The Asagba of Asaba, His Royal Majesty, Asagba Prof Epiphany Azinge, SAN, OON, has made it abundantly clear that autonomous communities are not allowed anywhere in his kingdom.
The Asagba announced this on Friday while speaking at a reception organized in his honour by the Anwai satellite community.
He said though Asaba would remain hospitable to non indigenes who found the place conducive to settle in, the community would not permit the existence of autonomous settlements and directed anyone who had taken kingship title in such settlements to renounce it and show proof to that effect to his Palace.
The influential and highly respected monarch declared that Asaba was not contemplating territorial expansion, but would not sit on the fence and watch neighboring communities take over their lands.
His Royal Majesty, Asagba Prof Azinge recalled that prior to his ascending the throne, he did promise that Asaba would coexist peacefully with non-indigenous communities, stressing that the promise remained sacrosanct provided the custom and traditions of the land were respected.
He debunked the erroneous assumption in some quarters that the Anwai river was a boundary landmark, insisting that the river undoubtedly belonged to Asaba and everything possible would done done to take ownership of it, rid it of fetish activities and restore the lost glory, along with the Onishe river.
The Asagba ordered a stop to an ongoing project close to the Marian Babangida Leisure Park and asked the Delta State Capital Territory Development Agency to furnish the Palace with details of the project to be sure land grabbers were not the ones at work.
He thanked the Anya Asagba in Anwai, Obi Nduka Mohammed Elunor, for ensuring peace in the area and promised to intervene in some of the developmental challenges of the community.
Asagba Prof Azinge commended the Anam, Osamili, Igala and Arewa communities in Anwai for their peaceful dispositions and for pledging their loyalty, assuring them that the Asaba community would remain hospitable to them.
In a welcome address, the Anya Asagba, Obi Nduka Mohammed Elunor, expressed appreciation to the Asagba for the historic visit and urged His Royal Majesty to intervene in the boundary conflicts between Anwai and the neighboring communities, which he revealed had stalked the development of the area, making it inaccessible and a safe haven for miscreants.
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