From Paul Osuyi, Asaba
Crisis is brewing in Obodogba community in Oshimili North Local Government Area of Delta State over the traditional title of Iyase (Prime Minister) following claims and counter-claims that the current holder, Dr. Sylvanus Ebigwei has been stripped of his title.
A section of the community, had in a publication, claimed that Ebigwei was stripped of the traditional title as a result of alleged insubordination and illegal acquisition of community land.
But the community’s Diokpa (Eldest man) Nwaokolie Nwuzu; and secretary, Mr. Michael Asoya in a joint statement made available to Saturday Sun in Asaba yesterday, passed a vote of implicit confidence on Ebigwei as the Iyase, insisting that the community never stripped him of the title.
They described the publication that purportedly stripped Dr. Ebigwei of the title as erroneous and deliberately targeted to tarnish his hard earned reputation, and urged the general public to disregard such publication.
While expressing dismay over the publication which they further described as the handiwork of a few disgruntled persons to malign the Iyase, they vowed to resist attempts by any individual or group to cause disaffection and il-will among natives of the community.
“The move is aimed by its sponsors to tarnish the good name built over the years by the Iyase. The community regrets that in spite of the numerous contributions made by the Iyase to the socio-economic development of the community, the state and the country, these persons and their cohorts are bent on tarnishing the good image of the traditional Prime Minister of the community,” the statement read.