The Enogie in council, HRH Iyi-Ewuare Eguaveon and elders of Orovie Village in Ovia North East Local Government Area of Edo State, last weekend denied all the allegations levelled against them by the second-in-command and supposed odionwere, Mr. Emmanuel Oviarobo, which was published on page 6 of Monday, February 19, 2024, in The Nigerian Observer newspaper.
In the said report, he alleged that the Enogie has refused to take him to the palace of the Oba of Benin to introduce him as the next odionwere designate, which is the prerequisite condition to assuming the headship of the village
He also alleged that the Enogie was using unknown youths and miscreants to rule his dukedom thereby encouraging unlawful selling of the village lands, particularly the land hosting the Uloko Ewuare shrine and Ovia shrine.
Oviarobo further alleged that the Enogie was fond of using his position to continually perform, among others, Izakhue traditional rites at the ancestral court (Oguedion).
But reacting to the allegations, the Enogie Eguaveon, during an enlarge meeting of elders, women and youths held at his palace, said the allegations by Emmanuel Oviarobo were fabricated and lacked substance, saying it was his calculated attempts to not to only smear his (Enogie) good reputation before the palace of the Oba of Benin, but to also cover up his sacrilegious acts he had committed in the village.
The traditional head noted that to set the record straight, the said Emmanuel Oviarobo by his intimidating dispositions was suspected by his overriding and despotic actions not to be a true indigene of Orovie Village, as his late father then sojourned to the place during his struggle in life.
He said that when his (Oviarobo) father died, his body was taken to a different place outside Orovie Village, where he was buried.
He said he wondered why he had been laying claim to Orovie Village as an indigene, even though he has lived there for years where he has so far got his achievements.
The Enogie stated that Emmanuel Oviarobo and his siblings, especially his younger brother, Michael Oviarobo, being the chairman of the then Community Development Association (CDA) used his position to illegally cede large expanse of land measuring 2000ft by 2000ft belonging to Orovie Village to the neighbouring Ogunmwenyin Village, where he claimed his mother hailed from and also influenced the building of a parallel ancestral court (Oguedion) against the existing one.
He said that it took the intervention of the Oba of Benin to order its demolition, saying that not comfortable with it, he (Oviarobo), started destroying the properties of indigenes that have accused him of wrong doing and also tied palm leaf across the entrance to the Oguedion and Ikhinmwin aruoto shrine, which is forbidden in Benin Kingdom, without recourse to the traditional implications.
Enogie explained that when he was asked to apologise to the elders and people as well appease the gods, he resorted to writing petitions and arrested him, elders and youths to the offices of the AIG Zone 5 Benin City and the Commissioner of Police, police headquarters, Benin City.
According to the traditional head, he also instituted several court cases against him and elders at Okada and Benin City, saying it was that reason he did not take him to the palace to introduce him as the next odionwere designate; after the two most eligible persons declined to accept because of Christian religion, after the death of Pa Palmer, the former odionwere, who died in 2018 and not 2013 as fictitiously claimed by him (Oviarobo).
Enogie Eguaveon and elders however appealed to His Royal Majesty, Oba Ewuare 11, to call him to order before he plunges the peaceful village to warring zones because of selfish interest, as he has made the village ungovernable for him thereby preventing developments to the locality.
He also said that Emmanuel Oviarobo at the heat of his overbearing attitude, dragged him and elders to the palace of one of the Enigies, whom the Oba has sacked and his acclaimed god-father and mentor, to allege a case, but the then Enogie in his wisdom, after careful observation, asked him (Oviarobo) to go and withdraw the suits in court and as well settle with the Enogie and elders for peace to reign, especially as he has refused to attend several peace meetings convened by the Enogie and elders to resolve the impasse.
