After serving, some say meritoriously, as Chairman of the Finima Youth Congress (FYC), Charles Brown, a pastor, entrepreneur, engineer and several other things, has continued to remain relevant in the scheme of things in his home community, Finima for over a year now.

As the furore generated by the interview granted Kristina Reports by his kinsman, Tammy Martins-Brown continues to gather momentum, the former FYC Chairman spoke to Kristina Reports Community Correspondent, Missionary Nweke on sundry aspects of the employment crisis currently rocking Finima Community, the underlying issues, and proferred solutions on how to bring the disturbing issues to denouement. Enjoy the excerpts!

It’s been over a year since you left office as the Youth Chairman of Finima Community and the Finima Youth Congress (FYC), how is life treating you, Sir?

First, I give God all the Glory and a big thank you to the Youths of Finima Community particularly members of my Central executive Council for all the great sacrifices and efforts they all made to ensure that we had a very successful tenue in Office…the result, and physical evidences, development project/programs are still attested to till date.  God gave me so much grace that while I was Chairman of FYC, I was still working full time as a Telecommunications Engineer, I also combined it as Secretary of BYF as well as other commitments. For three years I dedicated by self to serve my community, now, I spend more time with my family, my job and service to the Amadabo-in-Council. In all I thought I will retire after being Chairman but am still active in the service to God and Humanity.

There has been some uproar over how employment opportunities coming to Finima are being managed, how was it during your time as FYC Chairman and is there any difference now?

The FYC as an organisation has existed for more than 25 years and the same formula in the distribution of employment to the people of Finima Community as was followed by my predecessors was the same formula we used while I was Chairman of FYC to distribute employment to our people because it was all inclusive, every House (Brown, Attoni and Tobin) was carried along without any issue.  

Our beloved father and Leader of the PDP, Hon. Rodaford Longjohn, while in office as Chairman of Bonny LGA brokered an agreement between the Rivers State Government (represented by the Deputy Governor then), and major stakeholders in Bonny resolved that 40% of employment quota should be given to Finima and the FYC being the central youth body has been in charge of the employment without any issues for more than 15 years. Employment issue in Finima Community has never ever been connected to chieftaincy in Finima. Even when the three chieftaincy houses never had a Chief the employment of Finima Youths has been effectively handled by the FYC.

Today we are seeing a distortion of the legacy of our dear leader, Hon. Rodaford Longjohn and that of all the past chairmen of Bonny LGA up to late Engr. David Irimagha being executed by the present Chairman of the Bonny LGA. From the days of Hon. Rodaford Longjohn to late Engr David Irimagha, chieftaincy issues have never been allowed to dabble into the employment process in Finima as midwifed by our dear leader, Hon. Rodaford Longjohn.

The suffering, confusion and problems in Finima as regards employment shouldn’t have been if the Bonny LGA under the leadership of the present Chairman followed in the footsteps of her predecessors, which is basically to separate the traditional institution from governance. All past Chairmen of Bonny LGA were functioning independent of the traditional institution. It is wrong to subject government and governance to the traditional institution.

There are insinuations that there have been irregularities and allegations of the employment chances being used as inducement and those who refuse to bite the bait are denied such opportunities, how do you react to these?

All these insinuations, allegation and irregularities never existed when we had all other LGA Chairmen who followed the working principles of employment distribution of the 40%/60% quota sharing formula in Bonny LGA. For all the years the FYC has been handling the employment in Finima Community, we had peace amongst ourselves as youths in Finima Community with regards to employment because the three houses (Attoni, Tobin and Brown) that makes up Finima are well represented in the FYC. Even when there were chieftaincy issues in any of the Houses in Finima, the FYC was the sole institution managing the 40% employment quota allocated to Finima Community. But today the present Bonny LGA Chairman has decided to do things the other way round.

The Bonny LGA Chairman just issued a rebuttal to the recent interview by your former Asawo Chairman that she was behind the employment issues in Finima, asserting that her office has no responsibility therein, as someone who has worked with her at some point, can you align with this statement from her office?

I have never worked for the present LGA Chairman and I don’t intend to. Many PDP stakeholders in Finima are in line with me. We worked and supported our dear father and leader of the PDP in Bonny, Hon. Rodaford Longjohn, we worked and supported late Engr. David Irimagha because he followed the footsteps of Hon. Rodaford Longjohn. It is an error to support someone that is destroying the legacies of Hon. Rodaford Longjohn and David Irimagha. If the LGA Chairman is refuting the statement made by the former Asawo Chairman of BOBH, no man can hide the truth, the evidences of her actions are there for the world to see.

Finima is ward 5, and the largest political ward in Bonny Island. Our voting strength is done in block. In other words, if we decide to support a candidate or a political party, we do so 100%. This has given edge to the PDP in Finima. We never knew late David Irimagha but we knew Hon. Rodaford Longjohn. They are good leaders who loved Finima without being biased and Finima will always be thankful to them.

During your time as Youth Chairman, there was this convergence of followership to your leadership, does it appear to you that the recent chieftaincy issue in your House is breaking up the unity amongst the people especially the youths?

Absolutely Sir, one factor that has united Finima Community, especially, the youths all these years is the 40% employment quota that was handled exclusively by the FYC and you are fully aware that the FYC is a formidable organisation that stands for fairness, equity and justice for Finima indigenes.  I know that there is a conspiracy to disunite the FYC but as the Lord lives it will fail.

Today in Finima, Tobin House has chieftaincy issue in court, Attoni House has chieftaincy issue in court, Brown House has chieftaincy issue in court also, that’s why the youths of Finima expected the LGA Chairman to be neutral and allow the body that has handled employment in Finima for more than 20 years to continue rather than giving the employment to persons whose fate are yet to be determined by the court. In the BOBH Brown House, even when there was no Chief, the FYC was in charge of the employment, like wise when the Tobins and Attoni Chieftaincy Houses had no chief.

What would you advise the Bonny LG Council to do in the face of the situation at hand in order not to worsen the already fluid situation in Finima?

I will plead to the conscience of the LGA Chairman, Finima and the BOBH needs peace. The LGA Chairman should follow in the footsteps of all past LGA Chairmen – at least, we can say that none of them were stupid – they all knew that government should be separated from chieftaincy matters. The FYC should be allowed to manage the Finima Community 40% employment quota, when the court gives judgment on who is the legitimate Chief of Finima and the BOBH, if she so wishes, she can give the 40% employment quota to that person.

I will also advice Madam Chairman not to allow the fabric of the PDP that Hon. Rodaford Longjohn has built to be destroyed under her watch because of undue negative influence. My late father, Mr. Obuibi Dandison Brown was a strong dedicated member of the PDP before his death, he believed in the principles of the PDP but today those principles are gradually being erased.  It is painful to watch what has been built over the years to be destroyed by someone who came on board just by privilege. I know for sure that if Engr. David Irimagha was alive what is befallen the good people of Ward 5 (Finima Community) wouldn’t have been. I also know that if Hon. Rodaford Longjohn was Chairman of Bonny LGA what is happening today wouldn’t have happened.

Few months ago, a bonafide son of Finima Community, a graduate, Mr. Darlington Tobin, who served as PRO of the FYC was denied employment in Daewoo after passing his interview, received and signed his employment letter, his clearance was withdrawn by the BIRC, which is under the Bonny LGA, because of Tobin House Chieftaincy related issues. Madam Chairman is fully aware: Let her refute it if I am wrong. Today, the young man is jobless.

Sons and daughters of BOBH were denied LGA identification letters just because their letter of recommendation, which has been used for more than 10 years, was rejected by the LGA.  This was the same letter of recommendation that was used by the BOBH from the days of Hon. Rodaford Longjohn when he was Chairman of Bonny LGA. All successive Chairmen accepted that recommendation letter from the BOBH but Hon David Irimagha is dead, “things fall apart”

Our voice and Honourable Councillor of Ward 5, Hon. Ene Tobin is not been carried along in the activities of government in her own Ward; the list goes on and on. I pray things will change because Finima Community does not deserve what has befallen us. This is not what Finima Community bargained for when we massively voted for late Engr. David Irimagha. We never knew we will find ourselves at the receiving end today. Bonny has many other developmental problems and insecurity issues, the LGA Chairman should be busy solving these problems rather than Finima, Finima, Finima. Just for the records, the FYC under my leadership had concluded plans to reconstruct the bridge at Ajealamonia in Finima, even the leadership of BOBH had already approved funds to do same bridge, so, if the LG Council, as part of its responsibility, as a government is renovating that same bridge, it’s not a big deal. We would have done it anyways.

For the people of Finima who have two men slugging it out at the courts to determine who will finally remain as chief and head of the BOBH, how do you advise they manage themselves pending when the court cases are resolved given that all three houses, especially the Brown House flow from one origin?

Firstly, since the matters are in court status quo should be maintained. HRH Aseme Alabo Engr Dagogo Lambert was installed as Chief of the BOBH in line with Ibani customs and Tradition and the constitution of the BOBH. Those challenging Aseme Alabo Engr Dagogo Lambert Brown legitimacy are in court, let the court give judgement.

The Tobin House Chieftaincy saga is also in Court, I saw an order of restraint given to both parties. For the Attoni House I saw an appeal Court document on social media on their chieftaincy issue. The Browns, Tobins and Attonis are brothers and has had issues that brothers will normally have but the big difference now is the external influence that is fueling the problems.

I will use this opportunity to plead with all external forces, fueling division, disunity and hatred in Finima, please allow Finima to have peace, the youths of Finima and Bonny are suffering, let’s use our position of influence to better lives and create a good legacy, remember that one day we all will stand before God and give account.