After six months of legal tussle, a Rivers State State High Court, sitting in Isiolpo Local Government Area (LGA) has upheld the Okpo 21st, HRH Eze Achinike Amadi, as the rightful Paramount Ruler and Nye-We-Ali Omagwa ancient stool.
The judgement, delivered by the Presiding Judge, Justice Ben-Whyte, was contained in Suit No: IHC/245/CS/2022 and was held on the 20th day of February, 2023.
Armed with Sections 29, 30, and 31 of the Rivers State Traditional Rulers Law No.4 of 2015, the Judge held that the unauthorized installation of a Traditional Ruler and the unauthorized representation as a Traditional Ruler, the unauthorized use of the property of a recognized Traditional Chietaincy Stool, constituted a punishable offence.
Therefore, he said, the Clamant’s recognition as a 2nd Class Traditional Ruler can only be withdrawn by the recognizing authority, which is the Rivers State Government.
According to the Judge, by the provisions of the Rivers State Traditional Rulers Law No 4 of 2015, the 1st Defendant, Mr Henry Ikpor, and and six others lack the authority to recognize the Claimant, HRH Eze Achinike Amadi, as the Traditional Ruler of Omagwa Town.
The judgement also barred the Attorney-General of the State and Rivers State Commissioner for Chieftaincy and Community Affairs from recognizing the 1st Defendant or any other person unless the Stool was declared vacant by relevant authority.
“I make an Order of perpetual injunction restraining the 1st – 7th Defendants from nominating and/or installing the 1st Defendant or any other person as Nye-We-Ali Omagwa, contrary to the provisions of Rivers State Traditional Rulers Law No 4 of 2015”, he said.
Sources who spoke with The Tide in the Community said the judgment was in order.
According to the sources, to be dethroned a Monarch in Omagwa or Traditional Ruler must have been involved in some abominable acts such as incest, drunkenness, and constituting public nuisance.
The case of the current Monarch, Eze Amadi, The Tide learnt, was warranted by Honorary Chietaincy title for certain deserving members of the Community such as the Ikwerre Local Government Chairman, Hon Samuel Nwanosike, and Barr Ibrahim Eddy Mark, which a section of the people frowned at.
They said such was not a taboo or a punishable offence and unknown to Omagwa Custom and tradition, adding that the letter written to Eze Amadi by few members of the community warning him against visiting a particular person was not in order.
The matter, which The Tide further learnt, was also handled by the leadership of Ogbakor Ikwerre Convension, was held in favour of Eze Achinike Amadi .
It was also gathered that the Monarch was properly presented to the Oha -in-Council and the entire Community sometime in April 2014 and was later crowned as the occupant of a 2nd Class Chieftaincy Stool in Omagwa, which was the first in the history of the people, as they have never had such Stool.
Eze Achinike Amadi’s reign, according to the people, has brought peace and development in the area, hence there was no counter claim to the Stool from any family in Omagwa, including the Agwawurie family.
They have, however, called on the Rivers State Government and relevant authorities to prevail and ensure that the judgment was obeyed by the defendants in a bid to maintaining the existing peaceful coexistence in the area.