…Seinye should Release My Father’s Remains For Burial – Dumo
…I Welcome Govt’s Intervention To Bury My Husband – Seinye
Rivers State Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike, has said the state government is willing to give befitting burial to late High Chief O. B. Lulu-Briggs in midst of controversy surrounding death and burial of the prominent Kalabari son and Rivers State citizen.
Governor Wike who stated this while addressing leaders and people of Kalabari ethnic nationality who paid him a courtesy visit on Wednesday said the state government was interested in giving the late philanthropist and business mogul respect he deserves.
He said: “I even told them to let the Rivers State Government be responsible for the burial. Let the state government take the corpse. Government will hold the corpse and give him a befitting burial. How can such a man not be buried for one year?”
He criticized those who allowed monetary consideration to influence their direction on issue surrounding the death of the late business mogul.
Governor Wike said: “If Dumo calls you for a meeting, you will go. If the woman calls you for a meeting, you will go. What kind of system is this? Nobody will say the truth because of money and how much is the money? How can a prominent son of Kalabari land stay in the mortuary for one year and we are all here”.
He called on leaders in Kalabari ethnic nationality to put aside their differences and see that High Chief Lulu-Briggs was buried.
Meanwhile, son of late High Chief O. B. Lulu-Briggs, Chief Dumo Lulu-Briggs, has made passionate appeal to widow of late High Chief O. B. Lulu-Briggs, Mrs Seinye Lulu-Briggs, to release unconditionally to Briggs Oruwari War Canoe House body of late High Chief O. B. Lulu-Briggs for burial.
Chief Lulu-Briggs who made the appeal at a press conference in Port-Harcourt on Thursday said the family needs the body to plan for burial.
Chief Lulu-Briggs said: “We make an appeal, it’s a very passionate appeal that we are making to Mrs. O. B. Lulu-Briggs to release unconditionally the mortal remains of our father and late Paramount Head to his Chiefs and his Family through the head of the family, that’s myself and then we shall all go, together with my siblings, everybody, all the family members, the Chiefs, to Accra and receive his body and bring his body home. We will not want to keep his body in Accra beyond December 27 which will be exactly one year after he died. So, if we get custody of the body – we are in court on the 17th – (so) if she takes that opportunity to tell the court to release the body to us then we’ll be glad to have the body.
“We are aware that even the federal government has intervened in this matter and is also doing a letter or probably would have done so and we are hoping that all of these efforts will result in her releasing the body to us unconditionally and if that happens, by the very special grace of God, we shall give him a very befitting burial that he deserves”.
He said the body of late High Chief Lulu-Briggs should be released to family by Kalabari tradition, saying Mrs Lulu-Briggs would play her role as widow of late High Chief Lulu-Briggs at burial.
He thanked the governor of Rivers State, Chief Nyesom Wike, for his intervention in the controversy and apologized to him for insults from widow of the late business mogul.
He said the family will liaise with state government to plan the burial of High Chief Lulu-Briggs.
On her part, widow of late High Chief O. B. Lulu-Briggs, Mrs Seinye Lulu-Briggs, said she welcomes call by Governor Nyesom Wike on people of Kalabari ethnic nationality to ensure burial for her late husband.
In a statement, Mrs Lulu-Briggs said she acknowledged with deepest gratitude efforts by Governor Wike to resolve differences in O. B. Lulu-Briggs’ family and fact that the state wants to give him state burial.
She said: “I appreciate the public confirmation of the offer made by the governor of Rivers State, His Excellency Nyesom Wike, to provide our beloved husband and patriarch, High Chief Dr. O.B. Lulu-Briggs, OON, DCF, DSSRS, a state burial. I also note and welcome His Excellency’s call on Kalabari leaders to join hands to ensure the burial of our patriarch as soon as it can be arranged, following the unnecessary almost yearlong delay. I publicly acknowledge with the deepest gratitude efforts made by Governor Wike and our Royal Father, His Serene Majesty Professor T.J.T Princewill, Amachree XI, the Amayanabo of Kalabari Kingdom as well as other respected friends of the late High Chief to resolve the needless differences within our family”.
She apologized to the governor if he felt insulted at meetings he held with the family, saying: “If during any of our interactions my esteemed Governor felt insulted, I hereby tender my sincere apologies”.
