional headquarters, to do what they did”.
Edmund also averred that the tenure of the Regency Council did not expire, adding that there is no vacuum in the stool of the kingdom. “The Regency Council cannot expire until a new king is installed”, he said.
As for the Open letter written in a Regency Council letter head, signed by 16 persons including himself, Elder Edmund and addressed to the Governor, Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa, the ELOT chairman denied signing that letter, adding that at the time the letter was done, he travelled out.
“Let me tell you something, I don’t know who signed that letter you are talking about now. I did not see the letter. I did not see the letter published in the Pointer newspaper. I don’t know the reason they put my name there, but I can tell you that that does not make the letter invalid”, the chairman of ELOT said.
He also disclosed that ELOT in collaboration with the late Agadagba had started the process of reviewing the gazzette of the kingdom before the king passed on.
“All those who are saying that ELOT has no role to play, I can tell you that the last king worked with us closely to review the gazzette. He was in agreement with ELOT that the gazzette should be reviewed and we will now send it to government to tell them this is what we want”, he disclosed.
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