Omu Ogwashi-Uku kingdom, stakeholder urge community on peace for development
By Anne Azuka
The acting Omu of Ogwashi-Uku kingdom in Aniocha South Local Government Area of Delta State, Her Royal Majesty(HRM), Chief Edith Rafua has urged the people of Ogwashi Uku kingdom to give peace a chance and rally round the monarchy for the overall development of the community.
Omu Rafua gave the advice while reacting to a video of a faceless woman accusing the monarch, Obi (Dr) Ifechukwude Anishi Okonjo 11 of masterminding the bulldozing of crops in her farm and of other farmers in the community.
Obi Ifechukwude Okonji who is the traditional ruler of Ogwashi-Uku kingdom is the younger brother to the Director General of World Trade Organization, Dr Ngozi Okonjo Iweala.
The Omu who is traditionally in charge of womenfolk and market affairs in the community said contrary to the campaign of calumny in the video, the traditional ruler was just recovering the Ogwashi Uku land mortgaged to estate developers by some unscrupulous individuals that delight in the sale of the community land.
Omu Rafua who spoke shortly after an inspection of the said farmland the woman referred to newsmen weekend, stated: “when it was found out that the said land at the back of Delta State Polytechnic,Ogwashi Uku was being claimed by some estate developers,His Royal Majesty who is the custodian of the community land went to court in 2021 to legally re-claim what was illegally acquired by the developers.
“After serious court battle, the Obi won the case with the Certificate of Warrant of Possession given to him by the court.
“He then set out to recover the land illegally acquired by the land grabbers hence the clearing of the pathways after due diligence .”, she stressed.
According to her, there was no destruction of any crop as attested to by several farmers in the farming area.
She added that the allegation of the woman was not only false but a calculated attempt to smear the reputation of a monarch who has the interest to take the community to a greater height.
“The video is a faceless video because if you are accusing somebody of destroying your property you don’t need to hide your face, you have to come out so that people will know who you are.
” If actually anything like that happened, the woman should have come to me as Omu of the kingdom or go to the palace and report.
The Omu who commended the Obi for his developmental efforts listed several projects embarked upon by him to include the construction of Mother and Child clinic at the general hospital, provision of over seven transformers to Ogwashi Uku and its satellite communities, boreholes and award of scholarship awards to students amongst others.
Meanwhile, the Palace Secretary, Obi- in- council of the kingdom, Prince Ifeakanachukwu Emordi has appealed for the cooperation of all with the monarch in his efforts to recover all the illegally sold lands in Ogwashi Uku and the good work he has started.
“If not for his efforts, I don’t think our children will have any future because by the time all these perpetrators must have finished their evil crime of mortgaging our land, we will have no place for our children to even call their own land anymore.”
Before taking possession of the land in question following the certificate to do so as granted by a competent court, the secretary explained, Obi Okonjo had exhausted all avenues by writing to the relevant authorities, adding that ” all of them are aware of what is going on there.
” Therefore with the proactive steps of the King in recovering the Ogwashi uku lands from land grabbers, encomiums should be poured on him, not casting aspersions as being portrayed in the video meant to smear the integrity of the king”, he explained.
