...As He Warns  - Amnesty Stipends Belongs to Beneficiaries

Commander Elako Pere has called on Ogunbos to stop what he described as the unlawful withholding of Federal Government Amnesty funds, insisting that the money belongs personally to the beneficiaries whose names are attached to the programme.

Addressing the issue, Commander Elako Pere said, “First, let me address you on this Ogunbos. Let me make it clear to you: none of us will beg you to give us our Amnesty money. The Federal Government Amnesty is personal, and our names are tied to it. It is our right. You have no right to steal our money. What you did for the past 13 years is criminality, and the law will take its course against you.”

He added that the court did not give Ogunbos the authority to keep the beneficiaries’ money for himself, saying the matter could eventually be presented before the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) or the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC).

“The court did not ask you to steal our money and keep it for yourself. When we get to the EFCC or ICPC, you will tell them if the court asked you to keep our Amnesty money for yourself,” Commander Pere said.

Turning to the dispute over Peremabiri, Commander Pere said everything Ogunbos said was fabricated and 99.9 percent lies. He is not and was never a truthful person. 

In his story concerning Gen Boyloaf and the Peremabiri community, the history of the community and the families involved was well known to the people.
He said those involved must tell the history as it is and should not alter it to suit their interests.

“Now to the Peremabiri issue, let me make it very clear. In Peremabiri, we all know ourselves from Genesis to Revelation. We know our history, and the Ogunbos family tree is not related to the Pere family,” he said.

According to him, knowing one’s origin is important and no individual should claim a family or identity that does not belong to them simply because the family has certain resources or advantages.

“I think if you know where you come from, you know your history. You cannot come and claim what is not yours or what does not belong to you. No, you cannot come and claim a family that you do not belong to because this family has one or two things which you know,” he said.

Commander Pere was responding to statements he attributed to Paul Eris, also known as Ogunbos, concerning the history of the Pere and Ogunbos families. He maintained that the two families are separate and have different histories.

“In Paul Eris, also known as Ogunbos’ statement, what he was saying there concerning the history, which he said concerning Pere, Ogunbos’ family has nothing to do with Pere family. From Del, from Bele, Iporipo, Sopo, down to Olotu, no one is part of Peremabiri,” he said.

He insisted that the history of Peremabiri should be told accurately and without distortion.

“As far as Peremabiri is concerned, the history must be told straight, and Ogunbos must not bend it. Nobody can bend that history. We have nothing to do with each other. We have two different families. They know it. We have two different families,” Commander Pere said.

He called for a meeting of the people of Peremabiri where, according to him, the history and origins of the different families could be discussed openly.

“Let’s go to Peremabiri, our community, and let us begin to analyse where we come from. Go straight and say the truth. Don’t bend it. Ogunbos knows where he comes from. Ogunbos knows where he comes from,” he said.

Commander Pere further narrated what he described as the historical movement of Ogunbos’ forefathers from their former community following an attack by the Nebe people. He said the people were forced to leave their community, which he identified as Odigri, with some moving to Peremabiri, Onyuma, Opuama and other communities.

“When his forefathers were chased from their community by the Nebe people, by history, the Nebe came to attack them in their community, which is Odigri community. Everybody ran out of the community and was dismissed from the community. Some went to Peremabiri, some went to Onyuma, some went to Opuama and other communities,” he said.

He said the people who moved to those different communities still know their relatives and continue to maintain relationships with one another.

“Until today, they know themselves. People who ran to Onyuma know their brothers and relatives. People who went to Opuama know each other and know that they are related. They do things together. They meet together. They contribute family money together. We know them,” Commander Pere said.

He questioned what he described as an attempt to claim membership of the Pere family while acknowledging that Ogunbos is part of the wider Peremabiri community.

“Then how come you, who was given cover to hide here, come and put yourself there and now claim that you are Peremabiri? Nobody pushed you out, or nobody said you are not from Peremabiri. But know your history. Now you are part of Peremabiri, but you are not part of Pere family. The history is very clear,” he said.

Commander Pere said the matter could be resolved through a roundtable or conference where the people involved would establish their respective origins.

“By the time we sit at a roundtable, by the time we sit in a conference to clear ourselves, you will know where you come from, then I will know where I come from. Everybody has his own name, and don't drag our name with us,” he said.

He added, “You cannot come and answer my name. Answer your name, and let me answer my name. Farm for your farm, farm for your land, and let me farm for my land.”

Commander Pere said he had so far refrained from making extensive videos about the matter but warned that he would respond publicly if the allegations and claims he disputed continued.

“I will not talk more. But if you say you want to claim, or you want to prove wisdom, then I will start doing videos to address these issues. More videos will come out. I have not yet made any video. But very soon, if you say you will not repent and keep telling people lies, then you will see my videos, and the truth will come out,” he said.

He said he believed that more information was already emerging and that the people of Peremabiri, including former community leaders, remained available to clarify the history.

“Already, the truth is coming out, small, gradually, gradually. Then secondly, the people of Peremabiri, we are still alive. The man in charge, the CDC man who was in charge, he is still alive,” Commander Pere said.

He also challenged Ogunbos’ claims concerning development projects in Peremabiri, particularly the provision of boreholes and generators.

“He is still alive. And you come to claim, telling the public, everybody’s watching. You come to claim that you are the one who put those boreholes in every compound. Then you come out and tell the people that you are the one who brought the generator to the community. How, Ogunbos?” he asked.

Commander Pere questioned when the first generator supplied to Peremabiri by Shell arrived and disputed the claim that Ogunbos was responsible for providing the generators.

“Let me ask him a question. Very good question. When did the first generator Shell brought to Peremabiri come? When? What time? What period?” he said.

He said the second generator was provided during the administration of former Bayelsa State Governor Diepreye Alamieyeseigha and attributed its delivery to then Commissioner Gabriel Wade.

“The second generator, which you said you are the one who brought the generators, is a lie. It was Honourable Commissioner Gabriel Wade, during Alamieyeseigha’s time, who brought the second generator,” Commander Pere said.

He also disputed claims that Ogunbos was responsible for supplying diesel to the community, saying Shell provided the fuel.

“You are not the one bringing diesel to the community. The first generator came before the second one, which was brought by Honourable Commissioner Gabriel Wade. And diesel was being given to the community by Shell,” he said.

According to Commander Pere, Ogunbos was present in Peremabiri before two 500 kVA generators were dismantled and removed from the community. He said the community leadership at the time was involved in efforts to secure a larger generator.

“This last generator you are talking about, that people have sold the generator, this first generator and the second generator, you were there in Peremabiri. You were there in Peremabiri before they dismantled all those two 500 kVA generators and moved them out from Peremabiri,” he said.

He accused Ogunbos of making claims about community development while also being present during the period when the generators were in use.

“You are accusing others. What about you? You were there in Peremabiri, claiming that you are the warlord, before they dismantled all the two 500 kVA generators,” Commander Pere said.

He said he was part of the CDC leadership that worked to secure the 1,100 kVA generator for the community and that the community had taken action against Shell by mobilising people to shut down the flow station.

“It was then the CDC man and his executive, and I was among them, and I even made the call for that 1,100 kVA generator to come into Peremabiri. We were the first people who mobilised a woman to shut down the flow station. In two weeks’ time, completing exactly two weeks, that was the day Shell brought that generator straight to Peremabiri,” he said.

Commander Pere said Ogunbos was not in Peremabiri at the time the 1,100 kVA generator was brought into the community. He also explained how the community negotiated with Shell over water and diesel supplies.

“You were not in Peremabiri at that time. Already, the water had been done and everybody was using it,” he said.

According to him, the community initially received 30,000 litres of diesel but later negotiated with Shell to increase the supply to 60,000 litres diesel for generator.

“You know how we used to do those water supplies. Before, it was 30,000 litres. We fought with Shell. We argued with Shell. Shell was giving 60,000 litres, and they were using 1,100 kVA generators,” Commander Pere said.

He said Peremabiri was one of two communities where Shell operated flow stations and that the community eventually secured increased support from the company.

“We are the two communities where Shell operates and has flow stations. They gave us a 500 kVA generator, but we asked for a 1,100 kVA generator. We argued our case, and Shell accepted. They increased the diesel supply from 30,000 litres to 60,000 litres,” he said.

Commander Pere said the community used part of the funds associated with the diesel arrangement for development projects, including the installation of boreholes.

“When they brought the 30,000-litre tanks of diesel to the community, at that time the other 30,000 litres was in cash. The community would use to generate that light steadily, day and night. The month would finish. Before the month would finish, other diesel would come again,” he said.

He said the cash component was used to finance community projects.

“So we would use the other 30,000 litres, which they brought in cash, to develop the community. That money, we used that money to put boreholes in every compound, which is nine boreholes. We used that money,” he said.

He estimated that the funds available to the community at the time were more than N3 million per month, based on the prevailing diesel arrangements.

“In that period, diesel, I think the drum was N10,000 or N8,000. But the supplier would come and make that money available in cash to give the community, which was about N3 million plus every month,” Commander Pere said.

He said the community funds were also used to renovate the secondary school house.

"We used those monies, the little fund that was coming into the community, to develop the community. We used that same money to renovate the secondary school house,” he said.

Commander Pere maintained that he was an eyewitness to the events he described and challenged Ogunbos to make the same claims at a public meeting in Peremabiri.

“All these things you are talking about, I am an eyewitness, and we are still alive. So don’t come and tell people. Can you be in public or can you be in a town hall meeting in Peremabiri and tell the people all these things? You can’t. You cannot,” he said.

He accused Ogunbos of misleading the public about the history and development of Peremabiri and said he would respond to further claims.

“All these things you are talking about, you are deceiving people. You are lying. You are deceiving people. Don’t make people come on air to talk more,” Commander Pere said.

He alleged that most of the statements being made by Ogunbos about the matter were false.

“Because every day you come out online, on air, to make videos or whatever, out of 100 per cent, 99.9 per cent is pure lie,” he said.

Commander Pere also disputed claims concerning the repair of a generator and alleged that Ogunbos collected money from the Peremabiri community for the repair.

“Don’t even make any comment concerning saying, ‘I brought borehole, I brought generator.’ The generator, you repaired that time for N1.5 million. You collected the money twice in Peremabiri community. You collected the money twice,” he alleged.

He further alleged that Ogunbos collected 275 horsepower from the community but failed to return it, adding that the community was aware of the matter.

“And you also collected 275 horsepower from Peremabiri community. You refused to give the community. You are aware. We know all these things,” Commander Pere said.

He maintained that the resources used for several of the community projects were community funds and disputed any suggestion that Ogunbos personally financed the development projects.

“All of those ones are the community funds that you spent. You were there spending the community fund. You say, ‘Who is there? Who told you?’ You have never wanted to use your personal money to develop the community. Don’t say so, because we all know. Don’t say so,” he said.

Commander Pere concluded by saying he intended to provide further information and evidence in subsequent public statements.

“So in my next statement, I will expose, I will talk, and the world will hear. The world will hear. I will talk about many things because you have come out and set free the bee that is inside the honey,” he said.

“You have woken the sleeping lion. You have woken the sleeping dog. We were so quiet, watching. But now, you have come to the level that everybody will rise up and talk the truth,” Commander Pere said.

He maintained that the absence of truth was contributing to problems in Peremabiri and called for greater transparency and honesty.

“These are the things killing the people of Peremabiri, destroying the lives of the people of Peremabiri because there is no truth. There is no truth. Where there is no truth, how can that place be in peace? No, we need truth. When the truth begins to continue in the land, then there will be peace,” Commander Elako Pere said.