Controversy Rages Over Who Is A First Class King Among Monarchs In Delta

Trouble started when the Dein of Agbor referred to himself and the Olu of Warri as the only first class kings in the State.

The development forced a meeting of traditional rulers in the State under the aegis of Delta State Council of Traditional Rulers, following which the traditional rulers released a communique.

In the communique obtained by TheNewsGuru.com (TNG), the traditional rulers faulted the position of the Dein of Agbor.

The traditional rulers especially cautioned the Dein of Agbor over the comments he made on the classification of kings in the State.

The monarchs said the Agbor king would have sought more information and education on how kings are graded in the State before making such a comment.

The council, arising from its monthly meeting at its secretariat in Asaba, the State capital, frowned at the comments of Dein of Agbor wherein he was alleged to have stated that the Olu of Warri and Obi of Agbor were the only first class kings in Delta State.

The monarchs, who picked holes in the assertion, condemned the action of the Dein in a communiqué jointly issued and signed by the Chairman of the Council, His Majesty Dr. E O Efeizomor II, the Obi of Owa; the Vice Chairman of the Council, His Majesty Major General Felix Mujakperuo (rtd), Orhue I, Orodje of Okpe, and the second Vice-Chairman, His Majesty S P L Kalanama VIII, Pere of Akugbene-Mein.

In a letter titled: ‘Rejoinder: The unfortunate and the regrettable claim of being a first-class king in Delta State by the Dein of Agbor, properly and legally known as Obi of Agbor’, the traditional rulers said: “The attention of the Delta State Traditional Rulers Council has been consistently drawn by the public to the rather unfortunate publication made by the Dein of Agbor, properly and legally known as the Obi of Agbor, referring to himself and the Olu of Warri as the only first-class kings in Delta State in a recent newspaper report.

“The council had initially assumed that the Obi of Agbor was quoted out of context in the said publication and dismissed same with a wave of the hand, but after a careful and thorough investigation, it became clear that the publication is properly attributed to the Obi of Agbor.

“In view of the above confirmation of the publication accredited to him, the council will respond as follows: ‘That by the express provision of Section 45(3A) of the traditional rulers’ council and chiefs law CAP T2, Delta State, upon which the Obi of Agbor is operating and functioning as a king, declares all traditional rulers of the state as co-equals.

“The in view of the law cited in paragraph (A) above, there is no rating or special classification of traditional rulers in Delta State as claimed by the Obi of Agbor.

“That all traditional rulers in Delta State and indeed the public are advised to ignore and disregard the said publication of the Obi of Agbor, as same is only targeted at self-aggrandizement to the irritation of the traditional institution in Delta State.”

The Monarchs also used the occasion to laud Governor Okowa’s developmental strides in the state saying it has helped to provide democratic dividend to the three senatorial districts in the state.

They urged the state government to consider the creation of a local government monitoring project performance committee to ensure effectiveness.

They also threw their weight behind the State government directive which ordered all political appointees to return to their constituencies to mobilize their people on the essential working of government.

No less than sixty traditional Rulers in the state attended the meeting.

(TheNewsGuru.com)