Ikhueniro Is One Community – Oba Ewuare II

By Honours Akhigbe
The lingering leadership crisis in Ikhueniro community located in Uhunwode Local Government Area of Edo State, has finally been laid to rest by the Benin Monarch, Oba Ewuare II.
The revered Benin royal father in his judgement delivered on June 28, 2018 restated his earlier pronouncement that Ohen-Obaro, High Priest Osazemwinde Ohenhen, is the rightful traditional head of Ikhueniro community.
Oba Ewuare II also declared as illegal the partitioning of Ikhueniro into three communities, insisting that Ikhueniro is one indivisible community.
He ordered that the leaders and members of the community should queue behind High Priest Ohenhen and cooperate with him for the betterment of the community.
The Reliance investigation revealed that since the judgement, majority of members of the hitherto divided community have started co-existing as members of one Ikhueniro community, even as peace has returned to the area.
“We are now coexisting in harmony and peace has returned to Ikhueniro community. The Oba has declared that Ikhueniro is one community and so it is today. We are all very happy and joyous over the Oba’s judgement”, some residents of the community told The Reliance.
But the traditional head of Ikhueniro community and Ohen-Obaro, High Priest Osazemwinde Ohenhen, some senior members of the elders council, namely Elder Godwin Osah, Elder Andrew Ogbeide, Elder Bernard Iyalekhue Izekor and Elder Victor Agbonifo as well as the community secretary, Comrade Ohenhen Johnson, reacted to the Oba’s Judgement as follows:
Ohen-Obaro, High Priest Osazemwinde Ohenhen – “I am so happy; so elated. I thank specially the Oba of Benin, Oba Ewuare II, who is so full of divine wisdom which he is using to lead the Benin people in the right direction and to prosperity. Our father, the Oba of Benin has repeatedly said that Ikhueniro is one and that dividing it into three is illegal and against the tradition of the Benin Kingdom.
“When he appointed me the head of Ikhueniro village and ordered that the three divisions or quarters namely Ugbozigue quarter, Ese quarter and Ohengie quarter should come together as one as it was when the village was founded, some people kicked against it and dragged me to Oba palace.
“But again, the Oba insisted that Ikhueniro is one and should remain so and not divided. One people, one community and one shrine. Right from June 28, 2018, when the Oba finally told the Ikhueniro elders and people, that Ikhueniro is one and that I am his recognized representative, nearly everybody has accepted the Oba’s verdict, unless a few leaders who are yet to see reasons with the Oba’s judgement.
“But by and large, everybody is very happy in the community and things are going on peacefully. As a result of the prevailing peace in Ikhueniro, we are now making plans to resume the celebration of “Ikpoleki” festival which for over 10 years has not celebrated in the community because of division.
“I and my people are so happy that we are ready to continue to serve the Oba as his servants and anything he want us to do, we shall do it loyally without questioning.
“Now that peace has returned to Ikhueniro, I can boldly assure you that development will come to the community. On my part, I will mobilize my people to build community market and school and thereafter, team up with other groups and organizations to build companies and industries in the community. These companies will provide jobs for Edo people, mostly Ikhueniro community people.
“I therefore call on every man and woman in Ikhueniro community to join hands with me so as to make our community a better place for all us. That is the way our father, the Oba of Benin wants it. Oba Ewuare wants us to join him to develop Benin land”.
Elder Godwin Osah – “We are very happy with the Oba’s judgement and victory of Ohen Obaro. The Oba’s mediation has brought an enduring peace to Ikhueniro community. Oba Ewuare II, Ogidigan has reunited Ikhueniro community which was illegally divided into three separate communities. Ikhueniro is now one single entitiy under Ohen Obaro.
“We were not happy when our community was divided into three parts. But the intervention of our royal father, the Oba of Benin has brought us together again and everybody is now very happy. We can now eat together as one big family. We now know our respective ages, set by set, seniority by seniority”.
Elder Andrew Ogeide – “People were behaving the way they like in the past but now we are all together. We now have one shrine as against three shrines. We now see ourselves as brothers and sisters as against what it used to be. We now do things in common.

“The recent judgement of the Oba of Benin was very peaceful and has brought peace and unity to ikhueniro village. All the people are happy and full of praises for Oba Ewuare II. The judgement of the Oba was very sound and we all like it and have complied with it”.
Elder Bernard Iyalekhue – “Since the judgement by our amiable father, the Oba of Benin, Ikhueniro is now peaceful and everybody is happy. We need unity for us to develop but some few people had slammed us with division for their selfish interest. Now that Oba Ewuare II has reunited us, we can now do things in common as one family. We now meet and take decisions together, visit ourselves and relate cordially”.
Elder Victor Agbonifo – “All the good people of Ikhueniro community have been in festive mode since the judgement of Benin royal father, Oba Ewuare II which declared Ohen Obaro, High Priest Ohenhen as the head of Ikhueniro. We will all cooperate with the Ohen Obaro to develop Ikhueniro community as the Oba has decreed”.
Community Secretary, Comrade Ohenhen Johnson – “We are all very happy. The Ohen-Obaro is happy. The leadership crisis in Ikhueniro is now over. The Omo N’Oba, Oba Ewuare II, has settled the matter. We can now sleep with our two eyes closed. Everybody is very happy because Ikhueniro is now one as against three. The people now speak with one voice as one people and one family.
“My only advice is that the few members of the community who are still resisting the judgement of the Oba should have a rethink because it is a taboo for Benin people to disregard the directive or instruction of the Oba”.

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