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From TONY JOHN, Port Harcourt
Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, has been commended by the kinsmen of late philanthropist, Chief Olu Benson Lulu-Briggs, for his efforts in resolving the family crisis has delayed the burial of the oil mogul for two years.
As a result, the kinsmen of Oruwari Briggs House in Abomnema Town, Akuku-Toru Local Government Area of the state, has fixed March 13, 2021, for his burial. Late Lulu-Briggs passed on December 27, 2018, at the age of 88.
The latest development was contained in a statement signed by the Acting Head of Oruwari Briggs House, Navy Captain A.B. Ajumogobia (Retd), on behalf of the chiefs of the House. Ajumogobia lauded Governor Wike for approving a state burial for the deceased, disclosing that they could not plan the burial ceremony because of series of court cases that denied them from taking custody of the corpse for more than 15 months.
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“As chiefs of Oruwari Briggs House, our immediate line of action was to begin a process, in collaboration with the family, to quickly give our leader the most befitting burial. But, this was not to be. We register our deep sadness and regret that more than two years after the death of our leader, he is yet to be buried due largely to family crisis.
“Even, when on December 23, 2019, a High Court in Ghana ruled that the body be released to the family led by Chief Dumo Lulu-Briggs, the matter was appealed up to the Supreme Court before the body was finally brought back to Nigeria on March 2020, into the waiting arms of the prevailing COVID-19 restrictions”, he stated. In his remarks, the deceased’s son, Dum Lulu-Briggs, urged the community to thank Governor Wike for his efforts in resolving the crisis that rocked the late oil mogul’s family.
Dumo noted that his father’s commitment to the development of Rivers and the nation in general, and appealed that attention should be concentrated on giving him a befitting burial.
