Wike’s Commissioner for Chieftaincy Affairs, Ejekwu sabotaging governor’s effort – Elders

Rivers State Commissioner for Chieftaincy and Community Affairs, Sir Sunny Ejekwu has been accused of sabotaging governor Nyesom Wike’s peace effort around communities in Rivers State.

In a statement signed by Chief. Eze Dennis Orji, Chairman of Nvakaohia-Rumuekpe Council of Chiefs and five other traditional and community leaders on Wednesday in Port-Harcourt, alledged that some leaders were on Wednesday coerced by the Commissioner into signing a memorandum of understanding with Total E&P Nigeria Limited contrary to their will as it poses threat to peace and stability of the host communities.

The leaders pleaded with the governor to caution the Commissioner who they alledged, was threatening them for daring to raise issues they were not comfortable with before signing the controversial MOU.

The statement reads in full:

“We the Chiefs, Elders, Stakeholders, Women, Youth and Community Development Committees CDCs of Nvakaohia-Rumuekpe in Emohua Local Government Area of Rivers State made up of Imogu, Ekwutche and Ovelle wish to call on our leader and defender, His Excellency, Governor Nyesom Wike CON to call his Commissioner for Chieftancy and Community Affairs to order and direct him to stay away from Nvakaohia Rumuekpe engagement with Total E&P Nigeriatd, if all he wishes is to plunge the peace loving Community into crisis as he is currently doing.

“The Commissioner for Chieftancy and Community Affairs, Sir Sunny Ejekwu had sent us threat messages, compelling and coercing us to sign a purported Memorandum of Understanding MOU on Wednesday 15th June 2021 with Total E&P Nigeria Ltd against our will.

“The Commissioner is on a mission to sabotage and undermine the effort of the Governor to promote host Community rights and entitlements with International Oil multinationals in the state and Nvakaohia-Rumuekpe will not fall for it.

“Nvakaohia Rumuekpe Community through its representatives had negotiated an MOU with Total E&P Ltd, but we wrote to the Company that the signing of the said MOU should be put off till further notice.

“This is to enable both parties to properly interface with Total E&P Ltd on a widely publicised petition we wrote to the Company through the Integrity Friends for Truth and Peace Initiative TIFPI, which demands include Remediation, Compensation for years of neglect, humanitarian intervention etc for the devastation of the Community caused by Total E&P Nigeria Ltd.

“Information available to us is that Total E&P Nigeria Ltd in a meeting held somewhere in New GRA Port Harcourt, compromised the Commissioner for Chieftancy and Community Affairs Sir Sunny Ejekwu an Ikwerre man with millions of Naira and promised him some major running contracts if he succeeds to do thier bidding and undermine the interest of Nvakaohia Community which the Company has destroyed.

They pleaded with the State Governor to intervene without delay as the Commissioner has.made up his mind to fight them.

“The action of the Commissioner, no doubt is a clear case of conspiracy and compromise to frustrate our agitation.

“The Commissioner, Sir Sunny Ejekwu, in alliance with some top management officials of Total E&P Nigeria Ltd who seeks to divide and destroy our Community has threatened to unleash mayhem and launch an attack as well as frame up and arrest Nvakaohia Rumuekpe Community leaders should we fail to do according to his dictates.

“It is a travesty and most unfortunate that the Commissioner, an Ikwerre son who should know better, has allowed his vested interest to make him an agent of intimidation and desperate for whatever Total E&P Nigeria Ltd may have promised him so they can ostensibly impose a MOU implementation Committee on the people of Nvakaohia Rumuekpe against our wish.

“We believe that our dear Governor, His Excellency Nyesom Wike will not tolerate any act aimed at disturbing the fragile peace in our Community which is yet recovering from a major crisis as the Community Affairs Commissioner Mr. Sunny Ejekwu is planning to do.

“As a peace-loving community, it is our position that this process must be voluntary and multilateral. We advise Total E&P Nigeria Ltd to desist from their divisive tendencies and seat with our Community through the facilitation of the Integrity Friends for Truth and Peace Initiative TIFPI which has been donated with the Power of Attorney to facilitate and negotiate with Total E&P Ltd on the demands made in our petition.

“This hurried plan to sign the MOU is only aimed at circumventing and manipulating the process to undermine our original demands.

“Finally, we call on the Security agencies, the international Community, to investigate the Rivers State Commissioner for Chieftancy and Community Affairs Mr. Sunny Ejekwu and his Co-conspirators in the top Management of Total E&P Nigeria Ltd who want to plunge NVAKAOHIA-RUMUEKPE into another crisis for their selfish gains.

“We are ready for the Commissioner to come and kill all of us and should there be any breakdown of Law and order in our Community, the Commissioner of Chieftancy and Community Affairs Mr. Sunny Ejekwu along with his allies in Total E&P Nigeria Ltd should be held responsible” the statement concluded.