By Our Correspondent
The odionwere (village head) of Ogiza village in Iyekogba, Oredo Local Government Area of Edo State, Pa Isaiah Otenghabun Eghonmwanre and elders, John Ogborhue, Monday Eholor, Matthew Obasohan and Frederick Omonon, the Village Secretary as well as Emmanuel Enabulele, the youths leader (okaeghele) among others, have decried what they regarded as alleged falsehood on land grabbing levelled against them by an indigene, Lawrence Alohan in order to paint then black before the palace of the Oba of Benin and the entire public.
They said they wondered how Lawrence Alohan has decided to stay away from the village activities for two years even without recourse to his Odion status as ozukpogiehan ( number 6) in edion hierarchy.
Speaking with Journalists during enlarge meeting of Council of elders, weekend, Pa Eghonmwanre, said that in reaction to the allegations on media reports published in the Nigerian Observer Newspaper online and other social media platforms, against them, he argued that he and his elders do not have personal problems with him ( Lawrence) except now he has instituted a legal action which is now pending in High Court 7 Benin on a matter he cannot substantiate.
To set the record straight, according to the odionwere, Lawrence Alohan has been enjoying all rights and privileges associated with his Odionship until recently, he behaved contrary to their expectations and also worked against their progressive ideologies in the village.
Odionwere faulted Lawrence’s claims that the village elders acting on his instructions, have encroached on his father’s 56 acres of land and another 56 acres of land belonging to his mother including rubber plantation which he alleged that the odionwere bulldozed, insisting he realises N60K monthly from the plantation.
Pa Eghonmwanre explained that the allegations that he is not an indigene of Ogiza village were disheartening, noting that he was born and bred in the village.
He added that he was going to BDC School, now Umegbe Primary school from Ogiza village in 1944 and that Lawrence Alohan’s father actually came from uzuogo and Irhe villages and he was brought to Ogiza as a sick child where his (Odionwere’s) father treated him of the ailment.
The odionwere flayed Lawrence Alohan on his statement on the three edion, saying they are all bonafide indigenes of the village, stressing that his going to the palace of the Oba of Benin in November 2024 was to pay homage in line with the tradition of Benin kingdom and not to tell lies to the Oba in respect of his Odionwereship as he was installed in 2017 and that the Enogie of Umegbe, being the chairman of the Iyekogba elders’council, as well as the elder brother to Lawrence Alohan, late Jackson Alohan witnessed it.
Pa Eghonmwanre further said that Lawrence’s claims that he was not eligible to be the odionwere, saying the question which needs cogent answer by Lawrence Alohan is why did he accept his approval to be elevated to the rank of Odion? secondly, why was he given the right to have signatories to some vital documents for the village usage?
Meanwhile, the odionwere disclosed that all the allegations by Lawrence Alohan were a calculated attempt for him to smear his good name for his personal gain and that he should not be taken seriously.
