Egbema Kingship Tussle: Ogbudugbudu Youths Throw Weight Behind ELOT

*Condemns Mike Tiemo’s Publication Against ELOT

BY Sunday Apah

Ogbudugbudu youths under the aegis of Ogbudugbudu National Youth Council has declared and affirmed support for all the issues raised by Egbema Leaders of Thought as it relates to the kingship of Egbema Kingdom.

In a statement signed by Comrade Ariri Abikefe on behalf of the youths, said ELOT is a group made up of men and women of integrity and reputation, led by Elder Edmund Tiemo whose activities have positively affected the growth and development of Egbema kingdom.

According to the statement, “ELOT has defended the vulnerables, old and youths. We will not allow people like Mike Tiemo and his sponsors to further denigrate the custom and tradition of the Egbema people.

“We condemned statements credited to Mike Tiempo and his sponsors in a publication that ELOT led by his 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.

“And that ELOT 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 Mr. Napoleon Egin as the new Agadagba-elect of the kingdom.

“Ordinarily, we wouldn’t have dignified and joined issues to the misleading publication, but to set the records straight for the interest of reading public, we challenged Mike Tiemo to mention the external forces that want to jeopardize the kingship gazette except for the council chairman and his likes for their selfish reasons.

“Egbema Leaders of Thought as a revered body whose position is very clear for the blind to see and the deaf to hear that impunity will not be allowed in the traditional stool of Egbema again and does not have any preferred candidate except for justice, truth and due process in the selection and installation of the Agadagba of Egbema kingdom as provided in the provisions of the Gazette that will be acceptable for all.

“In law he who asserts must prove the fact. Therefore, Mr. Mike Tiemo should tell the public the venue, time and date where the two list of nominees were screened with evidence in both Ogbudugbudu Ruling House and Egbema in general.

“It is pertinent to note that Mr. Mike Tiemo has not been seen for the past ten years in Egbema, as he relied on hearsay stories, most unfortunate.

“The second list that contained Barr. Egin Meshach Ugbiriki and Bebete Fetimi was prepared on 28th of August 2022 preceding the date of the pronouncement was made on the 24th of September, 2022.

“It is pertinent to note that Egbema collectively announced Ogbudugbudu Ruling House to produce the next Agadagba of Egbema kingdom, consequent on the announcement, Ogbudugbudu ruling house called a meeting on the 29th of September, 2022 presided over by the Ama-okosuwei and all twelve interested candidate were screened openly in that meeting, Mr. Napoleon Egin and eight others were screened out for not meeting the requirements of provisions of gazette.

“To our chagrin at the point of submitting the three qualified names openly and transparently screened were adjured to meant the provisions of the gazette, Mr. Eddy Aboneje, Meshach Ubabiri and Solomon Sapele at the general meeting.

“A strange and dubious list was smuggled in as a second list prepared on the 28th August 2022 which preceded the announcement made by Egbema kingdom pronouncing Ogbudugbudu as the next ruling house on 24th of September 2022, the dubious list was rejected but skewed in by the council chairman and some chiefs with the intimidation of well armed military men in the meeting.

“If Mr. Mike Tiemo possessed a sound mind he would have asked his uncle privately instead of throwing caution into the wind in commenting on issue he has no clue about.

“It will not be surprising to see a sponsored publication to discredit the reputation and high standing of Elder’s state man, Edmund Tiemo who meant well for the people of Egbema kingdom.

“It is evidently clear that Mike Tiemo publication is bereft of substance and should bow his head in shame as Egbema people will not tolerate anyone no matter your standing to further plunder Egbema Traditional institution into any round of crises.

“We challenged him to tell the world as practiced in an African traditional institution where someone has been called Agadagba elect in the private room of an erring chief and his co-travellers.

“We advised him to be cautious of his smeared sponsored attack on the Elder statesman whose track record is overwhelming in Egbema kingdom”, it added.