Delta monarchs’ council, Obi of Agbor at war over status

Nosa Akenzua Asaba

Hard knock troubles between the Obi of Agbor Kingdom in Delta State, His Royal Majesty, Benjamin Keagborekuzi, and members of the State Council of Traditional Rulers may soon escalate into deepened crisis of war if steps are not taken by the State Government to resolve their differences in “black and white”.

Obi Keagborekuzi had a few days in an interview he granted a national daily (not The Daily Times) ascribed to himself as most recognised and first class monarch in Delta State alleging that all other traditional rulers had been on borrowed ropes.

He went further to allege that apart from himself and the Olu of Warri Kingdom, other traditional rulers in Delta State were installed through what he described as” influence and politics,” a statement laced with interview that had sparked off reactions from well-meaning Deltans including the Council of Traditional Rulers in the state.

Sources alleged that Obi Keagborekuzi had been having issues with the co-traditional rulers in Delta State and beyond for his alleged arrogance and disrespect for constituted authorities particularly in his domain, Agbor Kingdom, where he allegedly bullies all and sundry for trumped up offences.

Besides, Obi Keagborekuzi is alleged to have boycotted meetings with co traditional rulers for no reasons as he does not bother, and he operates under a flimsy excuse that he is always busy and traveling for important meetings outside Nigeria.

It was gathered that the monarch, who ascended his father’s throne as a little boy, is at present forty seven years old and alleged member of the All Progressive Congress (APC) where he had been offered a juicy appointment by President Muhammadu Buhari, particularly as Chancellor of a federal university.

Some residents of Agbor Kingdom, who spoke to our correspondent on condition of anonymity, said: “We are not happy with our King because he is too high handed and has no respect for anyone including his Chiefs at the palace. We don’t like his attitude towards us as his subjects. When the Chiefs try to advise him, he will flare up in serious anger and order the person either beaten up or arrested by the security agencies. The only person that can talk to him is one Theresa who claimed to be working for Obi Keagborekuzi but we know she is not rather dictating activities at the palace hitherto. We are confused”.

The traditional rulers in Delta State under the aegis of Delta State Council of Traditional Rulers on Thursday reacted to Obi Keagborekuzi’s comments where he claimed to be” Dein of Agbor” Kingdom on the classification of Kings in Delta State, saying that the monarch lacked the basic information on how Kings were graded in the state, among others.

The Council, rising from its monthly meeting that was held on Thursday at its secretariat in Asaba, the state capital, frowned at the comments of ” Dein of Agbor” wherein he was alleged to have said that the Olu of Warri and Obi of Agbor were the only first class Kings in Delta State.

The monarchs who picked holes in assertion, however condemned the action of the Obi of Agbor Kingdom, His Royal Majesty, Benjamin Keagborekuzi, and in a communique issued and signed by the Chairman of the Council, His Royal Majesty, Obi Emmanuel Efeizomor II, Obi of Owa, his vice Chairman, His Royal Majesty, Major General Felix Mujakperuo (rtd), among others, said that the Obi Keagborekuzi was uninformed.

In a letter titled: ” Rejoinder: the unfortunate and regrettable claim of being a first class King in Delta State by the Dein of Agbor, properly and legally known as Obi of Agbor”, the monarchs said: “The attention of Delta State Traditional Rulers Council has been consistently drawn by the public to the rather unfortunate publication made by the” Obi of Agbor” referring to himself and the Olu of Warri as the only first class Kings in Delta State on page 12 of the Vanguard Newspapers dated July 29, 2021.

“By the express provision of section 45 ( 3A) of the traditional rulers council and chiefs law CAP T2 of Delta State, upon which the Obi of Agbor is operating and functioning as a king, declares all traditional rulers of the state as co equals”.

“In view of the law cited in paragraph (A) above, there is no rating or special classification of traditional rulers in Delta State as falsely claimed by the Obi of Agbor”.

In a swift reaction, Obi Keagborekuzi of Agbor Kingdom, said that he had no apologies for his claims as first class King, and dispelled all other allegations against him as untrue, adding: “I am not struggling anything with other traditional rulers in the state but I will not abandon my rights for fear of the unknown. I am a first class King and I will continue to maintain”.