Crown Of Ubabiri In Benin Kingdom: Egbema Traditional Council Disassociates Self
By Simeon OSAJIE
Egbema Traditional Council has disassociated itself from the crowning of one Mr. Mershack Ubabiri as the king of Egbema Kingdom as published in some Nigeria newspapers and online publications.
The statement was jointly signed by the Toripuwei of Egbema and Head of the Council of Chiefs, Chief David Bubor, Secretary of Egbema Traditional Council, Chief Joseph Owilly who is also the Funpuwei of Egbema Kingdom and the Perekoriwei of Egbema, Chief Simeon Igbedikuru.
The statement described activities of the purported crowning of the said Mr. Ubabiri as condemnable.
“Mr. Mershack Ubabiri is not known to the Traditional Council as king,” the statement added.
Going further, the statement therefore called on the Edo and Delta state governments to ignore the purported crowning of Mr. Ubabiri as the Agadagba of Egbema Kingdom.
The statement also enjoined the Edo State Police Command to call on the said Mr. Ubabiri for questioning.
“Egbema has one true King chosen by the kingmakers of Egbema. He is HRM N. S. Egin. He is a peaceful and responsible royal father of the kingdom,” the statement added.
Recall that a Benin socio-cultural group, under the aegis, “Coalition of Benin Socio-cultural Organisations (COBSCO) have earlier condemned in very strong terms the supposed crowning of one Mershack Ubabiri as the Agadagba of Egbema Kingdom within the boundaries of Benin kingdom, describing the action as offensive, against the laws in Benin City and an invitation to break down of law and order in Edo State.
In a related development, Egbema Monitoring Group has vehemently opposed the purported crowning of the said Mr. Ubabiri as the King of Egbema Kingdom.
In a statement signed by the convener of the group, Johbnson Ebobotei threw its weight behind the Egbama Traditional Council in the crowning of Napoleon Sekegbekumor Egin, a lawyer, as the traditional ruler (Agadagba) of Egbema Kingdom.
It commended the traditional Council for following due process in the selection of the renowned legal icon as the Agadagba (traditional ruler) of Egbema Kingdom.
The statement noted that it is a sacrilege for traditionally unauthorized and legally unrecognized persons to claim to have crowned a King in Egbema Kingdom.
According to the group’s statement, installation of a traditional ruler is governed by state legislation which recognizes designated authorities in that regard.
It further noted that no elder of Ogbudugbudu Ruling House and government official was at the purported crowning of Mr. Ubabiri as the king of Egbema.
It alleged that the purported crowning of Mr. Ubabiri was sponsored by a security outfit.
The statement therefore stressed that no amount of blackmail, threat or intimidation will change the decision of the Kingmakers and Egbema Traditional Council on the matter.
