LATE HIGH CHIEF OLU-BENSON LULU-BRIGGS FOR BURIAL ON JANUARY 25TH, 2020

By Emeka Amaefula

The protracted legal infractions in faraway Ghana that had stalled the burial of High Chief Olu Benson Lulu-Briggs, who died on transit in flight en-route to Accra Ghana on 27th of December, 2018 may have been dusted by the squabbling family members. For Senibo, Chief Barrister Dumo O.B Lulu-Briggs, Sofiri being the three sons of the Multi Billionaire and chairman of Moni Pulo Oil and Gas exploration and Dr. (Mrs.) Seinye O.B Lulu-Briggs their step-mother and last wife of the deceased the time has been agreed upon to have 25th of January, 2020 as the last date for the peaceful internment of High Chief Olu-Benson Lulu-Briggs. The over 13 court cases instituted by the feuding family members may after all be put on hold or totally withdrawn for consent judgment so as to have his remains removed from Accra Ghana for onward transmission to his homeland Kalabari kingdom of Akuku-Toru Local Government Area in Rivers state.

The Rivers state Governor Nyesom Ezebunwo Wike has come out to rebuke the widow of the multi billionaire Dr. Seinye O.B Lulu-Briggs for her disrespect and not allowing the remains of her late husband to be released for burial. He stated this when elders and chiefs from Kalabariland paid courtesy visit to him at Government House Port Harcourt on Wednesday, 11th of 2019.

After this show of concern there was a press conference organized by kalabari Chiefs and major stakeholders of the Oruwari war Canoe House who extended apologies to the Rivers state Governor Nyesom Wike over her alleged disrespect. For Chief Barrister Dumo Lulu-Briggs who said that “My father passed on, on December 27th, 2018, but his wife, Seinye Vice Chairman of Moni Pulo Indigenous Oil Company has refused to release his remains for burial. We are proposing January 25, 2020, by God’s grace, for the burial. The Court case in Accra, Ghana is coming up on 17, December 2019. On December 27, 2019 when it will be one year that my father passed on, all the chiefs and family members of Oruwari Briggs war Canoe House of Abonnema, in Black, will move to Accra, Ghana and bring the body of High Chief O.B Lulu-Briggs to Nigeria, to be put in a Mortuary in Port Harcourt and to be buried within one month”.

Continuing in his statement Chief Barrister Dumo Lulu-Briggs said “Seinye should be prevailed upon to release the body unconditionally and withdraw her suits in the courts in Accra Ghana. Wives should not keep remains of their husbands, according to Kalabari custom. The body should be released to the chiefs of Oruwari Briggs War Canoe House…I do not know why Seinye does not want to release the body of my father.  Seinye will be allowed to play her roles as the widow, in order to give her husband a befitting burial. I wish to thank the Governor Nyesom Wike for his intervention. He met with us three different times, with one of the meetings lasting over eight hours. When Governor Wike spoke on Wednesday (11th of December, 2019) at the Government House, Port Harcourt he said he was disappointed over the insults by Seinye. I am also apologizing to governor Wike for the insults from Seinye.  I am grateful to the Rivers state Government for offering to give my father a state burial”.

The Amanyanabo of Kalabari Kingdom King Theophilus T.J Princewill had condemned how the body of a well-respected kalabari high chief should not be kept in foreign land. The has been reaction from the widow Seinye O.B Lulu-Briggs which she made available through her media Spokesman Barrister Oraye St. Franklin stating thus, “ Dr. Seinye Lulu-Briggs has always pleaded with the chiefs of Oruwari  Briggs to take over the burial arrangements that were unilaterally postponed by chief Dumo Lulu-Briggs. She has written two appeal Letters to that effect…The remains are ready for internment and would be available for burial on an agreed date, accompanied by a serious burial plan. The planned trip by the chiefs to Ghana is unnecessary. The time and resources to be spent on it should be better put into planning and announcing a burial programme.’

Dr. Seinye O. B Lulu-Briggs in another statement said “I also note and welcome (Wike’s) call on Kalabari leaders to join hands to ensure the burial of our patriarch as soon as it can be arranged. I publicly acknowledge with the deepest gratitude efforts made by Governor Wike and Professor T.J.T Princewill, Amachree XI, the Amanyanabo of Kalabari kingdom, as well as other respected friends of the late High Chief to resolve the needless differences within our family. I was taken aback by the statement attributed to (Wike) that I insulted him in the course of his gracious intervention…the last meeting with the governor along with my son, Chief Dumo Lulu-Briggs, on September20, 2019, ended without rancour and with a resolution for each party to send settlement proposals to the governor through the Attorney General…However if during any of our interactions …(Wike) felt insulted  I hereby tender my sincere apologies. The entire O.B Lulu-Briggs family and I unreservedly hold him in the highest regards”.

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The feuding family members it may be recalled had engaged each other in protracted legal tussles from Ahoada High Court in Rivers state to Accra High Court in Ghana and the need for according the late kalabari High Chief a befitting burial rites has failed.