- By High Chief Abiola Ogundokun (The Obanla of Iwoland)
Famous American journalist, Walter Winchell, was once quoted: “A real friend is one who walks in when the rest of the world walks out.” This popular quote best defines the person of late High Chief (Dr.) Olu Benson Lulu-Briggs, my friend of 40 years. Our paths crossed as pioneer members and national officers of the defunct National Party of Nigeria, NPN. We were both attracted to each other by our mutual commitment to the rule of law, fair play and justice. But our friendship blossomed through similarity in the loyalty to the fight against oppression, human rights abuse, corruption and dishonesty. All these virtues, Lulu-Briggs held tenaciously till he took his last breath on Thursday, December 27, 2018.
Since his demise, I have been dismayed by the absolute confusion that has dogged his funeral arrangements. It is embarrassing and disrespectful to the memory of this illustrious gentleman. I am utterly let down by some members of the immediate and extended family who have caused disunity since the death of their patriarch.
THE FICTION
On the early hours of Thursday, May 23, 2019, I was shocked to read both in The PUNCH and THISDAY newspapers an advertorial sponsored by a factional minority section of late Lulu-Briggs’ kinsmen under the auspices of Oruwari Briggs House of Abonnema.
In the advertorial, I read some spurious claims. The group questioned the authenticity of Lulu-Briggs’ death and further queried his widow, Dr. (Mrs.) Seinye O.B. Lulu-Briggs, about the whereabouts of her husband since she traveled with him to Ghana last December. The group claimed that in the last five months, they had neither seen High Chief O.B. Lulu-Briggs, his corpse, a death certificate nor mortuary receipt to prove that he was indeed dead. They took their disquieting claims to the absurd by pretentiously asking: "We do not know if High Chief O.B Lulu Briggs is dead or alive?".
A handful of online media houses picked up on this fake news and used it to make outlandish claims. For example, Rivers Ijaw Voice claimed that, ‘There are also loud mumurings that the Chief may have been killed (deliberately suffocated) in the aircraft by persons who were after his humongous wealth.”
THE FACTS
As a FATHER FIGURE to most of the Lulu-Briggs’ family members, I will like to react appropriately to these ongoing crises. While I do not know what the sponsors of this advertorial intend to achieve, but as a very close personal friend of the deceased, this smacks of an act to deliberately misinform the public and steer needless controversies around the final passage rites of High Chief O.B Lulu-Briggs.
Why the blatant lies?
Is this not the same Oruwari Briggs House Chiefs that officially announced the transition to glory of the late Statesman in a paid advertorial in THE PUNCH of January 1, 2019 and later went to commiserate and console the widow, Dr. (Mrs.) Seinye O.B. Lulu-Briggs?
Is this not the same Oruwari Briggs House Chiefs who sent representatives to Accra, Ghana for the meeting over the burial arrangement of the deceased?
Out of about 20 Chiefs, I noticed that it was only seven (7) Chiefs that signed the advertorial. It is no gainsaying that the majority of the Chiefs may not be in support of the manipulative announcement signed by them.
I can also say authoritatively that some family members, including Senibo, High Chief’s eldest son; Dumo (Chairman of Platform Petroleum Limited, a buoyant oil and gas company that also has significant shares in Seplat, another admirable Nigerian oil and gas company that is floated on the London Stock Exchange) and Sofiri, alongside their other siblings, met with me on the 29th of December, 2018 to see their father’s corpse at the mortuary in Accra, Ghana.
The family, including the three older sons, later settled for the 26th of January 2019 as the burial date. I am aware that Dumo and his elder brother, Senibo arranged and paid for a casket in Accra to be used to transport their father’s body back home for burial. Ever since, the burial date has been changed twice –March 31 and April 6, 2019—with Dumo giving filmy excuses for each postponement.
I am also aware that on the 31st of December, 2018, Dumo wrote letters to prominent Nigerians and Ghanaians to officially inform them of the death of his father. Notably this included the Amanayabo of Kalabari Kingdom, and the Kalabari Se Kobri (Kalabari Council of Chiefs) which includes the Oruwari Briggs House Council of Chiefs (another pointer to the deceptive nature of the May 23, 2019 advertorial).
OTHER MATTERS
As an elder and friend to the deceased, the drama around his burial plans is becoming an embarrassment. I cannot fathom how the name of such a decent man is being dragged in the mud and he is not allowed to take a peaceful and deserving rest after his death.
By virtue of my relationship with his father, I was one of the first set of people that Dumo informed about his father’s demise, followed by a text message on December 28, 2018 informing me of the death of my brother and friend, High Chief O.B. Lulu-Briggs.
(Attached herein are bromide of some text messages exchanged with Dumo).
From our discussions and exchange of text messages, it has occurred to me that the blame of these unresolved crises, which have delayed the burial of High Chief, should be put at the doorsteps of Dumo, for some reasons.
Dumo has been at the forefront of those antagonistic to his stepmom, Seinye. This is shocking to me as I have had series of discussions with Dumo and everything seemed to be in order, but it turned out he was being deceptive and manipulative.
I am aware that Dumo, at a time, demanded for the death certificate of his father and a copy was delivered to him. Yet there remain unrelenting calls (including in the May 23, 2019 advertorial mentioned above) for a ‘medical death certificate’ from his stepmom.
Dumo had earlier used the general election as the excuse for the postponement of his father’s burial. But nearly three months after the elections, I am still wondering what could be his next excuse?
Since his father died, Dumo has acted as if he has an axe to grind with his stepmom who has run the businesses alongside High Chief Dr. O.B. Lulu-Briggs the Founder/Chairman/chief Executive of Moni Pulo Ltd. and patriarch of his family with the full backing of all legal instruments.
Despite our discussions and meetings, I am disappointed that Dumo has refused to cooperate with his stepmom, so they can all unite to give their late dad befitting funeral rites.
I have taken all necessary steps to bring the family together. I went further to appeal to some prominent Nigerians including former President Olusegun Obasanjo to intervene in settling whatever differences among the family. I am aware that Baba invited Dumo to Abeokuta, Ogun State and appealed to him not to do anything that will affect the credibility and legacy of our dear late friend, High Chief Lulu-Briggs.
Despite all these, Dumo has refused to sheathe his sword insisting on Seinye surrendering the total control of the administration of the estate to him personally as the only solution to make him concede and accept the burial of their father.
Well, I am not totally surprised with the recent happenings.
It would be recalled that in 2003, Dumo and his two brothers –Senibo and Sofiri – took their father, Late High Chief (Dr.) Lulu-Briggs, to the Federal High Court to oust him as the Chairman/CEO of the company, Moni Pulo Limited, which he (High Chief O.B Lulu-Briggs) founded. The trio questioned their father’s ability to continue as a board member and the chairman of the oil exploration company due to his old age amongst other ‘fake’ allegations.
But as fate would have it, the matter was thrown out in 2004 by Justice Mohammed Shuaibu of the Federal High Court, Ikoyi, Lagos, after they failed to establish how their legal rights, which they sought to protect, would be affected.
Fifteen years after, the animosity against Seinye by Dumo and his co-travellers seems to have festered. But I am aware that Seinye has severally extended an olive branch to Dumo and his siblings by conceding to them their oppressive insults, threats and agitation.
During the last General Elections when Dumo contested for Governorship election in Rivers State, Seinye supported him with every available resources at her disposal. Yet this gesture could not placate Dumo and allow peace to reign. He has further taken it upon himself to stall the burial of their father, with the date of the burial shifted three times.
While efforts are still being made to arrive at peaceful resolution of the entire crises, it is with great sadness that I heard that Dumo has resorted to harassment and intimidation of everyone closer to Seinye.
It is also disheartening to learn that Dumo has written a wicked and false petition to the Nigeria Police Force accusing his stepmom of various offenses including murder of her husband, fraudulent conversion of funds and forgery. This led the Police to forcefully invade the Moni Pulo’s Corporate Headquarters in Port Harcourt, Rivers State on Monday, 3rd June 2019 for about 5 hours while Dr. Seinye, the company’s Executive Vice Chairman was out of town.
Well, I am not surprised, this is part of the Dumo’s agenda since 2001, when he first tried to wrestle the company away from his father, High Chief Olu Benson Lulu-Briggs.
Beyond these fictions, facts and other matters, I implore the Briggs Oruwari House Chiefs to close ranks, call Dumo to order and join forces with Dr. (Mrs.) Seinye O.B. Lulu-Briggs to give my dear friend, High Chief (Dr.) O.B. Lulu-Briggs, a God fearing, people loving, honorable gentleman, statesman and philanthropist the befitting funeral he rightly deserves. It’s the least they can do for the great Kalabari Chief who at the time of his passing was the Paramount Head of the Oruwari Briggs War Canoe House and led its Council of Chiefs in peace and equity.