BENIN CITY – The Ohen, Odionwere and the entire people of Okhuoromi Village in Oredo Local Government Area of Edo State, have expressed disgust over the recent protest by some dissidents of Egbirhe Village who claimed that the suspended former Odionwere Omuada, Roland Ekhoe Ogbegbor, allegedly influenced the boundary dispute between the two villages in favour of Okhuoromi.

The people who did not only described the protest to the palace of the Benin Monarch as unfounded, baseless, assault on the revered authority of the Benin Oba, but antics of a drowning man who typically will want to hold onto a weak stroll for seemingly survival, hence the protesters should not be taken serious.

Speaking on behalf of the Ohen of the Village, Ohen Ovbokhan Igbinovia, Counsel to the Village, Prince Peter Uwadiae Esq, said “The Egbirhe people are behaving like a drowning man who will want to hold onto any available stick for survival

“For the record, from the video evidence that was tended in court, it was His Royal Majesty in Council, seated himself that passed the judgment in relation to the case between Egbirhe and Okhuoromi Villages. We didn’t know one Roland Ekhoe Ogbegbor as claimed by Egbirhe.

“Because as at the time (2000) the case was even reported at the palace, Roland Ekhoe was a nobody in the palace. In fact, it was Egbirhe and those who they transferred parts of the Land to that time, particularly one Gen. Agbonlahor rtd, that influenced that the matter to stay stayed long in the palace.

“So, the cry now by Egbirhe that Roland influenced the judgment is baseless, unfounded and even an affront to the revered Benin Monarch, and the judgment that we hard that was reduced into writing and signed by the Secretary to the Benin Traditional Council, Frank Irabor”, maintained

Prince Uwadiae, further averred that why the Egbirhe did not criy to the Oba that Roland influenced the case before going to the court, wherein the decision of the Oba was uphold by Honourable Justice Esther Edigin rtd. when the palace judgement was delivered.

He said that it was the Oba that sent his emissaries after delivering his judgement to go and demarcated the boundary between Egbirhe and Okhuoromi, adding that on the day of the demarcation, January 4, 2017, Douglas Igbinidu, was there, spoke to the press and thanked the Oba for bringing to an end the boundary dispute between the two communities.

“The people of Egbirhe did not tell the court that somebody influenced the decision of the Oba. Is it now that they have failed in court that they want to use Roland issue to relaunched their case in the palace. They filed an appeal in Appeal Court and they should wait for the outcome as the crisis is over at the palace and the first instant court.

“So, Let they not think that because Roland Ekhoe is having problem with the palace now, and they want to use it to rub all the villages in Edo, as the palace is not vindictive of anything and the records are straight in the palace”, he warned.

In their separate reactions, Elders Joseph Igbinovia (Ozukpogieva), John Osagie Edosomwan, Charles Otasowie and Lucky Otasowie while corroborating the position of the Ohen, advised members of the public to ignore the allegations of Egbirhe, pointing out that anybody that contest what the Oba has carefully resolved is not only enemy of the palace but Edo people in general.

They stated that he Douglas Igbinidu, also went to the palace of his Royal Majesty and thanked the Oba for a well considered judgement, just as the elders of Okhuoromi made available copies of Palace ruling dated December 24, 2018, signed by BTC Secretary, Frank Irabor and Enrolment of Judgement of the Edo State High Court in Suit No. B/361/19, issued on April 28, 2021 signed by F.O. Odayande Esq which was accompanied with survey litigation plan.

The Enrollment Of judgment as sighted by our reporters read in part: “Having to considered the Claimants’ case as it is before this court will amount to useless exercise.

“The Claimants’ suit is uncalled for, most unnecessary and a waste of precious time that this court would have channelled to other cases, Claimants’ Suit is dismissed in its entirety”.