The traditional rites for the newly-installed monarch of Egbemah Kingdom in Warri North, HRM Napoleon Egin has continued amid threat from a few dissenting voices just as the Warri North Local Government Council chairman, Hon. Smart Asekutu, has warned against any act that may constitute a breach of peace in the area.
Our correspondent learnt that upon the demise of the former monarch, the entire kingdom met and requested the Ogbudugbudu Ruling House to nominate one of their own to be installed as the new king.
The ruling house, it was however gathered, presented the names of six persons instead of one for consideration. Subsequently, during the general meeting of the kingdom, the Ogbudugbudu Ruling House, consented to the decision that the Traditional Council of Chiefs should select one person from among the list to be installed the new monarch.
A Warri-based lawyer and a prominent son of the Egbemah Kingdom from the Ogbudugbudu Ruling House, Barr. Napoleon S. Egin was unanimously selected as the next monarch for the kingdom.
It was further gathered that shortly after the consensus selection of the monarch-elect, the kingmakers commenced the process of traditional rites on the new monarch in his house in Egbema Kingdom “when from nowhere some armed youths identified as members of a pipelines vigilante besieged the arena and abducted the new monarch through a backdoor, to an unknown destination”.
A source which spoke to our correspondent on condition of anonymity, confirmed that the Warri North Council Chairman, Hon. Smart Yomi Asekutu, was contacted of the development and he intervened, mobilising to the creek to rescue the abducted monarch.
It was gathered that after two days in captivity, the monarch was released after the Council Chairman threatened to deal with abductors.
As at the time of this report, the new monarch, it was gathered, is in Asaba where the Delta State government is said to be perfecting the arrangement for his coronation and the presentation of staff of office as soon as possible.
Although our correspondent’s effort to get the Council chairman, Hon. Asekutu to speak on the matter has been unsuccessful, a reliable source close to the chairman confirmed that the Warri North boss along with the State Director of DSS, have warned those trying to foment trouble in the Local Government Area, to desist or face the wrath of the law.
The source quoted the chairman as saying that: “We challenge youths to be advocate for peace and development rather than allowing themselves to be used as tools in the hands of some politicians and mischief makers who do not have the interest of the kingdom at heart. The youths are are also admonished to shun all acts that are inimical to development and eschew thuggery or inciting the people against one another.
“We have effective synergy with the law enforcement agencies and anybody found culpable of contravention of the laws will be apprehended and prosecuted.
“We can only enjoy development when our Egbema Kingdom and its communities are peaceful and capable of hosting companies undertaking projects.
“So, it is our collective responsibilities to promote peaceful and harmonious relationships in our various communities,’’ the Council chairman was quoted to have said.
Meanwhile, report reaching us has confirmed that four alleged recalcitrant chiefs from the Ruling House of Ogbudugbudu who are hell-bent on disrupting the process of traditional rites of the new king, have been placed on suspension by the Egbema Traditional Council of Chiefs.
In a letter prepared on the Egbema Traditional Council letterhead paper dated today, 22/10/22 and addressed to the four chiefs namely, Andrew Gorroh, Johnson Sule Akpasibewei, Pastor Tlikiwei and Johnbull Adaun, and sighted by our correspondent, they were notified of their suspension.
The letter signed by the Secretary of the Egbema Traditional Council of Chiefs, Chief Joseph P. Owilly, accused the four chiefs of unlawfully summoning the elderly chiefs of the kingdom who play the role of kingmakers to answer to their query.
The Council noted that the accused four chiefs have no right to summon the elders who have performed their traditional roles, adding that the elders and chiefs of the kingdom will not surrender its traditional role to external forces.
The letter of suspension reads in part: “The attention of the Egbema Traditional Council of Chiefs has been drawn to a letter written by the four of you. The purpose of the letter is to summon elders and chiefs over 80 years of age, who performed their traditional role conferred on us by our forefathers, ancient traditions and the Gazette to appear before you and other youths at Ajakurama on 23rd of October 2022 to answer query.
“Such utterances from the four of you are highly unacceptable. The elders and Chiefs of this Kingdom will never surrender the kingdom to external forces whose aim is to ridicule our great kingdom before public glare.
“Consequently, the four of you are hereby suspended from Egbema Traditional Council of chiefs with immediate effect pending when you appear before the Traditional Council to explain your actions. This decision was taken in an emergency meeting of Council leadership for that purpose.
“Accordingly, you are to stay away from all matters pertaining to Egbema Traditional matters.”
In a related development, a body known as Egbema Leaders of Thought has accused the Local Government Council Chairman, Hon. Smart Asekutu of tacitly imposing the newly-installed monarch, HRM Napoleon Egin on the people.
In a statement jointly signed by the group Chairman, Elder Edmund Tiemo and Secretary, E.A. Mawari, they accused LG Council chairman of ‘encouraging the installation of a King through the back door” just as they called on Governor Ifeanyi Okowa and the State Director of the Department of State Security (DSS) to call the chairman to order.
According to the group, Barr. Napoleon Egin is not yet the Agadagba-elect of the Egbema Kingdom.
