• Say Village has been in existence since Oba Adolor's era -Odionwere
From our news desk
The Odionwere, elders and people of Oyemwen Village in Uhunwonde local Government Area of Edo State have said 'Oyemwen' has been the name right from the days of Oba Adolor when it was founded by the great king.
The Odionwere Pa. Godfrey Omoruyi Ogbomwan made the clarification while debunking media reports made by the Enogie of Ihonvbor, HRH Fortune Igbinakenzua that they (people of Oyemwen) changed the name which was originally Evbueka to Oyemwen Village.
Pa. Ogbomwan also used the occasion to passionately appeal to Oba Ewuare II to come to their aid following the alleged incessant arrest and attack on them by the Enogie and his boys and also help by inviting both parties to the Palace so that the truth can prevail and the issues settled once and for all.
Explaining further, the general secretary of the Village Ikponmwonsa Omoregie said the problems been experienced in the Village are not about the name change, because the Enogie himself has acknowledged several times through correspondence to them using the known name Oyemwen and not Evbueka as being claimed by him even as he has also said his biological grandmother came from Oyemwen Village.
He noted that it is as a result of the presence of the multi-national company (NIPP) in the Village and interest of the Enogie they have known no peace; alleging anything accruing to them, the Enogie has always shortchanged them revealing that one of the companies once paid 18 million naira through the traditional ruler and he only gave the people 60,000 naira, amongst many other allegations.
Allegedly the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between Oyemwen and Ihonvbor colapsed and the Enogie said it has to continue by force.
Eventually, that landed them at the AIG Zone 5 Command where a decision was reached and signed by both Villages; that status quo should be maintained, while Oyemwen remain on their own, Ihonvbor as well should remain on its own.
Consequently, the Police insisted that the people of Ihonvbor pay compensation for damages done and it was accomplished, the sum of #300,000 was paid through their lawyer for the damages after much apologies.
Continuing, he said since they were not benefiting anything from the Azura company they wrote to the State Government and that was how it became aware of their ordeal in the hands of the Enogie.
"We are there because the Oba is our father and we will continue to abide by the rules and customs of the land.
"He even accused us before the police that instead of us paying homage to him, we are paying homage to the Palace; we have never heard such a thing.
"It is also on record that a year ago the same Enogie came to meet the Odionwere of Oyemwen Pa Godfrey Omoruyi Ogbomwan pleading that he should form an alliance with him against Orior Osemwende in the case that's in court.
"If the two Villages, Oyemwen and Ihonvbor can come together in a case which bothers on a particular drainage which was constructed by Azura into Oyemwen land and on that particular place there is a moat between Orior Osemwende and Oyemwen, he added.
"The compensation for that act was about 17million naira and that issue has been in court since 2013 hence his coming to the Odionwere to form an alliance but the elders put head together and said he (Enogie ) can not be trusted because of the way he has treated the people of Oyemwen.
He alleged that these are some of the reasons the Enogie has been against them and comes up with frivolous excuse, making efforts to change the name of the community himself".
The assistant secretary, Collins Aigbovoriuwa further added that all that is due to Oyemwen Village, the Enogie has allegedly been collecting for the past 14 years.
The people had to go to Azura but were told, the Village is not gazetted by the Edo State Government hence they cannot be answered and had to go for the process of gazetting which is almost completed now.
He pointed out that it is of note that at the meeting with the Ministry of local Government and Community Affairs, the Commissioner urged both Parties to embrace peace and harmony.
Stating that the Enogie is not happy because if the Village is gazetted and begin to get entitlements from Azura, he will not be recognized and therefore advised that a meeting should be fixed but on the appointed day, the Enogie allegedly brought police to arrest them and that meeting never held till today.
Collins Aigbovoriuwa claimed that the police even told him he (Enogie) does not have right over what he is doing; saying that we are his subjects.
The police then advised him to get order from the court or from the Palace and until that is done, both parties should maintain the status quo.
"We are using this opportunity to appeal to the great Oba Ewuare II who is our father to call both the people of Oyemwen and the Enogie of Ihonvbor to the Palace so that the issues of name change and incessant arrest by the Enogie could be addressed"
They therefore call on the public to disregard the purported appointment of Okaighele in Oyemwen by the Enogie; clarifying that they already have their elders council led by the Odionwere and other executives on ground.
Hence the public should not have any business transactions with the so called persons appointed as Okaighele.
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