Obiship, Iyase throne have divided Agidiahe and Agidiase into five quarters---- Akajiobi Ogwashi Uku

Professor and traditional ruler in Agidiahe Quarters, HH Nwajei Chuks Nwajei, Agumba and Akaji Obi of Ogwashi-Ukwu has again emphasis the need for peace in the lingering Obiship and Iyase thrown tussles, that are tearing brothers apart in Ogwashi Uku kingdom, Delta State and said the illegal occupants of the two titles should handover the reign of the titles to the rightful owners. He spoke to Emeka Ibemere, chronicling the genesis of the tussle and other issues concerning the land. ...Excerpt.

Recently, there was a squabble over a traditional stool of Iyase title in Ogwashi-Ukwu, Delta State, what actually is the bone of contention?

The Iyase of Ogwashi- Uku, culturally and traditionally, and by law of Ogwashi Uku Kingdom, is Abule, Chief Mike Nwaukoni. He is the authentic Iyase of Ogwashi Uku. He was enthroned Iyase of Ogwashi Uku in way back 2004, before the court awarded Professor Okonjo, the Obi of Ogwashi Uku, which we are still on an appeal. He has been Iyase prior to the ascension of the current Obi and he is not the Obi because the reasons are abound.

Then immediately he came into the throne, after the court awarded him the Obiship, he came in but instead of tarrying awhile, to know the customs of Ogwashi-Uku people, because he had never lived in Ogwashi-Uku, all his years were in Nsukka and Ghana, so by all our tradition, he ought not to be our Obi and amply, the Appeal Court last year stated equivocally in its judgement, that an Obi of Ogwashi Uku, must have a father-Obi but the current occupant of the throne’s father was never an Obi.

Remember, we are talking on Iyase?

Yes, I’m telling you the genesis of the crisis patterning the Iyase title. The chronicle was that we had an Iyase, we had all the chiefs, when suddenly the high court awarded the Obiship to a never known traditional person and immediately, he resumed office as Obi of Ogwashi-Uku, and just like a military coup, he sacked everybody in a vindictive form on the bases of the fact that his kingship was opposed by some persons. Instead of going through the customs, and history of Ogwashi Uku, he now came in and saw that Iyase of Ogwashi Uku, who is Chief Michael Nwaukoni, was on seat as a traditional Prime Minister, he now started re-awarding titles and Chiefs to undeserving persons.

 So, he now come about and brought one nonentity who is called Chief Collins Afuwah, who was Personal Assistant to Nwaukone, the original Iyase of Ogwashi-Uku and made him the Iyase. So it’s against customs and tradition. And when this crisis started Chief Collins went to High Court and said he was the authentic Iyase which was also awarded to him. But Iyase himself went to the Appeal Court and defeated Chief Collins. In Appeal court ruling, the Court returned chief Nwaukoni as the owner of Iyase title and the traditional Prime Minister of Ogwashi-Uku. The Appeal Court ruling affirmed that Chief Michael Nwaukoni remains the Iyase of Ogwashi-Uku.

At what point do you think things went wrong in this matter?

Things went wrong immediately the Obi came into throne through Court judgement because he never knows the terrain. He just returned from Ghana and because he has the political muzzles, he just sidetracked the people who supposed to help him, direct him on the affairs of the tradition, people who were his own family, and started ruling Ogwashi Uku otherwise and that was the beginning of the problem.

The Iyase holder is it by age, appointment, hereditary or elective?  

It’s never by hereditary. It’s not by appointment, age or otherwise. The community knows where, how and when to choose the Iyase. It’s not by hereditary. The only thing that is hereditary in Ogwashi Uku kingdom and custom is the Obiship; and that is what we are saying, if the current gatecrasher sitting on the throne has no hereditary claim, what is he doing there? And we have gotten an Appeal court ruling that said his father was not an Obi but by political manoeuvring, he got himself there, it’s an abomination for somebody whose father was never an Obi to attain the Obiship. But that of Prime Minister, the community decides who they want to select, the community decides and not the Obi. The Obi has no right in appointing who becomes the Iyase. The community will bring somebody and take to Obi and said this is the person for the Iyase position and that is how it’s done.

So, what are the opinions of the community in this issue?

The community is against the decision of the Obi to take Collins as the Iyase. The community is not happy and they don’t recognize Collins as the Iyase as I speak to you now. Every man and woman in Ogwashi-Uku is not in support of Collins. Collins stole the crown from his master. It’s just like your editor, and you are serving under him and he sent you somewhere and showed you the way and suddenly, you manipulated him and went there and through his back, you started claiming to be the editor. It’s unethical, its betrayal, its wicked and abomination. Second, it’s untraditional and it has never happened in the history of Ogwashi Uku before by Olinzele or Ideeme to be alive and you appoint another Olinzele or Ideeme. It has never happened before.

What is the implication as it is now?

The implication is that we have not known peace in Ogwashi- Uku. There is not going to be peace as long as wrong people are in wrong thrones. The worse was that he just entered the throne and started turning the culture of our people upside down, because he never knew the customs and traditions of the people he is ruling. The implication is that he has caused a lot of confusion in the land, created enmity, acrimony, rancour and division among our people.

Each quarter in Agidiahe and Agidiase has been divided into five quarters. People supporting the Obi of Ogwashi Uku are not up to 5% of Ogwashi Uku indigenes while nobody is supporting Mr Collins because our people are angry. We are now coming together to say no, this can never happen.

But has the Appeal court judgement been carried out as delivered by the court last year?

Chief Collins doesn’t know what he is doing by still parading himself as the Iyase despite the court judgement. This is a man who has been presiding the Iyase throne by thuggery and an agent of the Obi. Chief Collins, who specializes in selling the lands of Ogwashi Uku to strangers, He is the ‘executive sales manager of lands’ to Obi and this is not within the traditional responsibility of Iyase. Iyase doesn’t sale land. Iyase is a man of respect, honour, prestige and responsible. He is not a thug or land grabber and speculator. He should be a custodian of culture, too and not involve in frivolities of land selling. In spite the hue and cry, in spite the court judgement, the Obi is still keeping him as the Iyase or the Prime Minister because, Mr. Collins is running an errand on illegal land sales in Ogwashi Uku.

What is the reaction of Chief Michael Nwaukoni when the title was taken away from him?

You must understand one thing. Some of us who have been fighting the case through the court and not through thugs, we tend to observe the law and work according to the due diligent and process. He is one of the richest men in Nigeria, but he is an articulated gentleman. He knew that you cannot fight thuggrey with thuggrey. Chief Nwaukoni has realised that keeping quiet and allowing a fake Iyase to start terrorising people, is not going to be good for the people.

Now, he has come out to take his leadership position not as a thug but through the law by telling the people, the truth. Our people are tired of terrorism growing in Ogwashi Uku and leadership by force being exhibited by Mr Collins and his group. But now, Nwaukoni has woken up to say, enough is enough and that if you keep quiet and leave Ogwashi Uku in their hands, that it was going to turn into ‘Sambisa Forest’, filled with evil men. So, Chief Michael has come out to take his title and salvage the community. We are saying its time to make a change. Ogwashi Uku is sitting on a keg of gun powder and it will soon explode and when it’s on fire, then Delta State will be on fire and then they would know the implication. All the elites in Ogwashi Uku don’t even come home and they don’t know what is happening. Either because of the kidnapping and thuggrey that keeps them away, we don’t know but some of us have kept our life on the line to salvage this kingdom.

What is the solution to the lingering chieftaincy tussle?

The solution and the way out is that we are waiting the Supreme Court judgement on the matter. We are at the Supreme Court but having taking the Appeal Court ruling of last year, we know that the sun set for the current usurpers of the throne to quit is soon. The self-acclaimed Iyase is nobody, like as I said, he is a salesman and nobody takes him seriously. We cannot reconcile but on what? As I speak to you now, we have no lands again. They have sold all our lands for peanuts. The problem we are going to confront in future when our people would realise all I have been saying since about our disposed lands is that there will be another war between brothers and brothers because if you come to Ogwashi Uku, our boys are riding luxurious cars they cannot maintain. How did they acquire the cars, they would cross the River Niger, contract our brothers on the other side, and give them 10 acres of land they will give them cars and that is it.