Royal Rumble in TROMPCON

ALL is certainly not well within the Association of Traditional Rulers of Oil Mineral Producing Communities of Nigeria, TROMPCON.

Two traditional rulers in Ondo State are angling for the position of National Secretary of the association, a development that has slowed down activities in the oil- producing area.

The crisis in the state had made them to put on hold their quarterly national executive meeting in the last eight months as the office expected to call for a meeting was still in contention.

Oba Edema and Oba Ogbaro

A meeting that was expected to hold recently was abruptly cancelled for fear of the unknown from the warring parties.

Vanguard learned that the disagreement over who occupies the position in Ondo State had pitched the state chapter against the national body following alleged conspiracy on the part of the national executives to right the wrong by giving recognition to Oba Edema.

The national secretariat of the association had ceded the position of the association secretary to Ondo State at the national meeting held in Eket, Akwa Ibom State sometime in 2017.

While nine of the 13 traditional rulers in the association in the state met and unanimously voted in support of the Malokun of Atijere Kingdom, Oba Samuel Olumide Adeoye Edema after he was nominated by Olubo of Obenla, Oba A. K Ikuesan and seconded by Alaho of Odonla, Oba Elias Ikuomola, who is the national deputy chairman of the association, the aggrieved monarch, the Odoka of Obe Ogbaro, Oba Obafemi Ogbaro allegedly went behind to claim that he was the choice of the traditional rulers from the oil- producing areas of the state.

Findings showed that at the meeting held in the state by the Ondo monarchs before the national conference, the Obas unanimously agreed that Oba Edema should represent them as scribe of the association.

Confusion over choice

After confusion trailed the state representative at its conference in Eket, the national body through its chairman, the paramount ruler of Ibeno, Owong Effiong Archianga asked the Obas from Ondo State to go back home and put their house in order.

Consequently, the state chairman of TROMPCON, who is the Olugbo of Ugboland, Oba Frederick Obateru Akinruntan put the matter to rest by sending the name of Oba Edema as the choice of the Obas from the state.

Oba Akinruntan was out of the country when the first ballot where Oba Edema emerged as the choice of the state but his deputy supervised.

The other contestant, Oba Ogbaro had faulted the election held in the absence of the state chairman.

But on his return, another meeting was held in which Oba Akinruntan supervised and Oba Edema was again upheld. Oba Ogbaro was said to have been present at that meeting.

Ratification of nomination

Consequently, Oba Akinruntan in a letter to the National Chairman of TROMPCON ratified the nomination of Oba Edema “as the National Secretary of TROMPCON.

He said: “I write to bring to your notice that at the Ondo State chapter meeting of TROMPCON, the nomination of Oba Samuel Olumide Adeoye Edema, the Malokun of Atijere kingdom was upheld and reaffirmed as national secretary of TROMPCON.

“It is important to state that from the onset, the meeting of the state chapter of TROMPCON, prior to the national conference at Eket, did not present Oba Obafemi Ogbaro, Odoka of Obe Ogbaro.

“All members met on the unanimous decision of the choice of the nomination of Oba Edema to represent TROMPCON at the national level as national secretary for which I write for immediate ratification.

“In accordance, we request that the above ratification for Oba Samuel Adeoye be implemented and we solicit your support in discharge of his duties.”

Oba Akinruntan therefore called on the body to reverse the recognition of Ogbaro as the nominee of the monarchs from the state with immediate effect.

Oba Edema reacts

Reacting to the choice of Oba Edema by the state chapter of TROMPCON, Oba Ogbaro denied being an impostor and maintained that he was “legally appointed to the position at the national conference attended by all stakeholders and has been acting in that capacity.

Oba Ogbaro said: “I will not join issues with anybody. I am a peace-loving monarch. I contested for the position as a qualified person and got the mandate for two years in office. I have just spent seven months.

“I have been canvassing for peace, harmony and integrity in the oil-producing communities. My advice is for traditional rulers in the area to embrace peace.

“The position of TROMPCON’s National Secretary was zoned to Ilaje Local Government Area with two constituencies of Ugbo and Mahin.”

He added that only Ugbo Constituency was recognised as an oil and gas producing community in Ilaje Local Government Area with four traditional rulers, including the Olugbo of Ugbo, Alagho of Odo-Nla, Odoka of Obe-Ogbaro and Olugbo of Obe-Nla, as traditional rulers from the oil-producing communities.

The monarch recalled that in violation of the provision of Article 3 of the constitution of TROMPCON, some monarchs connived in an “illegal” meeting without the Olugbo, as the chairman of the association, in attendance to zone the position to Ilaje Local Government Area and nominated Oba Edema, the Molokun of Atijere, who is not from an oil-producing community.

However, Vanguard learned that all the Obas that met when Oba Edema was nominated to represent the state chapter, signed the letter of agreement with the exception of Oba Ogbaro.

Those that signed the nomination letter include the national deputy chairman, Oba Ikuomola Elias, state deputy chairman Oba Olatubosun Luyi, Oba Dele Raphael, Oba Kingdom. Oba Kalejaye, Oba A K Ikuesan, Oba Ajayi I Adeniyi, the publicity secretary, Oba M. A Olasehinde and the state treasurer, Oba Edema.

In a swift response, Oba Edema said he was duly nominated by nine Obas at the meeting held at the Palace of the Alagho of Odonla, in Igbokoda “on August 21 2017 at 12 noon” and the meeting was presided over by state Deputy chairman, Oba Olatubosun Luyi while TROMPCON’s national deputy chairman, Oba Ikuomola Elias, who is from the state was also in attendance.

Oba Edema said that Oba Ogbaro was in attendance but nominated himself and after it was put to vote, all the Obas voted for him and he was announced at the meeting as the choice of the state chapter to represent it at the national level.

Monarchs deny division

Speaking on the division amongst the traditional rulers, the state Secretary of TROMPCON, who is the Olu of Igbokoda, Oba Afolabi Odidiomo denied any division but blamed Oba Ogbaro for the impunity and plan to impose himself on all the Obas in the oil producing communities in the state.

Oba Odidiomo stated that “any other person who paraded himself as the nominee or representative of the traditional rulers for the position of the Secretary of TROMPCON aside Oba Edema, should be seen as an impostor and does not have the backing of the traditional rulers from Ondo state.

Meanwhile, the State chapter is contemplating dragging the national body to court to compel it to call for a meeting and also to stop Oba Ogbaro from parading himself as the national secretary of the association.

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