Monarch strips chief of title in Delta

Nosa Akenzua, Asaba

The Ovie of Uvwie Kingdom in Delta state, Emmanuel Ekemejewa Sideso, on Monday declared the highest traditional chieftaincy title of Unuevworo (traditional mouth piece) of Etche Ekpan vacant just as he appointed an acting spokesman for the community.

The action by the monarch is sequel to the upholding of the death sentence passed on the erstwhile Unuevworo, High Chief Newton Agbodofodoh by the Court of Appeal in Benin City last Monday.

Addressing journalists, the traditional ruler traced the genesis of the travail of the estranged Uvwie high chief to a protest letter written by a group known as Ekpan Integrity Group addressed to the Ovie of Uvwie in council alleging series of atrocities, including murder against the deposed High Chief Agbodofodoh.

According to him, the litigation that led to the conviction of Chief Agbodofodoh was initiated by families of those who were allegedly murdered by the erstwhile Unuevworo, explaining that he waited this long before declaring the stool of vacant because Chief Agbodofodoh appealed against his earlier conviction.

He warned that it is a sacrilege for an Uvwie chief to be involved in any criminal offence or be convicted by a law court, adding that took the final decision since the law has taken its course.

The monarch stated that the traditional laws of Ekpan doesn’t allow vacancy in any stool and consequently, he has appointed Chief Victor Otomiewo the acting Unuevworo pending the installation of a substantive title holder.

The ovie said that the “Unuevworo stool is rotational among the three families and that the family which the erstwhile Unuevworo hails from cannot vie for the exalted traditional stool for now, so the ruling houses can initiate the process of the presentation of a credible candidate for the Unuevworo seat.”