Ogwashi-Uku, Delta State — The traditional ruler of Ogwashi-Uku Kingdom, His Royal Majesty, Obi Ifechukwude Aninshi Okonjo II, has warned a faction of the Ogwashi-Uku Development Association (ODA) against spreading false information aimed at creating unrest in the kingdom.
The warning came after a group led by Izu Osammor released a communiqué on Saturday, alleging that the monarch had instructed farmers to register or seek permission from the palace before cultivating their lands. The faction claimed that no individual or institution could claim ownership of all lands in Ogwashi-Uku.
In a swift response, Obi Okonjo II dismissed the allegations as false, misleading, and an attempt to cause unnecessary tension within the community.
Speaking on behalf of the monarch, the Palace Secretary, Prince Ifeakanachukwu Emordi, told South-South PUNCH on Tuesday that the directive mentioned in the communiqué only applied to lands recently recovered from estate developers through valid court judgments.
“No farmer in Ogwashi-Uku has been asked to register, seek permission, or stop legitimate farming anywhere in the kingdom,” the palace clarified.
“Only those intending to farm on the court-recovered lands are required to obtain permission — purely for security, coordination, and record-keeping purposes.”
The monarch noted that the ODA faction’s false publication was deliberately timed to coincide with the ongoing Ineh (New Yam) Festival, describing it as a “calculated attempt” to sow division during a sacred period of thanksgiving and unity.
Obi Okonjo further alleged that the same individuals behind the communiqué are currently facing trial at the Federal High Court, Asaba, over an alleged violent attack on the palace two years ago. He added that their latest action was another attempt to “provoke instability after failing to achieve through violence what they could not gain through the law.”
The statement also accused some ODA members of fraudulently selling hundreds of acres of community farmland behind the Delta State Polytechnic, Ogwashi-Uku, with proceeds allegedly diverted for personal gain. According to the palace, those lands were later recovered legally and returned for the benefit of the people and future development projects in the community.
The monarch reminded the public that the ODA’s earlier allegations against him were dismissed by the Delta State Judicial Commission of Inquiry last year after they failed to provide credible evidence.
“No member of the Obi-in-Council, no Diokpa, and no responsible son or daughter of Ogwashi-Uku supports their desperate attempt to manufacture crisis,” the statement read.
“Their conduct has already been condemned by the Ogwashi-Uku Town Union, which stands firmly with the Obi and the Palace in preserving peace and unity.”
Concluding, the palace urged all indigenes and residents of Ogwashi-Uku to remain calm, law-abiding, and to continue celebrating the New Yam Festival peacefully.
“The monarch remains committed to justice, transparency, and the development of all sons and daughters of Ogwashi-Uku Kingdom,” the statement added.
