The paramount ruler of Bomu Community in Gokana Local Government Area of Rivers State, Chief Charles Tenalo who for some time now has been facing detrimental allegations by his kinsmen has tendered evidence to dismiss all charges against him.
Some of the allegations against him ranged from cultism, embezzlement as well as link with suspected death of indigenes of his community.
Chief Tenalo who was in a chat with our court and crimes correspondent over the weekend in Port Harcourt spoke tough on those, accusing him and challenged them to come open and stop hiding.
The monarch said the only controversial death, he is aware of was a boy who drowned in the community’s river and was found few days later. He said “I know of one, who was drown and you know when somebody drowns, fishes in the sea can eat up some parts of the body.
We didn’t know but we were told about it, we went there and alerted the police. The mother came, though the father was late and we asked the police to take the corpse to the mortuary for deposition but the mother said, No! That she did not have money for case and the police permitted her to bury. Somebody later wrote a petition to zone 6 Calabar that I knew about it and I went there and cleared myself. The person who wrote the petition against me was asked to come to Calabar and prove it but didn’t go. And uptil now, I am angry with the police why they didn’t arrest that man for false allegation.
“The petition even went later to the headquarters of Gokana traditional rulers (Gioko) and I told them that I am a Christian and that they were free to investigate, that I do not go to juju house. They were free to find out who killed their son because in my life, will never go to any juju house to ask for anything. If I have a problem, I take it to God.
Reacting to alleged membership with a dreaded cult group in the community the monarch said he did not collaborate with any cultists to be on the stool. He said, “a traditional ruler is always appointed to the stool by the chiefs of the area. If the worst comes, he may go to court.
“The Degbam cult group my accuser is talking about are small boys. How can I, at this elderly age negotiate with my own children to make me be what I am today? That is ignorance and the person who brought this information lacks knowledge of what chieftaincy is”.
The paramount ruler further presented some photos that showed how some cultists in the community submitted certain rifles in their possession to operatives of the military and police. He also said that he facilitated the recovery of those arms, adding that he wouldn’t have done that if he was a member of any cult group.
Regarding the issue of community compensation allegedly paid by Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) by his accuser, challenging him to come bold with a petition if such was not true. The paramount ruler further explained that: “It was a community called Bodo that Shell went to, and not my community in the first place. I and few paramount rulers of neighbouring communities went to the lawyers handling the case and told them that as they are handling Bodo case, they should also do some thing to us and they agreed. We held several meetings outside, until they agreed and asked us to go to our communities and inform our people. Even before informing our people, we first invited the London-based lawyers to our council of chiefs meeting and they came and gave s all information. After then, they asked us to make an announcement at the town square where everybody would come and they would talk to the people. It was not something I was doing alone with the law firm”.
“They had direct contact with my people. Infact, they came up to eight times and talked to my people before the money was paid. The lawyers told us that the money would be paid to only fishermen, farmers and traders. Initially, they said it was for only fishermen and farmers but we told them that there were some traders who also trade on fish. They told us that they are going to include a registered cooperative society that bears fishermen and farmers. It happened that not all those who got the money had on their voter’s cards as fishermen and farmers, but got the money through their membership with a registered cooperative society. Everything was cleared to everybody and there was no secret agenda about it. In Bodo community, everybody was paid but in my community and few others, the payment was meant for only farmers and fishermen. I made the negotiation for them but instead of thanking me, this is the kind of allegation they made against me”.
The monarch also said he even escaped death by some angry members of his community who were incited against him that he embezzled community compensation money.
He further made reference to a publication in a newspaper dated August 31, 2015 that clarified that such money was never paid. ###
