Crusaderhotnews
By Lucky Efese
An indigene of Ogiza Village in Oredo Local Government Area of Edo State, Lawrence Alohan, has accused one Pa Isaiah Otenghabun Eghonmwanre of not only allegedly ceding a large expanse of lands belonging to his village to a neighbouring village but also telling lies to the Benin Monarch, His Royal Majesty, Oba Ewuare 11 CFR, to actualise his self- imposition as the odionwere ( head).
He appealed to the Oba to intervene by calling for probe into his false claims in this regard.
In a petition to the palace of the Oba dated 12th November, submitted and received on the 14th November 2024, Lawrence Alohan, who also the number 3 elder (Ozukpogieha) in the village stated that Pa Isaiah Otenghabun Eghonmwanre, use his old age to work against the laid down rules of the tradition of the village by allegedly allocating the village lands to unsuspecting members of the public especially the neighbouring village for the purpose of gratification.
Secondly, that he falsely presented John Ogborue, from Igbogor village in Ovia South West and Omono from Ovbiogie in Ovia North East Local government areas of the state as well as Otaokhuo even an urhobo man from Delta State as numbers 2, 3 and 4th (Ozukpogieha, Ozukpogieha and Ozukpogiene) elders in the village when it is apparent that they, including himself, are not bonafide indigenes of Ogiza village, where his (Alohan) father once held sway as an elder.
Alohan said to set the record straight, while he wouldn't wants to join issues with the nonagenarian, he would also appreciate the facts that the true version of the story must be told as regards the place of origin and the indisposition to sell the village lands without recourse to the well being of the people, saying alien cannot be an odionwere in Ogiza
But responding, Speaking on behalf of Pa Otenghabun Eghonmwanre, Festus Eghonmwanre denied all the allegations levelled against his father, saying his father was installed odionwere in 2017 and that his father ordered the promotion of Lawrence Alohan among others to the rank of edion and then be number Seven elder in the hierarchy in the village.
Festus Eghonmwanre also noted that his father visited the palace of the Oba of Benin in November 2024 to pay homage in line with the dictates of the tradition and not to tell the Oba lies.
He added that the three edion his father presented are those indigenes who are members of the five major families including his father and Alohan who came from different parts to settle down at Ogiza village, insisting the Enogie of Umegbe village witnessed his father installation as the odionwere of Ogiza village
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