There is palpable tension in one of the chieftaincy houses in Bonny Local Government Area over who will stand and renegotiate the lease agreement for the land whereon the Shell Petroleum Development Company’s (SPDC) Crude Oil Terminal is located.

The lease agreement on the land which was signed about five years ago expires sometime later this year. This development has seen some high level scheming between key stakeholders in Bonny Kingdom.

Jumbo Major House, which is regarded as the largest chieftaincy house in Bonny Kingdom, are joint landlords with Buoye Omuso (Brown) House of Finima of Shell in the area but currently has no chief presiding over its affairs.

Kristina Reports learnt that in the absence of a chief, the Elders’ Council administers the House in the interim pending when a new chief is installed. The last chief of the house, Chief Horace Oko-Jumbo was deposed and is rumoured to have passed on.

Kristina Reports was unable to confirm his situation as at the time of this report.

In a chat with Kristina Reports, Chief Press Secretary to a former Military administrator of Rivers State, Col. Musa Shehu, and Senior Pastor of David Immanuel Ministries International, David Tamunoala Immanuel confirmed the expiration of the lease this year.

His position was corroborated by the Chairman of the caretaker committee of the House, Jasper Jumbo. He, however, differed with Immanuel on who should represent the House in the event of a renegotiation of the lease.

While Immanuel posits that “the house chief and two or three of his cabinet members or in the absence of these, the house attorney can also be a signatory if need be,” Jasper Jumbo asserts that he was the sole representative of the house in all such matters.

Hear him: “I am the person legally authorised to execute any such document. The re-negotiation comes up this year”.

When Kristina Reports probed if the Amanyanabo of Bonny Kingdom could, in the absence of a chief or any authentic representative, appoint a chief or representative, both men asserted that he has no such powers.

Immanuel: “In my opinion, the King cannot appoint any Chief or representative(s) for Jumbo Major House,” and Jasper Jumbo: “Amanyanabo can never again impose any person on us again. Bonny constitution is clear on this”.

The Bishop, nevertheless, clarified that the King could intervene in the face of a stalemate or quagmire.

“Howbeit, given the crisis in the House today, it might just come down to that. I foresee a situation where the failure of the various camps and factions to present a common front, will compel such a move”.

On the issue of the amount to be paid by Shell to Jumbo and Brown Houses for the land hosting its crude oil terminal, both men declined comments, with Immanuel pointing out that “naturally, an upward review will be in tandem with the economic realities of the day but I can’t comment on any amount for now”.