…Dissecting the truth from the lies, blackmail, propaganda and caution against misinformation
—Family Debunks petition.
The family of His Royal Majesty, Late Ogamode Clement Onah Ipuole KSJI, JP has come out to put up a disclaimer to the funeral notice of their patriarch who is resting in peace. The family in a statement made available to the press through Prince Bruno Ochelebe Onah, Mrs Lydia Agbo Omeka and Princess Lizzy Yengwra Onah said they are aware of a false and malicious post on social media platforms with the above caption aimed at tarnishing the hard earned image and reputation of a respected and responsible member of our family, Comptroller Joe Ochelebe, Retd, JP.
The petition in its entirety is a concoction of arrant lies, unsubstantiated claims and spurious allegations to distract attention from the proposed burial notification of the Late Paramount Ruler, HRM, Ogamode Clement Onah Ipuole, KSJI, JP.
Prince Bruno who is the biological first son of HRM said the article which was riddled with malicious lies is misleading in it’s entirety as Comptroller Joe Ochelebe (Retd) has never in any way engaged in anything as contained in the blatant lies claimed in the petition. He said the allegation is a deliberate falsehood by the purveyors, and a misrepresentation of facts to sully his reputation.
Goshhh! Imagine the shitstorm, grave lies and malicious contents from that false article. It’s so sad to say that the author who has been a lot worse than this but still spews hate and evil. Family members, relatives of the Late Paramount Ruler HRH, Ogamode Onah Ipuole are all in awe because they don’t expect the deceased wife who is supposed to be a paragon of virtue to stoop so low with falsehood so blatantly? This is one of the most dishonest things ever seen or heard.
Burial Date & Notification:
To put the records straight, the burial Obsequies of the Late Paramount Ruler of Yala LGA, His Royal Majesty, Ogamode Clement Onah Ipuole, KSJI, JP, was properly issued in agreement with immediate family members, chiefs, elders and community leaders in line with Yala culture and traditions. Joe Ochelebe neither planned alone nor announced the funeral passage of the Late Paramount Ruler without prior notice or consultation with the family. The late paramount ruler’s grown up children took the responsibility of planning their father’s funeral in conjunction with all critical stakeholders including Mr Joe Ochelebe who was saddled with the responsibility of making an official announcement of the Obsequies.
For purposes of clarification, the children wrote a letter for their father’s burial through Yala Traditional Rulers Council, Yala Council Chairman, office of the Deputy Governor and Local Government Service Commission. At the final stage a date was unanimously agreed for the funeral celebration in line with Yala Calendar. There was never a time Mr Ochelebe divided the Late Paramount Ruler’s family or demeaned him in death. Rather, he has always stood for equity, fairness and justice; insisting that Papa’s eldest sons and daughters should be involved in every discussion about the funeral. Before the date was fixed and published, Comptroller Ochelebe asked Prince Bruno to discuss the date with his brothers and sisters and the queen as well. He did so but couldn’t reach the queen because he was warned by the elders of the community and the king’s cabinet not to involve her because of the sanction placed on her by the community. The date , March 22, 2025 wasn’t fixed by Ochelebe. It was Prince Bruno on behalf of his siblings, family elders, community leaders and the king’s cabinet who agreed as ratified by Yala Council. Comptroller Joe Ochelebe only signed and published the burial notification and called for tributes because the family and elders of the community mandated him to do so.
HRM Official Vehicles:
The purveyors also lied about the whereabouts of His Royal Majesty’s official vehicles. The truth is that immediately his corpse was brought to his palace that same night his official cars disappeared. Every effort made to get the cars; a Ford Edge and Everest was fruitless until Comptroller Joseph came in. Through his singular efforts, the vehicles were discovered at Oquango Hotel in Ogoja and recovered. The chief cabinet and other family members agreed at that moment that the vehicle should be kept under his custody because of security reasons but presently, even before this petition was filed the vehicles are no longer in his custody but in the family’s compound. The vehicles were discovered at the Oquango Hotel where it packed at night without a lodger and knowledge of the Hotel’s Management. The Ogoja Police Station record is there to confirm this. Facts speak for themselves.The Ogoja Police records and the Management of the Hotel can corroborate this.
Creation of WhatsApp Group:
In a bid to further struggle to tell more lies to gain favour, the queen in her petition lied that Comptroller Joseph created a WhatsApp platform to raise funds for his brother’s burial and use the Queen’s grief to make money. That’s misleading and unsubstantiated. Traditionally, as custom demands , Comptroller Ochelebe has participated in several funeral rites for his friends and associates in the past. So his friends led by Mr Onah Adayi and Co created the platform to condole with him over the loss of his elder brother, the late paramount ruler. It is a normal thing that when one is bereaved, his friends and well wishers create a platform to support him.The Queen’s only son did the same immediately the King passed on. His friends raised a reasonable amount of money to support him for his dad’s burial. The Queen friends can equally do that to support her for her husband’s burial. It is not a crime at all. It is a normal thing people do when they are bereaved. As custom demands, the friends of Comptroller Joseph Ochelebe came together to do this for him without his knowledge. Even the account number used is not linked to his account number. It is so absurd yet understandable that the queen is out to tarnish the hard earned reputation of Comptroller Joe Ochelebe (Retd).
The Sanction of Not Burying Her Husband:
The sanction is purely the decision of the Elders, cabinet to His Royal Majesty and the entire community. No family member is involved in this. Rather Comptroller Joseph with other family members and some of the Queen stepchildren pleaded on her behalf in order for her to partake in the traditional burial rights of her husband. The elders got angry at the family and ordered that a fine of a goat should be given for making such an appeal. Deep down in her heart she knewl why she was not allowed to bury her husband and not the making of Comptroller Joseph as maliciously alleged in her petition. It is another defamation against a man who has no hand in the spurious allegations.
On The Sales of the House:
HRM OGAMODE Onah Ipuole has four wives and 11 children. The new house he built has four apartments according to the number of wives he married before he died. OHe handed the keys to each apartment to his wives, and children. Accordingly, one of his wives that is still alive lives presently in that house. The bereaved family members due to lack of funds, decided to chase everyone out of the house because it’s in the family’s land and decided to sell the house to bury their brother. This decision was in the absence of Joseph Ochelebe and there was nothing he could do because there were more elderly people in the family that took the decision. When he heard and came around he countered it and raised a reasonable amount of money towards the burial. More than 50% of what was spent for the burial was brought by Joseph Ochelebe. Accusing Comptroller Joseph Ochelebe of selling her Late husband’s house is a cheap blackmail by the queen as no house was sold after his intervention. The Queen presently is in possession of a key to the said apartment with her properties inside and some of the queen’s step children.
Sending the Queen out of Her Late Husband’s House:
In the history of Yala tradition, when the King dies, the wives and children are asked to vacate the palace immediately by the community and chiefs of which she is aware of. It is purely traditional and customary. The particular wife married to the King by the chiefs and his cabinet is asked to leave the palace and the family house immediately. Only the Queen’s children are allowed to live in the family’s compound with other family members. But the Queen is asked to go back to her father’s house.This custom and tradition existed even before His Royal Majesty, late Onah Ipuole was born. It was not initiated by Joseph Ochelebe, and he never chased her of the palace as alleged in her baseless petition.
The Disappearance of Golden Staff of HRM:
The staff in question is the glory of the family. It is an ancestral staff. Comptroller Joseph Ochelebe does not even live in the palace with the king. He is not a palace security. He does not have spare keys to the palace. He does not even know the color of the staff. Comptroller Ochelebe wasn’t given the responsibility of securing the staff, if he was given he would have secured it as a security expert with numerous national and international awards. The Staff in question even disappeared from the palace before he was appointed SSA North by His Excellency. It is the queen and his children that live in the same apartment with the late paramount ruler. They know more about the disappearance of the golden staff but they have refused to return it to the community. In fact that’s one of the reasons the elders of the community sanctioned the queen. The allegation against Comptroller Ochelebe is baseless, reprehensible and unwarranted .
His Royal Majesty phones and SIM Cards:
The lies and blackmail that Comptroller Ochelebe stooped so low to collect the Late Paramount Ruler’s mobile phones with sim cards and ATM is not only spurious but laughable. These items have never been with Comptroller Ochelebe. The Queen’s son had custody of the items. The reason the family and the cabinet demanded for the ATM and phones from his son was because all his funds was swept from his account before, during and after the burial. The phone was not given to Comptroller Joseph but to one of His Royal Majesty’s step brothers, Mr. Bernard Odey Ochelebe. So, the public should disregard the rumors and petition.
The petition circulating on social media is fake in its entirety. The author has ill motives and it is very insensitive.
It is false.
It is defamatory.
It is specifically meant to hurt Comptroller Joseph Ochelebe (Retd).
It is a form of cheap sensationalism and blackmail.
It is an attempt to demonize a good man in the person of Comptroller Joseph Ochelebe with the worst possible crime which he didn’t commit.
It helps justify attacks on his person which is unjustifiable.
It is despicable.
It’s certainly a wild exaggeration and should be condemned by all.
The family has confirmed the petition to be fake and misleading to say the least. They have distance themselves from the puerile lies as it is obvious that it is for percunary gains. What innocent person behaves like this?