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By Young Erhiurhoro
The jubilation that attended September 2, 2024, the memorable day James Amuke was installed as the new Odion’Rode of Unenurhie community by the elders and members of the Odion’Rode-In-Council at the ancestral hall of the Unenurhie people knew no bounds and was described as “indescribably marvelous.”
James Amuke was heralded to the throne by his subjects and kingmakers as, “His Highness, James Amuke, the Odion’Rode of Unenurhie community” with a penchant sound of, “long may you reign!” It was a cultural and traditional event witnessed by whole lots of people, within and outside the community, despite it was earlier planned to be celebrated in a low-keyed. So many Unenurhie people were very eager to catch the glimpse of that traditional celebration.
As soon as the installation processes were completed and the crown finally placed on his head as the new Odion’Rode, James Amuke knew that, the crown of the Odion’Rode on his head was not just an ordinary cap for ordinary social events, but an enormous load of traditional services to his people and the entire community. As the Unenurhie people were dancing and rejoicing for having a new monarch, the monarch in question was gazing at the services and responsibilities before and ahead of him as the new Odion’Rode of the Unenurhie people.
Truly, James Amuke as a well exposed and highly dedicated Igbe religious leader who had also served in different capacities in the leadership of Unenurhie community, would bring to bear his long term leadership experience in this new position as the Odion’Rode of Unenurhie community. Therefore, the Unenurhie people are looking at him as their pillar of hope to bring the needed positive changes as desired by the people. The people are also expecting him to anchor and be a driver of unity, peace and love in the entire community to tie the people together as a broom in a cordial relationship and social justice. His major and cardinal service to the people is to foster peaceful co-existence that devoid enmity, hatred and division amongst the people. This is his clear vision as the new Odion’Rode of Unenurhie community.
However, as this clear vision was being presented by the new Odion’Rode to his subjects, it’s also true that, not all the Unenurhie people are happy that such a highly connected leader was installed as the new Odion’Rode of the community. There were some people who were anxiously eyeing and lobbying for the exalted stool in the community. Since they couldn’t get the position through the back door, it was also believed that, they won’t relax to see the Odion’Rode pilot the traditional affairs of the community in a peaceful manner. They are bent to foment trouble in the whole community through wrong information or rumour mongering. They are always there to fabricate and cook untrue stories and begin to sell them out to different people especially to the Evwreni leaders in order to blackmail and paint black the new Odion’Rode before their very eyes. In fact, you have the eyes of a hunter if you can spot the crocodile hiding in the swamp under seven seconds. It’s now left for you to choose and decide in this matter.
Based on the above fact, as the present Secretary-General of Unenurhie community and also a media practitioner, I want to rightly inform mis-chief makers and rumour mongers within and outside the community that, the Unenurhie people at the moment rightly acknowledged and accepted the full membership of Evwreni kingdom; even though we equally have the fundamental right to our common freedom and independence as full citizens of Nigeria and free people of Urhobo land.
Unfortunately, for the fact that, the Unenurhie people presented their latest traditional ruler as, “His Highness, James Amuke, the Odion’Rode of Unenurhie community” and not the “Odion’Rode of Evwreni kingdom” as before; some dare devil mis-chief makers in the community who were bent to thwart all the efforts of this present UCDU leadership under Mr. Peter Maison, JP to create a separate Unenurhie kingdom from the present Evwreni kingdom, went to report to some Evwreni leaders that, the present UCDU leaders should be arrested for dare to illegally created unapproved and unrecognized “Unenurhie kingdom” by the Delta state government. No doubt, nemesis would definitely catch up with these set of evil people in the community, sooner or later.
These mis-chief makers alleged that, Mr. Peter Maison and his cohorts were strongly seeking to have “Unenurhie kingdom” in their earnest in this present UCDU leadership. And this is one Gospel that the Evwreni man doesn’t want to hear in his entire life. But the funny part of this whole game was that, these untrue stories were not fabricated or cooked by the Evwreni people but by the same Unenurhie people. The wrong information were usually carried to the Evwreni leaders by these same Unenurhie people whose plight and pains were the major goals for embarking on such a divine mission and struggle of having “Unenurhie kingdom”. But is anything actually wrong or against the law if Unenurhie leaders seek for their own and separate kingdom from the Delta state government?
I want to conclude this short piece by reiterating the African proverb which says, “Whenever there is sunshine in the midst of rainfall, it means, the lion has just delivered.” What I’m saying in essence is that, there are reasons behind every event or incidence. The Unenurhie people don’t just recognized or addressed their new traditional ruler as, “Odion’Rode of Unenurhie community”. There were reasons behind it. He was recognized as such because there was already an “Odion’Rode of Evwreni kingdom” from the Okpawha community in Evwreni kingdom. In this case, if truly Unenurhie is still part and parcel of Evwreni kingdom, how do they now address their own Odion’Rode? Should they address him as the, “Odion’Rode 2 of Evwreni kingdom or Odion’Esiri of Evwreni kingdom?” To avoid these unnecessary arguments and legal disputes between Okpawha people and Unenurhie people, the Unenurhie people just decided to address their Odion’Rode as the, “Odion’Rode of Unenurhie community.” I hope, this is a step of faith by the Unenurhie leaders if truly Evwreni people recognized Unenurhie as autonomous community in Evwreni kingdom.
Young Erhiurhoro;Kjc is a reporter and a member of the Urhobo Historical Society.
