The people of Egbudu-Akah autonomous community, in Aniocha South local government area of Delta state, have cried to the state government for intervention in the kingship dispute rocking the community.
In their numbers, those loyal to Solomon Oguagwu, believed to be the community’s anointed king said to have been crowned after due customary processes, stormed Asaba on Thursday in protest against an attempt by certain individuals to impose another king on the community.
The protesters took their grievance to Government House and the Directorate of Chieftaincy Affairs, both in Asaba, where they presented their position paper to the authorities.
Speaking on behalf of the aggrieved party, a community leader, Chief Anthony Egbune, said Solomon Oguagwu was the rightful person for the throne, explaining that he had completed the funeral rites of his late father and predecessor, Paul Nzemeka Obi, as custom and tradition demanded, before he was crowned the new king.
The community accused the Nsukwa clan, Aniocha South local government and the Delta State Traditional Rulers Council of wrongly recommending the late Obi, even with the attendant crisis following his rejection by the people, insisting that this time around the right thing must be done.
The protesters fingered Obi Kikachukwu of Ubulu-Unor as being partly responsible for the crisis in Egbudu-Akah and urged him to allow peace to reign in the community by steering clear of the kingship dispute.
They appealed to the State Governor, Senator (Dr.) Ifeanyi Okowa, to intervene in the matter and ensure that the custom and tradition of the people were respected in the choice of their king.
The Chief of Staff, Government House, Hon Festus Agas, who addressed the protesters on behalf of the Governor, thanked them for their peaceful approach to the matter and assured them that government would look into the issue with a view to ending the dispute.
At the Directorate of Chieftaincy Affairs, the Permanent Secretary, Mr Frank Aghara, who received the position paper from the protesters, also assured them that government would attend to the matter.
When contacted, the Obi of Ubulu-Unor, Henry Kikachukwu, who was alleged to have contributed to the crisis, said he got to know about the kingship dispute when he was the Chairman of the Aniocha South Traditional Rulers’ Committee, during which the issue was brought before the Committee for deliberation and advice.
Obi Kikachukwu explained that though the Committee tried to resolve the matter when it first started in 2016 after the death of the then Obi, Alfred Okolie, a section of the community was not satisfied with the Committee’s recommendation and proceeded to seek redress in court.
He stressed the importance of peace in Egbudu-Akah and urged the feuding parties to sheathe their swords and agree on the way forward for the overall good of the autonomous community.
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