Leadership Tussle: Chevron’s Host Communities Suspend Six over Parallel Exco

By Olusegun Samuel

The lingering leadership tussle among eight host communities of Chevron Nigeria Limited in Southern Ijaw and Brass Local Government Areas of Bayelsa State, under the KEFFES Rural Development foundation, took a new turn over the weekend as leadership of the communities’ suspended six persons involved in the crisis within the organisation.

The six persons were accused of wrongful interpretation of the order from the State High Court and attempted to change leadership through the back door.

KEFESS is a foundation representing the eight Chevron Nigeria Limited host communities in Bayelsa, comprising Koluama 1 & 2, Ezetu 1 & 2, Foropa, Fish Town, Ekeni and Sangana located along the Atlantic coastline within Bayelsa State.

Comrade Tibiebi Amadein, had in a suit against the chairmanship position of Mathew Selepri, at the State High Court, Oporoma division, where the court ordered that the Keffes Rural Development Foundation (KRDF) conduct another election.

But a stay of execution motion was filed before the Court of Appeal sitting in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, by the foundation’s chairman.

Our correspondent gathered that the High Court in its ruling did not declare the claimant, Tibiebi Amadein as Chairman or executive of the KRDF but he allegedly in defiance to the ruling of the court had written a letter to Chevron claiming victory and setting up a parallel executive of the foundation.

But the members of the foundation, after an emergency meeting in Yenagoa on Saturday, said the action of Messrs Tibiebi Amadein, Kofa Murphy Daniel, Noel Ikonikomo, Christopher longlife, Mrs Amina James and Ebitare Joseph consisted of gross misconduct and acted on impunity which has caused serious disaffection and negative publicity on the body. They accordingly suspended their membership of the Keffes Foundation without benefit indefinitely.

The emergency meeting, which has in attendance, twenty-six out of the thirty-two members of Keffes RDF and presided over by its Chairman, Mr. Sele-epri Matthew, and deliberated on the legal leadership of KEFFES; the implication of the judgment and the action of the Tibi-ebi led the group.

At the end of the meeting, the members of the foundation resolved unanimously that the court judgment on the suit filed by the claimant is clear and was specific to the office of the chairman “that the judgment is a decision of the first court of instance which is subject to an appeal and, therefore, cannot be enforced since the defendant has already filed an appeal and a stay of execution of the judgment of the lower court.”

In the statement issued by KEFFES foundation and signed by its Secretary, Ms. Ngozi Amakiri, and read by an ex-officio member, Mr. Christopher Tudu, said: “ the court at no time or place declare Tibiebi Amadein the eventual winner as this was never part of the issues or prayers in the process filled by the claimant.

“The leadership of the house frowns at the following members Messr Zilpah Osaisai, Decca perekunakuna and Ebi Think Williams, who ignorantly worked with the claimant and attempted an unlawful change of leadership.

“That the said three members of Keffes who openly apologised to the house and asked for forgiveness be pardoned accordingly. That the house by way of a motion after deliberating on the evil and unpatriotic actions of Messrs Tibiebi made, Kofa Murphy Daniel, Noel Ikonikomo, Christopher Longlife, Amina James and Ebitare Joseph his resolved that given the impunity of their actions which has caused serious disaffection and negative publicity on the body, be accordingly suspended from the membership of keffes foundation without benefit indefinitely. “

“That the house unanimously passed a VOTE OF CONFIDENCE on the Sele-Epri led government and assured them of their absolute unflinching support.”