By Eric Moore
RESIDENTS of Ngo Town in Andoni Local Government Area of Rivers State have called on Governor Siminalayi Fubara and security agencies to, as a matter of urgency, intervene in restriction orders capable of causing communal crisis in the area.
The village Head of Ngo Town, His Royal Highness, Ujeile Dogood Ngere, made the appeal alongside other traditional rulers, women and youth leaders, when they briefed journalists in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, on Thursday, on the looming danger.
The call for government and security agencies’ intervention followed an announcement allegedly made by Mr. Matthew Ogwuokwa, declaring restriction of movement, closure of markets and other social activities from February 28 to March 1, 2025, in the guise of the burial of their departed chief.
High Royal Highness Egere expressed worries that such vehicular and other restrictions announced by Ogwuokwa, if not stopped, are capable of inciting crisis in Ngo Town, the headquarters of Andoni LGA.
Egere emphasized that as the government-recognized monarch, the announcer of the curfew lacked the mandate of the Chieftaincy Stool of Ngo Town to take such step and called on state government and security agencies to invite him for interrogation.
He stated: “With the judicial legitimacy of my stool and the overwhelming followership of my subjects, my reign has been peaceful as the people of Ngo and Andoni in general have been going about their lawful businesses.
“It is, therefore, with rude shock that my attention was drawn to a malicious, inciting, and provocative publication authored by one Mr. Matthew Ogwuokwa, an indigene of Ngo Town, where he ordered the restrictions of peoples movement, close- down of Ngo main market and ban on the conducts of burials or any form of ceremonies in Ngo Town, effective February 28th to 1st of March, 2025. This purported order by Mr. Matthew Ogwuokwa is being made under the guise of the burial of their departed chief.
“This disturbing publication by Mr. Matthew Ogwuokwa and his cohorts are not only primitive, barbaric, and draconian, but indeed, it is clearly an invitation to chaos and anarchy, with the potential to trigger communal crisis in Ngo Town.”
According to the monarch, the purported orders issued by the Ogwuokwa were also a direct affront and an attempt to usurp the powers of the Rivers State governor.
Egere emphasized: “In my capacity as the Village Head of Ngo and the custodian of the customs and traditions of my people, I reiterate that such order of shutting down business activities and restriction of people’s movement is unknown in Ngo Town and does not exist even as a bye-Law in Andoni Local Government Area.
“For purposes of clarity, it is only the Executive Governor of Rivers State that has the statutory powers to declare curfew or restriction of movement in any part of the state in line with relevant sections of extant Executive orders and not an individual or group of persons or family.
“I, therefore, call on the State Government and relevant security agencies to hold Mr. Matthew Ogwuokwa and the entire Uwuile family responsible for any breakdown of law and order in Ngo Town, before, during, and after this period.
“There is, therefore, a strong need for the security agencies to invite Mr. Matthew Ogwuokwa and his cohorts for interrogation and caution as a way to prevent possible breach of peace in Ngo Town.”
The monarch stated that, as the traditional ruler of Ngo Town, nobody has notified of the death and burial of Ogwuokwa’s departed chief, whom he (Egere) described as “our great-grandson and, indeed, my bosom friend.”
He continued: “In spite of the non- notification of his death and burial, I, hereby call on the good people of Ngo and Andoni in general to come out en masse to attend the burial ceremony and pay our last respect to our son as he journeys to join our ancestors.”
He advised the people of Ngo and the members of the public to disregard such restriction orders in its entirety and go about their lawful businesses.
Meanwhile, the traditional ruler has commended Governor Fubara for his leadership qualities and ensuring peace reigns in the state.