Paul Osuyi, Asaba
The passing on of the 91-year-old Obi of Ogwashi-Uku Kingdom in Aniocha South Local Government Area of Delta State, Prof. Chukwuka Ben Okonjo, has stirred the hornet’s nest over who succeeds him. His departure is creating anxiety among residents of the town in anticipation of a tussle over the stool.
The fear among locals is that it would plunge the community into another round of crises similar to the one between the Izediunor and Okonjo families that lasted decades.
Obi Okonjo, father of former minister of finance, Dr. (Mrs.) Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, was installed in 2007. His 12-year reign was characterised by litigations, as princes from the extended royal family laid claim to the stool.
Already, two contenders, Nathan Okonjo and Ifechukwude Okonjo, have undergone traditional rites, separately, as successor to the throne of the Obi of Ogwashi-Uku, which is hereditary, based on the principle of primogeniture. While Nathan is a first cousin to the late Obi, Ifechukwude is the third son of the deceased monarch. Both of them had already undergone the traditional chalking and consecration as required by Ogwashi-Uku customs.
Although some stakeholders have fault Nathan’s installation on the grounds that the stool was hereditary, his backers have alleged that Okonjo-Iweala used her fame and wealth to influence the installation of her father as Obi in 2007.
An insider, Patrick Okonjo, for instance, accused the ex-minister of usurping the traditional functions by unilaterally announcing her father’s death and proclaiming her younger brother as successor to the throne. Patrick, who claimed to be speaking for the Umu Obi Obahai Royal Family, observed that a faction of the family was desecrating the Ogwashi-Uku traditional institution, and the development was sad and pitiful: “In furtherance of this plan, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala has purported to announce the transition of an Obi of Ogwashi-Uku and proclaimed the ascension to the same throne by her brother, Ifechukwude Okonjo (Chude).”
He maintained that it was sacrilegious for a princess to announce the transition of the monarch or proclaim another.
He said, “Succession to the traditional stool of Ogwashi-Uku is strictly by primogeniture. Prof. Okonjo was never in the line of succession and, therefore, only served as a regent. His third son, Chude, consequently, can never be Obi.
“The Obiship of Ogwashi-Uku does not go to the highest bidder, it is rooted in inviolable, ancient custom and tradition. Prof. Okonjo, in effect, usurped the throne. These issues form the bedrock of the suit A/159/2019, Prince Patrick Okonjo vs. Prince Nathan Okonjo and eight others, now before the High Court of Justice, Asaba.”
But the Umu Obi Obahai Royal Family has dissociated itself from Patrick, saying he did not have the authority to speak for the family, and whatever comments he made were personal. Acting Diokpa of the family, Prince Emmanuel Nwokolie Ohei, in a statement jointly signed with the Ozoma of Ogwashi-Uku, Prince Lawrence Nkemjika Okolobi, and palace secretary, Prince Ifeakanachukwu Emordi, insisted that Ifechukwude was legitimately installed as the successor to Prof. Okonjo.
The passing on of the 91-year-old Obi of Ogwashi-Uku Kingdom in Aniocha South Local Government Area of Delta State, Prof. Chukwuka Ben Okonjo, has stirred the hornet’s nest over who succeeds him. His departure is creating anxiety among residents of the town in anticipation of a tussle over the stool.
The fear among locals is that it would plunge the community into another round of crises similar to the one between the Izediunor and Okonjo families that lasted decades.
Obi Okonjo, father of former minister of finance, Dr. (Mrs.) Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, was installed in 2007. His 12-year reign was characterised by litigations, as princes from the extended royal family laid claim to the stool.
Already, two contenders, Nathan Okonjo and Ifechukwude Okonjo, have undergone traditional rites, separately, as successor to the throne of the Obi of Ogwashi-Uku, which is hereditary, based on the principle of primogeniture. While Nathan is a first cousin to the late Obi, Ifechukwude is the third son of the deceased monarch. Both of them had already undergone the traditional chalking and consecration as required by Ogwashi-Uku customs.
Although some stakeholders have fault Nathan’s installation on the grounds that the stool was hereditary, his backers have alleged that Okonjo-Iweala used her fame and wealth to influence the installation of her father as Obi in 2007.
An insider, Patrick Okonjo, for instance, accused the ex-minister of usurping the traditional functions by unilaterally announcing her father’s death and proclaiming her younger brother as successor to the throne. Patrick, who claimed to be speaking for the Umu Obi Obahai Royal Family, observed that a faction of the family was desecrating the Ogwashi-Uku traditional institution, and the development was sad and pitiful: “In furtherance of this plan, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala has purported to announce the transition of an Obi of Ogwashi-Uku and proclaimed the ascension to the same throne by her brother, Ifechukwude Okonjo (Chude).”
He maintained that it was sacrilegious for a princess to announce the transition of the monarch or proclaim another.
He said, “Succession to the traditional stool of Ogwashi-Uku is strictly by primogeniture. Prof. Okonjo was never in the line of succession and, therefore, only served as a regent. His third son, Chude, consequently, can never be Obi.
“The Obiship of Ogwashi-Uku does not go to the highest bidder, it is rooted in inviolable, ancient custom and tradition. Prof. Okonjo, in effect, usurped the throne. These issues form the bedrock of the suit A/159/2019, Prince Patrick Okonjo vs. Prince Nathan Okonjo and eight others, now before the High Court of Justice, Asaba.”
But the Umu Obi Obahai Royal Family has dissociated itself from Patrick, saying he did not have the authority to speak for the family, and whatever comments he made were personal. Acting Diokpa of the family, Prince Emmanuel Nwokolie Ohei, in a statement jointly signed with the Ozoma of Ogwashi-Uku, Prince Lawrence Nkemjika Okolobi, and palace secretary, Prince Ifeakanachukwu Emordi, insisted that Ifechukwude was legitimately installed as the successor to Prof. Okonjo.
“It has come to our attention that one Patrick Okonjo has issued a statement in which he claimed to be speaking for the Umu Obi Obahai Royal Family. We want to make this known: Patrick Okonjo does not speak for the family, he speaks only for himself as he has always done.
“We urge our people, the public, media and all stakeholders to ignore the comments of Patrick. He has been issuing such statement and filing court cases in pursuit of certain interest.The Umu Obi Obahai Royal family is united in its decision which produced Obi Ifechukwude Chukwuka Okonjo. And this decision has been endorsed by Agidiehe and Ikelike, the kingmakers.
“The successful installation, enthronement and the joy of the people on September 13, 2019, knows no bounds and goes to show that the people of Ogwashi-Uku are happy with this decision.”
Buttressing the rites of installation, the Ozoma, Prince Okolobi, said the processes started from the royal family, adding that members of the immediate family agree and bring out a successor at the passage of an Obi: “Then we go to Agidiehe for chalking and consecrating the Obi because they have a consecrated land where they perform the rites. After that you go to Ikelike, you can see what we are doing today.
“So today we have a new king and I pray that all hands will be on deck to bring back our tradition and culture. Some people never knew that have this kind of tradition, and today these have been manifested.”
But Nathan’s younger brother, Clement, said his brother was chalked and consecrated by the rightful titleholders whose duty it was to do so. He cited a 2008 court judgment recognising the Iwedike family as the rightful family to produce the Onihe who performs the chalking:
“It is the Diokpa of that Onihe family that performed the chalking ceremony. Besides, there was a court judgment, which in 2007, directed that the Diokpa of Umu-Obahai Ruling Family in the person of Nwafor Emordi should trace the ascendency lineage of the Obiship of the Umu-Obahai so as to determine who should be selected as the Obi of the community in 2007.
“Unfortunately, that order was not followed, rather, what was done then was a system of voting that produced Prof. Chukwuka Okonjo.
“That was why my brother, Nathan, was in court with the Obi since then. And the matter is still pending at the Court of Appeal, Benin, Edo State.
“Apart from that, there was also an enrolment order that was secured by my brother from Ogwashi-Uku High Court, directing that the Obi should not be conferred with the staff of office.