Court orders monarch to vacate stool

Amaka Agbu, Port Harcourt

The occupant  of the Eze Epara Rebisi stool Rivers State, Prince Victor Woluchem, has been sacked by a state High Court sitting in the state and presided by  Justice Monima Danagogo. The court Tuesday ordered the Eze Rebisi to vacate the seat pending the determination of a substantive suit against him.

In a ruling delivered on a motion filed before the court by Chief Emeka Anyabelem, the claimant of the stool, to set aside the recognition of Prince Woluchem, Justice Danagogo stated that the action of the 10th defendant, (former Governor Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi) was a clear manifestation of  disrespect for the court of law.

The presiding Judge consequently restrained Chief Woluchem from parading himself, either through his servants or privy, agents or in any form as Eze Epara Rebisi, pending the determination of the substantive suit before the court, and that the order also applied to other defendants.

There had been a long legal battle for the throne following the death of the last occupant of the Eze Apara Rebisi, Eze Sunday Nnanta Woluchem, for which the Oro-Olozu community was split into two factions on who ascends the throne.

The Governor Amaechi administration, however,  recognized Prince Victor Woluchem as the Eze Epara Rebisi.
Expressing happiness over the court’s ruling, consel to the claimant, Mr. Ibingo Evaris, said that the claimant filed a motion asking the court to set aside the recognition of Prince Woluchem “because he was recognised by the previous government of the state after we filed the case.  So the prayers was that that recognition should be set aside or suspended during the pendency of the case. That motion was just granted this morning.”

He said: “The 10th defendant in complete disobedience to the court decided on his own, that is part of executive recklessness, to recognise the first defendant as the Eze Epara Rebisi knowing fully well that, that is a subject matter before the honourable court.”

The case was adjourned to December 19 2016 for mention.