Battle for Delta Traditional Stool Rages

• ….As Aniocha royal fathers welcome teenage Crown Prince

By Omon-Julius Onabu in Asaba

As the controversy over succession to the royal stool of the Delta State traditional kingdom of Idumuje-Ugboko lingers, former President-General of Idumuje Ugboko Development Union (IUDU), Prince Walter Eziashi, has called on Prince Justin Chukwunonso Nwoko to stop parading himself as the royal father of the kingdom thereby jeopardising peace and security in the community.

Speaking at the weekend at Idumuje Ugboko, Eziashi stressed that the kingdom has a traditional process to choose a new monarch not restricted to “the first son of the king” or a select few from the royal family.

According to him, “The people of the kingdom have a process of selecting their monarch, which is not the exclusive right of the first son of the king and a few members of the royal family but that of the entire Umu-Ologbo royal family comprising both Nwoko’s children as well as his brothers in consultation with the Iyase and the Obi-in-council.”

This is coming on the heels of the appearance of the teenager regarded as the authentic heir apparent to the throne of Idumuje-Ugboko, Prince Uche Stephen Nwoko, at the meeting of Aniocha North Council of Traditional Rulers in Issele-Uku, the administrative headquarters of Aniocha North Local Government Area of Delta State.

THISDAY learnt that the young prince was accompanied to the momentous meeting by elders and senior chiefs in Idumuje-Ugboko where he presented members of the traditional council royal fathers with historical facts to buttress his claims to the stool of his late father, Obi Albert Nwoko III, who died in February 2017.

Nonetheless, Eziashi, who is a royal historian, further said: “Our position is consistent with that of the Aniocha North Council of Traditional Rulers, which had earlier refused to admit Prince Justin Nonso Nwoko to its meeting in Issele-Uku last week where he reportedly appeared fully adorned in the royal regalia.

“The state government has not given him the staff of office, so on what basis is he carrying on as the king?”

According to him, “Prince Nwoko must respect the tradition and institutions of the people by subjecting himself to the due process of selecting the king in Idumuje-Ugboko kingdom. The culture of Idumuje-Ugboko kingdom requires that when a king joins his ancestors, he must be interred within 24 hours of his passage but the rites must be initiated by the Iyase (the traditional prime minister).

“He (Iyase) heads the institution that has the power to summon the council of chiefs, consisting of the Iyase, the Odogwu, the Isama, the Uwolor and the chief priest, to initiate the process of selecting the new king. These are four high ranking chiefs who oversee the administration of the four sections of the town, namely Atuma, Ogbe Ofu, Ogbe Obi and Onicha Uku, respectively.”

Eziashi pointed out that the Iyase is by tradition “the first person to be contacted” when the Obi or monarch dies. “Thereafter, the Iyase will inform the Diokpas in the four quarters, and when he invites them to the palace, then they meet and perform the necessary rites as well as pay their last respect. It is after this that the death of the Obi is made official to the entire town. His burial rites will then commence immediately.

“It is only after the burial ceremonies that the process for the coronation of a new Obi commences,” he maintained, adding that the Iyase holds his first meeting with the council of chiefs to announce the process to select a new king, which must be religiously followed as the culture and tradition clearly stipulated.