Idjerhe Kingmakers Affirm Installation Of Erudite Journalist As Ovie-elect, Warn Impostors

The Kingmakers and Council-of-Chiefs in Idjerhe Kingdom in Ethiope West Local Government Area of Delta State, have reaffirmed the installation of erudite journalist, HRM Monday Obukowho Ovie Whiskey,  Udurhie l as Ovie-elect in the Kingdom, warning impostors still parading themselves as King in the Kingdom to desist or be prepared to face the wrath of the law.

The council of chief and kingmakers spoke at the first meeting with the Ovie-elect at his palace on Thursday.

This development is coming following report making the round that one Augus Omasoro who was earlier controversially crown at night by some dissident groups in the Kingdom was still parading himself as Ovie-elect in the ancient Kingdom.

BIGPEN had reported that HRM Ovie Whiskey was installed by the kingmakers on Monday after month-long tussle for the stool following the demise of former monarch His Royal Majesty, Edward Igho Otadaferua, Erhiekevwe 1, who joined his ancestors in 2018, having reigned for 12 years.

Recalls that the said Omasoro was among some chiefs of the Kingdom who were stripped of their titles after they were discovered to be involved in a secret moves to install him as new King without the knowledge of the then regent of Idjerhe Kingdom, Chief Gabriel Agoda Emeje, and the kingmakers.

Omasoro was said to have allegedly invaded the Oghwuedion around 3: am and was clandestinely crowned King in alleged connived with some army and policemen drafted to the ‘Oghwuedion’, a sacred kingmaker’s palace where a new king is usually crown.

However, meeting to reaffirm the installation of HRM Monday Obukowho Ovie Whiskey, Udurhie l, the Kingmakers on Thursday, said that the processing of installing the new monarch was traditionally followed and accepted by all members of the royal families.

Chief Godwin Ofighe, (second Onugbrogodo, Kingmaker) who is from Boboroku sub-clan, however debunked claims that he was not part of the installation, saying that he was fully on ground and have given his unflinching support to the Ovie-elect.

Also, the most senior Unugbrogodo of Onyobru sub-clan, Chief William Atiti, noted that Omasoro and his group are no longer chiefs in Idjerhe kingdom having been stripped of their chieftaincy titles some months ago, adding that the purported midnight action to unlawfully install Omasoro as a king in Idjerhe was both unlawful and alien to the customs and traditions of the kingdom.

Atiti debunked claims by Omasoro that he was unqualified to crown a new king, insisting that it was clearly within his prerogative, as the most senior Unugbrogodo (kingmaker) of Idjerhe kingdom, to crown a new king following the demise of the reigning one.

The Unugbrogodo of Onyobru sub-clan also cautioned Omasoro over his alleged unguarded statements aimed at tarnishing the public image of prominent people in Idjerhe kingdom, noting that an appropriate petition has been forwarded to the Delta State Government on the issue.

“Idjerhe is one. We have Idjerhe Central, Onyobru and Boboroku have been working together. To my surprise, two days ago, Omasoro and his agents went to the press to spoil our leaders and chiefs’ names. This is very wrong. We have disrobed them and they are no more chiefs.

“We went to Oghara, the chairman told him to go pull anything in his leg, that he is not a chief. Up till now, they have not taken them off. They are still wearing our Iru (beads) on the neck. The normal thing is, when a chief is suspended, he removes the bead. Upon all the instruction the chairman gave to them, Omasoro and his agents still parade themselves as king and chiefs of Idjerhe kingdom.

“What we did Monday, everybody was there. All the chiefs from Central, Boboroku and Onyobru were there when we did the installation. It wasn’t hidden. Our respected politicians were there.

“Omasoro saying all those rubbishes, we don’t even know him in Idjerhe kingdom. That means he does not know the customs of Idjerhe people. He never came to Oghwuedion any day.

“We have told the chairman and written to the state to call them to order because they want to cause anarchy in our land. And we do not want bloodshed. Everyone here has to be very careful with them,” most senior Unugbrogodo in the kingdom”, Atiti said.

In the same vein, Chief Samuel Okoro, called on Governor Ifeanyi Okowa and security agencies to quickly arrest plot by some persons to cause breach of peace in the kingdom.

Umukoro noted that all ruling Houses in the kingdom including Idjerhe Central, Onyobru and Boboroku sub-clan screened and selected Udurhie 1 as the new Idjerhe Kingdom in line with the gazette and tradition of the Idjerhe people.

“I want to put it straight to you that Omasoro is not a king and will never be a king. The king has emerged and it is in the person of His Royal Majesty, King Monday Whiskey, Udurhie 1, Ovie of Idjerhe Kingdom.

“We did what we did for equity seek. HRM Monday Obukowho Ovie Whiskey,  Udurhie l, has already be installed and he is a king forever, nobody can remove him from the throne except God or by death but God will crown him with longevity so I prayed.

“Even we are in court with Omasoro and his group so he should stop parading himself as Odurhie 1 but if he continue to do, the wrath of the law will come down on him.

“When I talked about equity, the kindship selection process followed the rules of equity, this is become this is the third king Idjerhe kingdom has produced, and if you watch before our king that have just joined his accentors emerged, Idjerhe stayed for over 20 years without a king when he were dragging and it was then we loss Mosogar and today Mosogar became a Kingdom and it was a great lost to us so we don’t want such thing to repeat itself that’s why we now go on equity.

“The Idjerhe Central relinquish the position to Onyobru clan for the seek of equity and that is why His Royal Majesty Monday Obukowho Ovie Whiskey, Udurhie l, emerged as the King of Idjerhe Kingdom”.

Addressing the people, the veteran journalist turned traditional ruler said that the Idjerhe Kingdom stool is rotational among the three sub-clans that make up the Kingdom.

His words; I want to tell you that there are three sub-clans that make up this Kingdom – the Idjerhe central which is the traditional headquarters, Onyobru and Boboroku sub-clans and for the purpose of installing a King, the three Oghwuedion must come together and what you saw on Monday when the traditional Council installed Monday on Monday as King of this Kingdom is a unifying factor that it is a divine engagement and no dissident person would succeed to throw a spanner in our wheel of progress.

The monarch who displayed an almanac of 1982 to counter claims of those parading the title of Onovwor for the opposing camp, called on the Delta state Government to immediate call the said Omasoro to order.

“I brought a historically material to show to you people that the title Onowor 1 existed in this Kingdom for over 40 something years and for a young man who does not know history to wake up and said he is Onovwor 1 and that this title is back to Onovwor then it mean he is not in tandem with history of our Kingdom. This is almanac of 1982 and it is 38 years, the King you see there is His Royal Majesty Otanaga, Onovwor 1, the ovie of Idjerhe Kingdom.

“This almanac is 38 years ago…and the young man ranting now does not know that people kept history. it is almanac of Idjerhe clan union Lagos, the apex social-cultural union of Idjerhe people so if Idjerhe Clan Development Union host a King, HRM Otanaga, Onowor 1, 38 years in an almanac where were they”, he queried.

He explained that during the race for the kindship stool, he was honorably selected out of seven of them who were successful in the initial screening process adding that the said Omasoro was never part of the process.

The monarch, however warned the dissident group of persons going about fomenting trouble and attacking some prominent indigenes of the Kingdom who witnessed his coronation, to desist forthwith.

He called on the Ethiope West Local Government Area chairman, the Delta state Government and the security agencies to call Omasoro and his group to order, saying that what they are doing amount to breach of peace.

Those who spoke include, Chief Emmanuel Umukoro, The Unuevworo of Idjerhe kingdom, Chief William Atiti, the Unugbrogodo of Idjerhe (Onyobru sub-clan), Chief Godwin Ofighe (Boboroku sub-clan), Chief John Edafeburu, (Boboroku sub-clan) and Chief Samuel Okoro (Onyobru sub-clan).