By Our Isoko Reporter
The unending bloody crisis ravaging oil rich Uzere kingdom which has consumed over a dozen persons in Isoko South local government area of Delta state has taken another twist with the transition committee chairman of the council, Mr. Goodluck Idele lamenting and accusing governor Emmanuel Uduaghan of abandoning its responsibility as far as the crisis is concerned.
So far the crisis has claimed about over five persons some of which still lying fallow at various hospital mortuaries in the local government council.
Embattled Idele who could no longer hid his reserved feelings bared his mind, on Friday, March, Ist, 2013 in his office while addressing a faction of the warring group saying that “My health is currently failing me because of the Uzere crisis, just last Sunday here, I buried myself somewhere busy taking treatments. The crisis has gone beyond the shoulders of Isoko South council and we can no longer cater for the security operatives because it’s enormous. The state government that would have supported us of course has abandoned the people to their own fate.”
The two community warring factions were billed to hold a peace meeting with the council boss in his office that Friday but the meeting was shifted for the inability of the community faction to turn up for the meeting following excuses of insecurity sent to the council boss by the faction of the community.
According to the council boss, the state government is not familiar with the issues that have wrecked unprecedented havoc on the community for the past two years stressing that “He who wears the shoes knows where it pinches. We are all Uzere people and we are familiar with the issues and I pray God to give us the wisdom to bring ever lasting peace to the kingdom.”
Mr. Idele while advising all and sundry to shun the attitude of rumour mongering and give peace a chance categorically accused the Nigerian police of sparking off the last week bloody intra-communal clash that erupted the community leading to the death of several persons and burning of houses.
“If the police had listened or taken to my advise not to arrest anybody from the community following the controversy surrounding the sale of a lake owned by Uweye community of Uzere, what happened wouldn’t had happened which has brought us to the present situation we now found ourselves. Since I started handling this case I have been tagged different type of unprintable names but I don’t mind because its peace I want you to achieve”
Uzere community had petitioned the Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIG), Saliu Argungu Hashimu, Zone 5, Benin City over the last week crisis and invasion of gunmen allegedly sponsored by the deposed king, Isaac Udogri, former council boss, Mr. Askia Ogieh and others which led to the gruesome murder of one Mr. Omojele Idolor.
In a petition dated 25, February, 2013, titled “Gruesome Murder of Mr. Omojele Idolor and ther Matters Incidental Thereto” signed by Barrister P.A. Oboreh on behalf of Idions and Iletus, representatives of Uweye community, Uzere and addressed to the AIG zone 5 and made available to the media accused the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) and the Divisional Crime Officer (DCO) in charge of the council of instigating the crisis.
“The relative peace enjoyed by the people of Uzere kingdom after the harbingers of death evaded the kingdom on 29 th November, 2011 has again been truncated by blood thirsty aggressors who will stop at nothing but to carry out their self seeking desires which are detrimental to the wellbeing of the Uzere people.”
According to the petitioners, the last week crisis that claimed the life of Idolor was as a result of a lake leased for N.5million and N100, 000 was shared to each of the three sub-quarters and the remaining balance of N200, 000 was kept in the central purse of the quarter which did not go down well with persons described as disgruntled elements.
“Sometime on the 14 th February, 2013, some miscreants on the instructions of one Solomon, Gabriel, Friday, and David among others invaded the Ezozo/Etawka lakes to fish without the knowledge, consent and authority of the elders” alleging that the roles played by the DPO and the DCO leaves much to be desired.
They however stated that despite all plea made to the police by the council chairman, Mr. Goodluck Idele to release some of their arrested people and stop further arrest fell on deaf ears as the police continue to make arrest where they were charged to court and remanded in prison custody.

“If the DPO has heeded to the voice of person posited by the council chairman, this bloodletting would not have been. There is now tension in Uzere again as indigenes now live in fear of the unknown.”
Meanwhile leadership of the kingdom has condemned in its entirety media statements credited to the deposed king, Isaac Udogri, describing it as nothing but blatant lies to woo government sympathy.
Rising from an enlarged emergency meeting held at the kingdom’s town hall today, the community stated that the current crisis rocking it has nothing to do with politics rather it’s purely a disagreement between the Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) over an MoU which led to mass protest by the youths on November, 29, 2011.
While exonerating an illustrious son, retired general Alexander Ogomudia from the crisis, the kingdom cautioned the former monarch to toll the part of peace and refrain from causing and making unfounded accusations in a bid to curry favour and sympathy from government.
In a communiqué issued at the end of the meeting signed by the President General, Chief Owhe Emeakpo and the Secretary General, Mr. Genesis Ominabor, stated that “The former king is a pathological liar and his fallacious claims should be disregarded as they were spurious, unfounded and were blackmail of a drowning man.”
According to the community leaders, “The deposed king had spun this same baseless allegation and inputting political colouration in 2011 when the crisis first started just to secure the state government’s sympathy and cover his evil deeds and atrocities against the Uzere people.”
The Uzere people emphatically made it clear that, the Labour Party candidate the deposed king complained about, had clearly won the 2011 election in Uzere ward in which the former king did not vote stressing that, there was no way the former Chief of Defence Staff would have descended so low to sending emissaries to the former king to support his candidate.
The communiqué emphasized that running from the truth is never a solution nor the futile effect to drag in the name of the former CDS who is both a national and international figure into a crisis that was created by the deposed king who was noted and removed for wickedness, covetousness, lying against his subjects, writing of frivolous petitions and blocking the community from getting its’ fair dues from SPDC.
“To crown it all, the former king also failed to execute a N32 million DESOPADEC water contract in the community for which he has been paid. At the moment the community is without drinking water because of the same deposed king.”
The Uzere people therefore charged the state government especially the law enforcement agencies to be weary of the deposed king’s game plan and abstain from being used to propagate evil and oppress the loving Uzere people who are unequivocal in their renouncement of the former king.