The police have invited a Bayelsa monarch, Solomon Ebifateli Edi, and a first-class chief Sylvernus Matthew over an alleged forgery of attestation form.
According to reports, the police visited his (Edi’s) residence in Portharcourt, and a warrant of arrest issued in his name was given to his wife who claimed her husband was not available.
Edi, the 1st class traditional ruler of Koluama clan in Southern Ijaw LGA of Bayelsa State allegedly inactive contract with Sylvernus Matthew, forged attestation form, the originally gazetted person as Paramount ruler of TAMAZO Kingdom in Southern Ijaw LGA of Bayelsa State.
According to the paramount traditional ruler of Tamazo, HRH Diepreye Amadein, after the screening of all unclassified communities which he took part in in 2016, by 2019 the Gazette was published, he applied to the State Government for a copy where he found out that his name was on no 150 of the fourth class traditional rulers list.
He explained that: “By December government started paying me monthly stipends and by January 2020 I got informed that some group of persons in connivance with some top government functionaries were on the move to print another Gazette when the so-called Gazette was printed, I discovered that my name was substituted with one Sylvernus Matthew Bakana.
“I instituted a case seeking for the interpretation of the Gazette on the Chieftaincy Laws from the Bayelsa State government if an individual or group of persons has the right to reprint the Gazette in suit no 0HC/6/2020.
A source privy to this development spoke on the matter under the condition of anonymity: “When the State Government Council now moved to the Ministry of Community Development and Chieftaincy Affairs for information, the then Permanent Secretary Gibson Ockia, who was allegedly part of the forgery and reprinting of another gazette, brought out his file from the Ministry where they extracted his attestation form which Sylvernus Matthew does not have (copy attached).
“The attestation form was scanned, mutilated, dates totally removed, changed his name to that of Sylvernus Matthew and also mutilated his title GBAYEKOKO 2 to the community name TAMAZO.
“After the proper screening, it was later discovered that the seal belonged to the 1st class king who was part of the forgery, the document on which the seal is, belongs to him, it’s his own screening document, was also forged and they use it to authenticate the mutilated document because Sylvernus Matthew has no screening document with the Bayelsa State government.
“They used it to file the defence against him to divert the court judge attention from the originating summons he filed.
