By Austin Ogwuda
DESPITE the extension of the Olive branch to his fellow aspirants to the exalted stool of the Asagba of Asaba, Delta State, Nigeria, by the newly installed Asagba, Obi Professor Epiphany Azinge to sheathe sword and join hands with him, one of the aspirants, 61-year-old Ogbueshi Anthony Ogugua Konwea, a Petroleum Engineer has headed to Court to challenge the selection process.
Konwea, in the Suit No: DTHC/ASB/CV/254/2024 filed before Justice P. N. Obanor of the Delta State High Court, Asaba, through his lawyer, E. L Akpofure (SAN) is contending that:
*By the Native Law and Custom of Asaba, ascension to the throne of the Asagba of Asaba is rotational among the 5 (five) Quarters that make up Asaba.
Rotation among the Quarters is in the following order: Umuezei, Ugbomanta, Umuagu, Umuaji and Umuonaje.
*That the said rotation of the Asagba kingship stool in Asaba started with Obi Nwokolo of Umuezei Quarters, in 1925. Thereafter, the Asagba kingship stool went round all the quarters in Asaba and started the second round with the late Asagba (Prof.) Chike Edozien, who reigned from 1991 to 2024.
*That after the death of the erstwhile Asagba of Asaba, who was from Umuezei Quarters of Asaba, it became the turn of his Ugbomanta Quarters to produce the next Asagba of Asaba, in line with the long established order of rotation.
*That by virtue of the rotational principle entrenched in the registered Declaration, which the people of Ugbomanta Quarters also adopted to regulate the nomination/section of the next candidate to occupy the stool of Asagba of Asaba, it is the turn of Isieke Village of Ugbomanta Quarters and not that of Umudaike village to produce the next candidate to occupy the stool of the Asagba of Asaba Kingdom.
(Note that the incumbent Asagba, Obi Professor Epiphany Azinge hails from Umudaike village).
Konwea is therefore asking for a declaration that the succession to the throne of the Asagba of Asaba is regulated by the registered Declaration made under Section 8 of the Traditional and Chiefs Edict, 1979 (now law) which states the procedure and customary law that regulate succession to the title of the Asagba of Asaba.
*A declaration that in line with the registered Declaration, it is only the adult male members of Ugbomanta Quarters in a meeting summoned by the Okpala-Uku of Ugbomanta Quarters that have the powers to nominate a candidate to occupy the stool of the Asagba of Asaba.
*That the failure of the 2nd Defendant (the first son of the departed Asagba Joseph Chike Edozien, Prince Joseph Edozien Jr.) to personally act in his capacity as the Ochendo-Asagba (Regent) of Asaba kingdom and perform all the functions and duties bestowed on him throughout the process of the selection and approval of the candidates to occupy the stool of the Asagba of Asaba in line with the provisions of paragraphs 4 & 5 of the registered Declaration made under Section 8 of the Traditional Rulers and Chiefs Edict, 1979 (now law), renders all the decisions and meetings taken and/or held by the 3rd Defendant (Dr Anthony Edozien, second son of the departed Asagba Joseph Chike Edozien) null and void.
*A declaration that the various purported written correspondences, meetings held and decisions taken by the 3rd Defendant for and on behalf of the 2nd Defendant, are all void ab initio as the 2nd Defendant cannot delegate his traditional functions and duties bestowed on him as the Ochendo-Asagba (Regent) of Asaba by the Traditional Rulers and Chiefs Edict, 1979 (now law) to any other person including but not limited to the 2nd Defendant.
*That following the completion of the burial rites of the said late Asagba of Asaba, HRM Asagba (Prof.) Chike Edozien, a letter dated the 7th day of July, 2024, purporting to be from the palace of the Ochendo-Asagba (Regent) of Asaba, was sent to the Okpala- Uku of Ugbomanta Quarters, requiring him to present candidates to the Asagba-in-Council for the Asagba Kingship stool. That quite curiously, the Ochendo-Asagba (Regent), in order to pave way for the emergence of Prof. Epiphany Chigbogu Azinge (SAN), as one of the candidates to fill the vacant Kingship stool, inserted a clause in his letter dated 7th day of July, 2024, directing the Okpala-Uku of Ugbomanta to eschew zoning in the selection of candidates to be presented for the Asagba Kingship position. He further directed that the said position should be thrown open to all qualified male natives of Ugbomanta Quarters, irrespective of the village or family they come from.
*That the Ochendo Asagba (Regent) does not have any role whatsoever in the selection, by the appropriate Quarter, of qualified candidates to be presented to occupy the Asagba Kingship position, he averred that it is the Okpala-Uku of the appropriate Quarters who has such powers.
No date has been fixed for hearing.
Recall that upon ascension to the throne a month ago, in his inaugural speech, the highly respected Asagba of Asaba with both national and international connections, parading enviable resume, said, “There is no contest without hitches. Some have congratulated me and thereby enjoyed other contestants joining me in moving Asaba to the highest. There is enough work to be done, and I cannot do it alone”.
