Court of Appeal Affirms Chief Hyacinth Okolie as Rightful Ihonor of Ogwashi-Uku
The Court of Appeal has declared Chief Hyacinth Afamefune Okolie the authentic Ihonor of Ogwashi-Uku, headquarters of Aniocha South Local Government Area of Delta State.
The chieftaincy title is the third in the hierarchy of traditional titles in the Kingdom after the Obi and the Iyase.
Chief Okolie had won the contest for the coveted title after a fierce contest in 2008. But, dissatisfied with the emergence of Okolie as the Ihonor, two of the contestants, Borniface Anyibuofu and Augustine Nwaeke Okeibunor, pleaded with the High Court to quash his nomination.
The two contestants, at various times, in Suit no. 0/35/2008, between Roland Okolie and five others vs Hycinth Okolie, Suit no. 0/5/2009 between Augustine Nwaeke Okeibunor and seven others vs HRM Obi (Prof) Aninshi Okonjo and Hycinth Okolie, Suit no.0/14/2010: between Diokpa Igwebuike Ntoka and three others vs AG Delta State, LG and Chieftaincy affairs, Diokpa Nkwor Vincent Ezieshi and Hyacinth Okolie and Suit no.0/21/2014, between Augustine Nwaeke Okeibunor and six others vs HRM Obi (Prof) Aninshi Chukwuka Okonjo and Hycinth Okolie sought the courts’ nod to quash the nomination.
The cases at the High Court culminated in the Benin division of the Court of Appeal case CA/AS/174/2018, whose judgment was delivered in favour of Chief Okolie, last Wednesday.
Indigenes of Ogwashi-Uku, at the court premises, rejoiced at the Appeal Court verdict with many stating that the judgment will engender peace in the kingdom. The court judgment is coming on the heels of a similar judgment over the Iyase title, the second most powerful title in the kingdom.
High Chief Mike Nwaukoni, who was installed as the Iyase in 2004, had his installation challenged in 2008 following the enthronement of Professor Aninshi Okonjo as the Obi and the late Obi’s titanic battles to unseat the Iyase.
The legal fireworks that ensued climaxed at the Supreme Court, where it was decided by the Justices of the apex court that Onowu Mike Nwaukoni is the authentic Iyase of Ogwashi-Uku.
