By Chancel Sunday

His Royal Majesty Owoupele Danladi Foubiri, Angulu I is the Ebenana-owei (traditional ruler) of Tarakiri Kingdom in Patani Local Government Area of Delta State. In this interview, Foubiri warns the Ovie of Ughelli, HRM Wilson Ojakovo, Oharisi III, to desist from alleged efforts to annex two communities in his kingdom. He also commends Gov. Ifeanyi Okowa for recognition and presentation of staff of office to him. Excerpts:

Tell us, in brief, the history of the Tarakiri Kingdom!

Tarakiri Kingdom in Delta State came into existence from time immemorial, we’ve been in existence for a very long. Our progenitor, Tarakiriowei, with his wives and children first resided on this side of the river where the Tarakiri deity is situated today.

A quarrel broke forth among the children and everybody left the place. They went various ways and settled down, whose descendants are the present Ebedebiri, Toru-Orua, Angalabiri, Ayamasa, and Esanpou communities among others.

Tarakiri-owei also married an Urhobo woman, Emete-arhuere, who gave birth to Ogelegban-owei, who also went his way in the same period and settled at the present site of Ughelli. Uduophori, Odorubu and Ofoni are all descendants of Ogelegban-owei who came back to their fatherland to stay.

What communities constitute Tarakiri Kingdom in Delta State?

The communities making up Tarakiri are Adobu, Uduophori and Odorubu with Adobu being the seat of power.

Having received the staff of office from the state government as a first-class traditional ruler, what are your aspirations?

Well, my hopes are enormous because the kingdom has been in existence for some decades without a king on the throne. Being the first king on the throne, I am hoping and praying to Almighty God that the kingdom should prosper. I want infrastructural, social, economic and political development to thrive in my kingdom. I want my people to prosper in all endeavours and I will continue to pray and work hard to ensure Tarakiri Kingdom is reckoned among other kingdoms in the state. You know, a kingdom without a king is like a farmyard without a farmer, which was the case with Tarakiri Kingdom, but now that there is a king on the throne, I’m hoping those good things that had eluded the kingdom in time past will come again to the kingdom.

Recently, the lawmaker representing Patani/Bomadi Constituency in the House of Representatives, Hon. Nicholas Mutu, paid homage to your palace during his consultations with delegates, during which he promised to take your palace as a priority project when re-elected. What’s your take on this political promise?

Well, it’s a good news and I know Hon. Nicholas Mutu is a man of his words. I believe that if he wins at the end of the contest, he’s going to fulfil his promise and that will also bring development to the kingdom.

Ughelli Kingdom is apparently of Tarakiri descent, how are your kingdoms relating? How do you relate with your brother king?

To say the fact, our relationship is not good. I said so because after my recognition and presentation of staff of office by the state government, I have met with the Ovie of Ughelli on three occasions and none of us worked with each other as heads of these Kingdoms. We don’t have a good relationship and the reason is very clear. The Ovie is a son of Tarakiri and Tarakiri is his home. I’m the king of Tarakiri Kingdom and that makes him my son, he is my son. But, the Ovie is trying to annex two communities in my kingdom, Uduophori and Odorubu, into his without knowing the fact that he’s paternally from Tarakiri.

What he is doing will not go well with him. He is trying to destroy his kingdom because the power that made him sit on that throne is here in my kingdom. Whoever ascends the throne of the Ovie of Ughelli  comes to his father’s land here to take the power to sit on the throne. So, what he is trying to create a problem for the heir to the throne after his reign because then, as the king here, I don’t think he would be allowed to come to my kingdom to take any power since he is denying the fact that he’s Tarakiri’s son. I can also tell the Agadagba (Chief priest) to relocate the Tarakiri shrine across the river. So, I’m sending this message to him that he should realize what he is doing. He is Tarakiri’s son and he cannot deny it and I’m appealing to him to withdraw from the steps he’s taking against Tarakiri Kingdom in Delta State.

Now, if a forum is being created for the two kingdoms to sit on a roundtable to iron out issues, would you agree to such a meeting?

As I said earlier, what the Ovie is doing is causing crises between these two kingdoms because these are kingdoms in different local government areas. I don’t see any reason a man will cross from his local government area to annex communities in another local government area. He should not think that Odorubu and Uduophori are his communities because where he is now is his motherland. Ughelli is his maternal home, his paternal home is Tarakiri in Patani Local Government Area and Odorubu and Uduophori are in their fatherland.

This message should be passed to the Ovie that he is Tarakiri’s son and he belongs here.

 Where he is now is his mother’s land. I would rather urge him to come and join his father’s land here, he should not try to confuse us because we want peace in our kingdom and we want peace in the state. Well, if such a forum is created for us to talk over issues, I will meet with him because he is a son of Tarakiri and I’m the king of Tarakiri, meaning he is my son. Father and son always have differences and they would always sit down to resolve their differences.

After decades of struggle, you were presented with a staff of office by the state government late last year, how do you feel?

First and foremost, I sincerely thank the administration of Governor Ifeanyi Okowa for the quick response in giving the Tarakiri stool a recognition and presenting the staff of office to me shortly after my election to the throne. I wholeheartedly thank the governor for the good gesture and I pray God Almighty to give him good health and wisdom to pilot the affairs of the state to greater heights. I also want to thank the governor for appointing me as a member of the Delta State Council of Traditional Rulers and for making it possible for Tarakiri Kingdom to have a voice in the state. I therefore, urge all Tarakiri sons and daughters to live in peace and harmony. I pray God Almighty to continue to lift Tarakiri Kingdom to greater heights in all endeavours.