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By Young Erhiurhoro
Our personality of study in this literary piece, late HRM, Uqdufovwe Ogbi, Oyise 1 was the first Odion’Rode of Uwheru kingdom to gain recognition from the British colonial government, under Urhobo Western Division, in the late 1800. (Read the book, ‘The Urhobo People’ by Prof. Obaro Ikimi).
It was confirmed from available historical records that a certificate of recognition or gazette and a staff of office were presented to this influential and powerful monarch by the British colonial government, under Urhobo Western Division, with headquarters at Ughelli town. (Also read, ‘History of the Urhobo People in Niger-Delta’ by Prof. Peter Ekeh, published by the Urhobo Historical Society).
Though his reign was cut short by sudden death, he was able to demonstrate the true meaning of ‘sacrificial leadership’ to his subjects and also tried to preserve a royalty that so many people are benefiting from in Uwheru kingdom today.
From records available to me, the exact date of birth of this rare personality is not too clear, but he was born in the late 1800 into the Ekro-Oyise royal family unit in Uruvwigbo-Erovie Quarters of Uwheru town. The Ekro-Oyise royal family was a family of great leaders and successful merchants in the Erovie Quarters. These rare characteristics ran through every child of the family and the late Udufovwe Ogbi was no exception. Udufovwe Ogbi was one of the respected leaders and chiefs that brought recognition to the traditional institution of the Odion’Rode of Uwheru kingdom as it’s today.
From the stories my late father, Olorogun Young Udufovwe, told me, Udufovwe Ogbi grew up like every other responsible child of the family, facing the childhood challenges of that time. He acquired affluence and dignity for himself as he was very outspoken in family and community meetings. He later became a traditional chief and this endeared him to so many people as an upcoming leader.
As an Uwheru leader and a wealthy merchant, he married so many wives and also gave birth to so many children. He was a great farmer and also a successful merchant with so many people working for him. Thus, Udufovwe Ogbi became a notable personality in the entire Uwheru kingdom. (Read, ‘Studies In Urhobo Culture’ by Prof. Peter Ekeh, published by the Urhobo Historical Society.)
As time went by, Udufovwe Ogbi was installed the Odion’Rode of Uwheru kingdom. With this new position and title, he quickly established contacts with the British merchants and missionaries visiting Uwheru at that time by introducing the Uwheru people into business and at the same time, introducing them into the new religion, Christianity.
Udufovwe Ogbi as a traditional ruler was very pragmatic on issues of common interests and wouldn’t leave any stone unturned in matters relating to the peace and development of his kingdom. This greatly endeared him to the British officials as he was appointed by the British officials as one of the presiding chiefs in the Ughelli Native Court. He was in charge of cases from Evwreni and Uwheru districts under the court jurisdiction.
While discharging these official duties as a traditional ruler with the utmost magnanimity and trust, Udufovwe Ogbi was again considered by the British colonial government to be officially gazetted as a monarch. He was gazetted and a staff of office, the power of government authority was presented to him by the British colonial government.
With this new feather added to the big cap of Udufovwe Ogbi, he again became famous and influential in the matters relating to the entire Urhobo land. In his time as the Odion’Rode of Uwheru kingdom, he instituted different cases to secure the natural boundaries between Uwheru and other neigbouring communities like Enhwe, Eghwu, Unenurhie and other places, to avoid land encroachment and unnecessary disputes. He was only doing this to strengthen the already existing peaceful relationship amongst these communities.
As a traditional ruler, known and recognized by the government, he was bent to preach the gospel of peace and peaceful co-existence amongst his subjects and those of other places. He was practically against rivalries and communal crises within the kingdom or between the kingdom and other neigbouring ones. In his time as traditional ruler, there was bond of friendship and brotherliness amongst all the neigbouring communities.
With respect to his family life, Udufovwe Ogbi was a peaceful and generous man; a man full of love for his numerous wives and lovely children. Outside his immediate family, Udufovwe Ogbi had two younger brothers born of the same parents. They were Efeteya and Ikine.
These two men were very close to their brother especially when he mounted the exalted throne of the Uwheru people. At every time, they were always with him in his palace; doing one thing or the other. They were practical witnesses to the respect and honour their brother commanded daily from nearby visitors and those from distant lands. They were even astonished and thrown into bewilderment as ‘Whitemen’ also bowed to his majestic command and royal authority. Don’t forget, we have a saying in Urhobo that, “Whenever the hunter is blessed, his hunting bag is equally blessed”. This was the kind of pleasant and blissful relationship between Udufovwe and his two brothers.
Aside from his siblings, I was made to understand that Udufovwe Ogbi also had a chain of slaves, servants and labourers in his palace. He had farmlands and different plantations scattered around his domain. The palace was a beehive of cultural and social activities on daily basis. There must be visitors to entertain every day. And this was why in his palace, there was hardly be a day when new food and exotic and traditional gin weren’t served. Most of the so-called paupers and the indolent ones in the community took Udufovwe Ogbi as a father and provider of their daily needs. Life was never a dull moment in the palace of HRM, Udufovwe Ogbi.
Unfortunately, as a result of this affluence, honour and respect being enjoyed by Udufovwe Ogbi and his immediate family, the acts of jealousy and wickedness started brewing in the family. At first, it came from certain people that contended for the throne and position of Odion’Rode with him from the same Erovie Quarters. These power contenders were looking for every possible fault to nail Udufovwe Ogbi to the cross. They set up different plans to dethrone him. This gradually grew as a result of greed, avarice and jealousy.
Sensing these contentions, Udufovwe Ogbi as a very intelligent officer, even though he wasn’t opportune to acquire the Whiteman’s education, always made sure things were done aright in the course of adjudicating internal or family matters involving his subjects or issues relating to general community leadership.
In this case, his council of chiefs and elders was well bred and nurtured. The council in most cases helped him to treat matters of greater importance because he knew quite well that one finger alone can’t remove lice from the head. The council was well constituted with men of integrity and intelligence from the four corners of the kingdom.
Yet, in all these acts of wisdom, the enemies of destruction were able to break into the family circle of Udufovwe Ogbi by instigating his own younger brother, Ikine Ogbi, to turn against him in everything he did. This was how enmity and hatred crept into the family. It came to a time when Ikine was bent on doing anything that could remove his brother from the throne. He therefore joined hands with those instigators to perpetuate evil in the land in the name of the Odion’Rode. However, amidst these challenges, Ikine and his cronies always found out that Udufovwe Ogbi was always overcoming with exceeding glory and honour. On every new day, Udufovwe Ogbi must dress in a new royal wear and regalia. The milieu and splendour surrounding the Odion’Rode traditional institution was increasing every day, despite the challenges and threats to life being faced by Udufovwe Ogbi.
Incidentally, while all these evils were being instigated and perpetuated by his own brother and his evil friends, his other brother, Efeteya, was solidly behind him, with the belief that “blood is always thicker than water.” He couldn’t be dragged into planning evil against his own blood, no matter the offence committed by his brother. This moved Efeteya to give the needed spiritual and physical support to his brother, the Odion’Rode. He was always advising his brother on taking the right decisions and also encouraging him to be courageous and gallant as a true leader of the people.
Sadly, this evil mindset in Ikine continued to grow worse and worse every day especially when his friendship with the enemies blossomed. It was the dry season and the sun was shining heavily. Udufovwe Ogbi sent his servants and labourers to work in his farm. The farm was not too far from the palace. At noon, Udufovwe Ogbi decided to check on his servants and labourers to know the extent they had done. Unfortunately, it was an evil day. The enemy of a brother, Ikine ambushed him in a forest before the farm. Immediately Udufovwe got there, Ikine, his own biological brother cut him to death with an axe. He spilled the blood of an innocent on the ground. Without delay, the bad news had gone round that Odion’Rode was murdered by some evil people. As the news got to the palace, his second brother, Efeteya was the first to respond. He ran to rescue his brother. On the same spot, the wicked Ikine was still hiding and there too, he also slaughtered Efeteya. Murder is a grievous offence and a taboo in the entire land of Urhobo. The whole Uwheru kingdom was thrown into mourning as the corpses of the two brothers were interred the following day. At the same time too, a search party made up of the community’s warriors was organized and asked to search for the killers of the king and his brother. However, at the end of the search, Ikine was found danggling from the top of a tree. He had hung himself. This was how the respected traditional ruler, Udufovwe Ogbi, Oyise 1 ended his life.
More importantly, the question we need to ask ourselves now is, what is the significance of the death of this great monarch to the Uwheru people? Whether good or bad, the late Udufovwe Ogbi as the traditional ruler of Uwheru kingdom contributed immensely to the growth and development of the entire kingdom. First, by making the government of Nigeria and Delta State today to legally recognize the stool and throne of the Odion’Rode as the traditional ruler of the people. Secondly, Uwheru kingdom is a highly respected kingdom in Urhobo land today. This was because, the late Udufovwe Ogbi was a very close friend to the late Chief Mukoro Mowoe, a foremost Urhobo leader and also the first president-general of the Urhobo Progress Union (UPU). Thirdly, as the Odion’Rode of Uwheru kingdom, he was able to settled boundary demarcations with neigbouring communities, using natural landmarks. These were hitherto cases that would have caused calamities and extra communal crisis. Apart from these laudable achievements, there were other ones that he attracted to the kingdom in his time as a traditional ruler.
However, I think a ruler who was mysteriously murdered while in office deserve honour and recognition by his subjects. This is where the Uwheru people are having the missing link. To right the wrongs that were done by our past leaders, I don’t really want to lay accusing fingers on our present leaders, including the present traditional ruler, HRM, Agbaovwe Afugbeya, Oyise 11 who coincidentally happened to be Udufovwe Ogbi’s cousin. But the kingdom’s present leaders can right the wrongs of the past years by trying to do the needful for the great Udufovwe royal family of Uwheru kingdom. First, the monarch in question should be immortalized by naming a very important project in Uwheru kingdom after him. Such projects like schools and hospitals would count in this regard . Secondly, an ancestral hall should be built in honour of his sacrificial death and leadership in the kingdom. Such a hall with his image crested on it can serve as a historical and tourist site. Lastly, members of the Udufovwe royal family should be considered to be one of the ruling houses in the Odion’Rode traditional institution in Uwheru kingdom. This is just to create a sense of belonging to the members of the royal family for the sacrifice their forefather and progenitor made for the peaceful co-existence of the Uwheru people today.
I want to conclude this short tribute to my great-grand father, the late HRM, Udufovwe Ogbi, Oyise 1 with the recommendation of my recent literary book, ‘African Moonlight Tales’ to my esteemed readers and my great Uwheru people. Continue to live on, Oyise 1!
Young Erhiurhoro; Kjc is a reporter and a member of the Urhobo Historical Society
