The people of Ogwashi-Uku kingdom, Aniocha South local government area of Delta State have disagreed with the submission that they intend to annex Olu-Odu community over the discovery of oil in the area.
This disclaimer came up on Monday in Asaba when the Delta State Commission of Inquiry received petitions and evidence to establish the status of Olu-Odu and Otulu communities in the Delta north area.
The monarch of Olu-Odu community in Aniocha south council area of the state, Obi Ifechukwude Adigwe had accused Ogwashi-Uku of making attempt to annex Olu- Ofu because of the oil discovered there, insisting that Olu-Odu is not part of Ogwashi Uku kingdom.
Counsel to Olu-Odu, Barr Lawrence Egodike had averred that the community was not part of the communities listed among the communities in Ogwashi-Uku kingdom.
However, under cross-examination by the team of counsel to the defendant, Obi of Ogwashi-Uku Kingdom, led by G.A.I Mowa, Ikhide Ehighelua, Dr Judith Jessa, and Henry Ogidi, they said Adigwe is being accused by the Obi of Ogwashi Uku of parading himself as Olu-Odu monarch, knowing fully well that the area is part and parcel of Ogwashi Uku kingdom.
The defendant counsels had argued that Adigwe has been warned to stop parading himself as the Obi of Olu-Odu as he has not been given any approval by the state government or any other body to do so.
According to them, the Western Region Law of 1952 annexed Olu-Odu as part of Ogwashi-Uku and the Intelligence report of 1935 listed it as the 18th village in Ogwashi-Uku Kingdom.
They argued that the petitioner does not have any staff of office as king of Olu-Odu and as such does not possess any right to sell community land.
“All the subsequent governments since 1934 refused to recognize Olu-Odu as a community and not late Obi Prof. Chukwuka Okonjo or the current Obi of Ogwashi-Uku, Obi Ifechukwde Okonjo,” Ogidi said.
Adigwe however admitted at the sitting that he never had a staff of office before he was crowned by his people.
“There was no declaration from the state government to Olu-Odo community before my father became king because our people were not civilized then. The document l had before l ascended to the throne is a declaration from the Aniocha South Council.
“I wrote to the state government for approval to become a king in 2007, but it was late Obi Prof Ckukwuka Okonjo who put up a stumbling block “, Adigwe said.
He affirmed that he didn’t make himself a king but it was his people that did, adding that his late father who was also crowned in 1975 never had a staff of office.
It would be recalled that the Delta State government had set up a seven-man judicial panel headed by Justice E.N Emudaino to look into the lingering kingship and land ownership disputes within Ogwashi-Uku Kingdom in the Aniocha South local government area and the neighbouring communities in the state.
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