By Joe Ibuje

The acquisition and apportioning of Agbarho land is supervised by the Osuive of Agbarho Kingdom while the Agbarho Urhobo Improvement Union, AUIU, only acts as agent to the Osuivie and Agbarho Community in such matters.

Article IX V (b) of the constitution of Agbarho Urhobo Improvement Union (A.U.I.U) states clearly – “Auditors shall be appointed during the central Executive Meeting to audit the accounts of the A.U.I.U and report same to the union at the next annual conference.”

The audit committee for the Annual Conference of 2016 submitted its report to the house; it was discussed and approved by conference in session and October, 2017 is just around the concern for another audit committee to be set up against the 2017 annual conference; it become worrisome on the assertion of looting and reckless sales of land and payment not made into the A.U.I.U account, because the late HRM Onome Okpalefe III passed on in January, 2017 and the Usuches’ (King makers) pronounced him HRM Samson Owhe Ogugu in the same January as King, so when was this sales running into Millions of Naira made.

Therefore, the Agbarho Urhobo Improvement Union sees itself as suffering from vendetta, because, it is impossible for the union to unilaterally, misappropriate funds if any, from land sales to that magnitude (Two Hundred Million Naira) N200,000,000.00.

Agbarho people took pride in embarking, completing and delivering the Agbarho Kingdom Modern Palace as a legacy project. Besides housing the monarch and his family, guest houses for community visitors, offices, conference hall and a computerized Secretariat are provided and Staff on the pay roll of the Agbarho Urhobo Improvement Union (A.U.I.U).

This feat was accomplished under the reign of late HRM Ogheneruemu Arubi Omamowho II who passed on in Feb 2012. The then President General to the Agbarho Urhobo Improvement Union (A.U.I.U), Chief Brig. Gen Dominic Oneya (Rtd)   completed the project, and the Agbarho Urhobo Improvement Union was saddled with the responsibility of its maintenance. The Palace serves as the citadel of the custom and tradition of the Agbarho Kingdom, besides worship and social gathering of the Agbarho People.

The retired administrator in his prowess appealed to the electrical giant, Transcorp Nigeria Plc that is a tenant to the Agbarho Kingdom, to subsidize the Agbarho Urhobo Improvement Union on maintenance of the palace which it obliged with a monthly maintenance vote through the Agbarho Urhobo Improvement Union (A.U.I.U). It is on record that, this monthly maintenance vote by the company had since being diverted.

A brand new electrical generating plant (sound proof) was bought to replace the old one in the Palace by the Agbarho Urhobo Improvement Union in November, 2016, as a standby in case of power failure; it can be attested to till now. One wonders on how an edifice that housed two substantive monarchs who lived and passed on with the most recent in January, 2017 be in a state of disrepair.

Moreover, if the relationship of Late Osuivie HRM Onome Okpalefe III who passed on in January, 2017 full of age at 80years, and the present Osuivie HRM Samson Owhe Ogugu who was enthroned in the same January were to be cordial, he would not have been regarded as sickly and bedridden.  This is most misleading as at no time has Agbarho Kingdom had   a sick and bedridden Ajuwe

Again, there is no provision in the constitution of the Agbarho Urhobo Improvement Union that gave the Ajuwe power to suspend the entire twelve (12) National Officers, put the administrative town hall under lock and key for months and replacing all officers with interim executives.

Since the inception of the Agbarho Urhobo Improvement Union sixty (60) years ago, with a record of eighteen (18) monachs “Ajuwe” it has never  happened. It is a record that Chief  Ogberejeko Overare (A.K.A Tolotolo) of Oguname as President General in 1984 was removed by the annual conference on grounds of insubordination to the community, and Oguname was asked by conference in session to provide another candidate as President General hitherto late Mr. Erhugberume completed the tenure from 1984 to 1986 as President General, from the (Avwedjan Sub-clan).

So also, Late Chief Ogagavworia from Ophori of the (Okparegbe Sub-clan) was also suspended by the same Annual conference on the recommendation of the committee appointed by mid-year conference and late Chief Akporido from same Ophori completed the tenure in 1999. Furthermore the Secretary General of the Agbarho Urhobo Improvement Union Mr. Tobore Isaac   was suspended by the same annual conference   in 1999.

These processes were done in orderliness without rancour and acrimony from either the suspended President General or the existing Ajuwe.

To be continued

• Mr. Ibuje is the Public Relations Officer, Agbarho Urhobo Improvement Union

It is a statement of fact that the Ajuwe HRM Samson Owhe Ogugu told The guardian “that his emergence as King sent shivers down his spines of the President General and his executives” is true but the reasons are that, the Agbarho Kingdom knows my respected present Ajuwe to be a yellow bile, from his antecedence.

It is erroneous and falsehood for him to assume to be the only educated Ajuwe to ascend the throne of Agbarho Kingdom in the past two and half centuries. The late HRM Ajuwe Ogheneruemu Arubi Omamohwo II who reigned in Agbarho Kingdom for twenty two (22) years, graduated from the Local Authority Modern School in 1957, he read and wrote well, which enabled him to become a member of the Delta State Traditional Council from 1992 till 2012.

HRM Onome Okpalefe III was a pioneer student of the prestigious Urhobo National College which later metamorphosed to the present Urhobo College Effurun-Warri. However, a University degree is not a criterion to ascending the throne of the Agbarho Kingdom.

It is expedient for every Christian to cherish the grace of God in whatever position they attain in life; the Apostle Paul in Rm123 admonished that “For us not to think of ourselves more highly more than we ought, but rather think of ourselves with sober judgment in accordance with our faith”.

The Ajuwe kingship of the Agbarho Kingdom is not a hereditary monarchy as acclaimed by my Monarch HRM Samson Owhe Ogugu. Firstly, he cannot alone give the Chieftaincy title of Agbarho Kingdom to anybody on behalf of the “Usueches” (King Makers) and the other Chiefs no matter how highly placed you are in any field of your endeavour, Hon. Solomon Awhinawhi, a son of the of the Agbarho Kingdom and a member of the House of Representative is a leaving witness.

Secondly, his staff of office can only be given to him after it is duly endorsed in writing by the “Usueches” (King Makers) of the Agbarho Kingdom (Declaration of Customary Law Regulating Succession to the Traditional Ruler’s title B.S.L.N 86 of 1979, applicable in Delta – State).

In the light of the above, the averment of HRM Samson Owhe Ogugu of Agbarho Kingdom as a monarchy in comparison to the UK monarchy is vexatious. Article X1 (6) of the Agbarho constitution clearly stated that “The custodian of this land (Agbarho two miles radius and acquired land) shall be the Ajuwe who holds the land in trust for the Agbarho community”.

It was agreed by the Agbarho community that the two miles radius including all acquired land shall be administered by the Agbarho Urhobo Improvement Union”       The statement clearly defines the role of the monarch and the Agbarho Urhobo Improvement Union as far as Agbarho Land issue is concern.

It is therefore unacceptable and blasphemous to us sons and daughters of Agbarho extraction for our new Ajuwe to publicly in the press refer to the Agbarho Kingdom oligarchy of past Ajuwes and President Generals since 1948, before he was given birth to as illiterates in Agbarho who don’t know their right, old, bedridden, sickly, and above all uneducated, when combined they becomes a bundle of irrelevant human beings.

The Agbarho Kingdom is in dire need of prayers for the Almighty God’s intervention because we cannot understand the mission of the new Ajuwe. Is it vendetta or plans of progress of the Agbarho Kingdom? In late January, in the process of his enthronement, a feud broke out between him and the “Usueches” (King Makers) that pronounced him “Ajuwe”,

It was the intervention of notable leaders of the kingdom that saved the situation and it is still a partial truce, because only few weeks back, the new Council of Chiefs Chairman (Chief Awala Inone) brokered another peace with the Usueshes, because the “Ajuwe” has no power to dissolve the “Usueche council.” it is unlike the Edion council and the Traditional council of chiefs which he has dissolved and replaced.

Meanwhile, the Traditional Council of Chiefs are in court with him contesting the brazen dissolution. Now it is the Agbarho Urhobo Improvement Union that has been dissolved illegally and has gone to the High Court to seek redress.

Why the Agbarho kingdom case become pathetic, is that, the notable names of the kingdom are fed up. A case in point, is one of the greatest in profounding peace as a cardinal objective in life, Chief Gen. O.E Obada (Rtd) O.O.N. from the kingdom, was lampooned in his absence at the palace in one of the Ajuwe series of mini-mass meeting to an extent that the respected retired General’s kingsmen from Ikweghwu-Agbarho were so furious that they walked out of the meeting in protest of the insult against the General.

All hope is not lost on peace in Agbarho because with God all things are possible, therefore the desired peaceful atmosphere required for development will be restored to the Agbarho kingdom.

Mr. Ibuje Joseph is the Public Relation Officer

Agbarho Urhobo Improvement Union