Obagie N’Evbuosa Crisis: “I Regret Lying Against Okaighele At The Oba’s Palace” – Osas Aigbedo
By Ikhili Ebalu, Benin City
An indigene of Obagie N’Evbuosa village, Ikpoba Okha local government area of Edo State,one Mr Osas Aigbedo has appealed to His Royal Majesty, Omo N’Oba N’Edo, Uku Akpolokpolo, Oba Ewuare II, CFR, Oba of Benin Kingdom to urgently intervene in the current crisis in Obagie N’Evbuosa before it will consume the people
Mr. Osas Aigbedo made the appeal while speaking to newsmen in Benin City on the true position of the crisis in Obagie N’Evbuosa village which he alleged is being masterminded by some self-centered elders that are desperate to get rich from the proceeds of land grabbing activities, as their actions now threatens the peace and harmony amongst the people.
Mr. Aigbedo who expressed his unreserved apologies to the Benin Monarch for the wrong information he wrote against the Okaighele (Mr. Festus Edegbe) in his letter dated 8th August, 2023 which was addressed to the Oba of Benin, noted that till date he has not not been at peace with himself and regretted on what the elders of the community manipulated him to do against the Okaighele.
According to him, in July 2023, Mr. Felix Ogunrobo who is the Chairman of Elder’s Council in Obagie N’Evbuosa village convened meetings of elders to include Mr. Michael Omoruyi, Mr. Epo Oghadomwangbe, Mr. Wilfred Otamere, Mr. Osariagbe Ogbeiwe, Mr. Monday Aiguobatile(odionwere’s son), Mr. Osatohamwen Ekogiawe, Mr. Joseph Aigbedo, Mr. Uyi Igiebor and others wherein the elders expressed their desire to remove Mr. Festus Ekeniaye Edegbe as the Okaighele of the village and replace him with someone that will be loyal and do their biddings
He subsequently added that after much deliberation on the strategy to be adopted, one Mr. Uyi Igiebor was proposed for the position of Okaighele but he declined their offer on the ground that he has earlier served as the Youth Chairman of the village for over six (6) years. “I was therefore unanimously endorsed by the elders to be their Okaigheie after executing their plans”.
“The contents of the letter I wrote to the Palace on 8th August, 2023 was 100% dictated to me by the aforementioned elders who vowed to remove our Okaighele at all cost.
“It is sad to note that when the Odionwere and elders of Obagie N’Evbuosa village were invited to the Palace, the above-mentioned elders lied before the Dispute Resolution Committee (DRC) that everything stated on my letter to the Palace against our Okaighele was true without any proofs to substantiate their claims.
“To prove the desperation of these self-centered elders, they used the eldest son of the Odionwere (Mr. Monday Aiguobatile) to manipulate our Odionwere to misinformed the Committee that he ordered the removal of Mr. Festus Ekeniaye Edegbe as the Okaighele of Obagie N’Evbuosa village, an action that brought about spontaneous jubilation by the self-centered elders from the Palace of the Oba of Benin, which climaxed at the village.”
Going further, Mr. Osas Aigbedo said “In view of the foregoing, an enlarged meeting was convened in the village were the same elders who masterminded the alleged removal of the Okaighele presented one Mr. Uyi Igiebor before the Odionwere and his eldest son (Mr. Monday Aiguabatile) told the Odionwere to pronounce him the Okaighele of the village, while the journalists which they contracted from one of the television stations in Benin were on ground to capture the events and they ensured the said video clips went viral across the social media platforms. Mr. Uyi Igiebor who now parades himself as the Okaighele of Obagie N’Evbuosa village connived with the clique of self-centered elders to begin to unleash mayhem on innocent indigenes of the village with a view to forcefully engage in land-grabbing activities.
“I can’t sleep at night because of a possible attack from self-imposed Okaighele and the self-centered elders “.
In conclusion, Mr. Osas Aigbedo passionately appealed to the Omo N’Oba N’Edo Uku Akpolokpolo, Ewuare II, Oba of Benin to urgently intervene in the Obagie N’Evbuosa village crisis with a view to restore peace, unity and sustainable development to Obagie N’Evbuosa village.”