Odili raises panel to probe Ataba violence
From Kelvin Ebiri, Port Harcourt
FOLLOWING the recent violence in Ataba community in Andoni Local Council of Rivers State, Governor Peter Odili yesterday set up a six-man judicial commission of Inquiry to look into the factors that led to the crisis, which culminated in the killing of over thirty persons and the destruction of property.
Relying on section 2 (1) of the commission of inquiry law, chapter 30 of the Laws of Rivers State 1999, Governor Odili in exercise of all other powers
as the chief executive of the state constituted and appointed a judicial commission of inquiry into the crisis that erupted in Ataba, a remote riveline community of the state on Sunday.
The six members of the commission included Justice Peter N.C. Agumagu as the chairman, Paulinus Onuoha, Moore Walker. Others were Sunday Ojijiagwo, Avor Green, Mrs. Irene Inimgba and Jonathan D. Harry was also appointed as the secretary of the commission. He vested the commission with the full powers and authority to hold public hearings as well as private hearings in the course of trying to unravel and get to the root of the lingering chieftaincy crisis that had claimed several lives since 1988. Stating the terms of reference of the commission, Odili charged the members to speed up inquiry into the disturbances at Ataba. According to him, they are to investigate and ascertain the remote and immediate causes of the crisis, which resulted in the loss of many lives last Sunday. The Governor, who was apparently disturbed with the extent of the damage wrecked on Ataba, urged the commission to find the actual number of people killed as well as those injured.
Odili, who was flanked by members of the state executive at the Government House where he appointed the members of the commission, said the government was
interested in finding out those who had masterminded the Sunday disturbance. In this regard, he charged the commission to identify those directly or indirectly involved in causing the loss of lives, injury to persons and destruction of property valued millions of naira in a bid to prosecute them.
The Rivers State government, according to the governor was also interested in the commission ascertaining the extent of property destroyed and their values. He demanded that the commission should investigate any other matter or matters that may come to its knowledge in the course of its deliberations not covered in the terms of reference.
Since the government was bent on resolving the crisis that had bedevil Ataba for so long, Odili said the commission should make recommendations regarding persons whom it finds blame worthy, no matter how highly placed. In a letter to the governor the Andoni Council Chairman, Monwan Etete, had
alleged that certain influential indigenes of the community in government had been one of the primary factors the crisis had lingered on for so long.
In order to bring about lasting peace in the crisis-ridden Ataba, the government demanded that the commission should submit its report and findings
with such recommendations not later that twenty one days from the day of its first sitting.
