By Anne Azuka
The acting Omu of Ogwashi-Uku Kingdom in Aniocha South Local Government Area of Delta State, Her Royal Majesty, Chief Edith Rafua, has called on the people of the community to embrace peace and support the monarchy for overall development.
Omu Rafua made the appeal while reacting to a viral video in which a faceless woman accused the monarch, Obi (Dr) Ifechukwude Anishi Okonjo II, of bulldozing crops belonging to her and other farmers.
Obi Ifechukwude Okonjo, younger brother to the Director-General of the World Trade Organization, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, is the traditional ruler of Ogwashi-Uku Kingdom. The Omu explained that the allegations were false and a calculated attempt to tarnish the monarch’s image.
She clarified that the monarch was only recovering land mortgaged to estate developers by individuals illegally selling community property. According to her, the disputed land, located behind the Delta State Polytechnic, Ogwashi-Uku, was reclaimed legally after a court battle in 2021, which granted the Obi a Certificate of Warrant of Possession.
“There was no destruction of crops, as several farmers in the area confirmed,” Omu Rafua said. “The allegation is baseless. If the woman had genuine concerns, she should have reported to me as Omu or gone to the palace instead of hiding her face in a faceless video.”
The Omu commended the monarch’s efforts toward community growth, citing projects such as the construction of a Mother and Child Clinic at the general hospital, provision of transformers and boreholes, and scholarship awards to students.
Also speaking, the Palace Secretary, Prince Ifeakanachukwu Emordi, urged the community to cooperate with the monarch in his efforts to recover illegally sold lands. He warned that unchecked land grabbing would leave future generations with no land to call their own.
He explained that before reclaiming the disputed land, Obi Okonjo had exhausted all legal and administrative processes. “The king’s proactive steps deserve commendation, not baseless accusations,” he said.
