User:Prince Nefe Majoroh/sandbox

THE HISTORY OF ORUARIVIE-ABRAKA: The True Descendants of Ovie Avwaeke

Oruarivie-Avwraka Kingdom (now pronounced as Oruarivie-Abraka Kingdom) was founded by Prince Avwaeke in about 1370 A.D. The indigenes or people of Oruarivie–Avwraka are thus the only true descendants of Prince Avwaeke – the founded of Avwraka. Oruarivie-Avwraka is one of the 24 Urhobo speaking Kingdoms in the Urhobo Nation.

Prince Avwaeke lost the Royal Throne of the Oba (King) of Benin to his younger brother – Prince Egbeka, who, although was junior to Prince Avwaeke, had his birth announced to the Palace before that of Prince Avwaeke, and was presented with the Royal Beads as the heir apparent.

When their father – Oba Ohen of Benin Kingdom transited, Egbeka was then crowned the Oba. , Prince Avwaeke refused to pay homage to the Oba whom he considered his junior. With deterioration in their relationship, Prince Avwaeke decided to relocate to his mother’s town of Oria in Ishan, to live far from the harassment of Oba Egbeka. Further harassment would force Prince Avwaeke to migration from Oria (Ishan) to found his own Kingdom, where he would be safe and rule without interference from Oba Egbeka of Benin. His maternal uncle – Erhabor, and a prominent community leader Chief Asinobi were nominated by the people of Oria in Ishan to join the group of people that accompany Prince Avwaeke in the migration from Oria in Ishan, and were charged to provide Prince Avwaeke with security and services that were due a King.

Prince Avwaeke first settled in Oroghoro, where his warriors engaged the Bini warriors of Oba Egbeke in a prolonged and intermittent fierce warfare, known as the ‘battle of Oroghoro’. After the battle of Oroghoro, Prince Avwaeke and his followers travelled South-ward, across the River Ethiope to eventually settle at what is now Otorho-Abraka in 1370 A.D. Our history has it that Prince Avwaeke was successfully led by the gods – (appearing in the form of a squirrel), through a path across the river, and thereafter, disappeared. From then till this day, Prince Avwaeke, in reverence to the mystical squirrel, decreed that his family – (direct descendants) would neither kill the squirrel nor eat it, and the squirrel, as decreed by Prince Avwaeke, is held as the totem of the Oruarivie-Avwraka people. It is thus a taboo for any true son and daughter of Prince Avwaeke to kill or eat squirrels.

Having settled at Otorho-Avwraka with his household, Prince Avwaeke was crowned Ovie Avwaeke. However, the junior Oba Egbeka of Benin Kingdom was still be disturbed by the victories of Ovie Avwaeke over his supposed great Benin Warriors, and would again, order a full scale war against Ovie Avwaeke’s and his people.

Having found Ovie Avwaeke’s location, the Benin warriors decided to camp in the plain valley on the right bank of the Ovwuvwe Stream for the night, so that they can spring a surprised attack on Ovie Avwaeke and his people before dawn. Unknown to the Bini warriors, the place where they camped in the plain valley for the night, was the middle of the Ovwuvwe Stream, which at that time seems a dry plain valley without water. But then, it was also the period of the year when the fast moving waters of the Ovwuvwe Stream usually arrives Oruarivie-Avwraka region in high torrents, and so, while the Bini warriors slept, the high torrents descended on them, and nearly all of the Bini warriors were drowned, and so they could not carry out their planned attack on Ovie Avwaeke and his people.

A few of the Benin warriors who escaped and managed to scampered back to Oba Egbeka in Bini Kingdom, told him of what happened at the valley of the Ovwuvwe Stream, and how the dry plain valley transformed into high torrents during the night, while they camped therein. They thereafter counseled Oba Egbeka against any further pursuit of Ovie Avwaeke and his people whom they strongly believed was being protected by the gods of the Ovwuvwe Stream. The phenomenon of the annual high torrents of the Ovwuvwe Stream and its over-flow of its bank and the flooding of its tributaries, also with deep and rapid currents was attributed by Ovie Avwaeke to the divine acts of the benignant spirit of the gods of the Ovwuvwe Stream. So, in appreciation and gratitude to Osonobrughwe (Supreme God) and to the spirits of the gods of the Ovwuvwe Stream, Ovie Avwaeke, in remembrance of their kind protection, planted an ‘Ogrisi tree’ on the entrance to his settlement from the valley of the Ovwuvwe Stream, to deitify it, which he called the shrine of “Adakaji”, which meant “the spot where Benin warriors were stopped”. The spirit of the gods of the Ovwuvwe Stream thus, became the patron deity and protector of’ Ovie Avwaeke and his people to whom Oruarivie-Avwraka Kingdom performed annual sacrifices during Ovwuvwe festivals, even to this day.

Ovie Avwaeke had plenty of children, amongst whom were his four sons, namely Prince Anaja (Orhovworho) who founded Urhuoka, Prince Echi who founded Urhuogo, Prince Ogodo who founded Urhuovie, and then Prince Ojeta who founded Ekrejeta. While Anaja (Orhovworho) and Ojeta are of the same mother, Echi and Ogodo were of same mother. It is these four sons of Ovie Avwaeke and their direct descendants that are referred to as the Oruarivie (the King’s Family or Royal Family) section of Avwraka. The four children of Ovie Avwaeke has their separate settlements named after them till this day (Urhuoka Quarter, Urhuogo Quarter, Urhuovie Quarter, and Ekrejeta Quarter), and their descendants still live in the settlements till this present day at Otorho-Avwraka. These four sons of Ovie Avwaeke (the Oruarivie-Avwraka) have the exclusive right to the royal throne, rotating it among the four quarters of Oruarivie-Avwraka in the order of seniority.

The maternal relation of Ovie Avwaeke – Erhabor and his descendants, and the descendants Asinobi and of Ovwodo - (the son of Asinobi), as well as those of the volunteers (warriors and personal aides) who are known as the Umiaghwa-Avwraka, settled in the area presently referred to as Oria-Avwraka, and also Umeghe, and provided Ovie Avwaeke and his immediate Royal Household, and thereafter, his four children and their descendants who succeeded them at various times, with unalloyed loyalty and devotion, as were due to an Ovie (King) as directed by the people of Oria community in Ishan. This arrangement continued until the death of Ovie Ewofobe in 1894 after which there was a long interregnum.

In 1970, while the interregnum was still on, the Oruarivie-Avwraka decided to revive the Ovieship title of Avwraka that would see Oruarivie-Avwraka assume the position of Ovie of Avwraka in line with the tradition, and the Umiaghwa-Avwraka hold the position of Otota of Avwraka, but the Umiaghwa-Avwraka people objected to it, and canvassed the rotation of the Ovieship (Royal stool) between Oruarivie-Avwraka and Umiaghwa-Avwraka. Oruarivie-Avwraka completely rejected the idea of the rotation of the Royal stool between it and Umiaghwa-Avwraka, whom according to our history, are not Ovie Avwaeke’s direct descendants.

Sir D. P. Patridge was commissioned by the government to work with both parties to come up with an acceptable declaration that will regulate succession to the traditional stool of the Ovie of Avwraka, and in some other clans’ in the then Bendel State, but he failed to conclude the case of the Ovie of Avwraka, because of the stiff opposition mounted by Umiaghwa-Avwraka. Justice Ighodaro’s commission was later commissioned to complete the matter, but rather than uphold the tradition of the true descendants of the dynasty Ovie Avwaeke, a ‘clique’ of Oruarivie leaders led by Chief Owhotemu Oweh and the Umiaghwa-Avwraka leaders connived to forge an agreement 1979 (without the consent of the generality of the Oruarivie-Avwraka) on rotational Ovieship between Oruarivie-Avwraka and Umiaghwa-Avwraka, and went on to present the forged agreement to Justice Ighodaro who presented same to government who later proclaimed it as the Bendel State law of Nigeria (BSLN) No. 99 of 1979. No thanks to the scheming of the clique of Oruarivie-Avwraka and Umiaghwa-Avwraka leaders and Umiaghwa leaders.

Chief David Oghenegueke Dafe of Oruarivie-Avwraka – (a member of the Oruarivie-Avwraka clique) became Ovie of Avwraka, and Chief J.A. Atagana of Umiaghwa-Avwraka became Otata of Avwraka in 1980. On the demise of HRH David Oghenegueke Dafe (OROVWORHO I), Oruarivie-Avwraka commenced arrangements to install a successor from Oruarivie-Avwraka – the true descendants of Ovie Avwaeke, but Umiaghwa-Avwraka objected, to it, and also commenced their own plan to crown one of theirs as Ovie of Avwraka. The Delta state Government, under Group Captain Ibrahim Kefas (rtd) was compelled to set up the ‘Uwafili Commission of Inquiry’, to unravel the truth about the ascension to the Ovieship of Avwraka.

Whereas Oruarivie-Avwraka, based on the true heritage of the Oruarivies – (thru descendants of Ovie Avwaeke) and the Umiaghwas – (descendants of the maternal relations of Ovie Avwaeke), canvassed a separate Ovieship stool for the two sections – a position upheld by the Uwafili Commission of Inquiry, Group Captain Ibrahim Kefas (rtd) was to disregard the recommendations of the Uwafili Commission of Inquiry, and went ahead to appoint Luke Erede Ejowhomu as the Ovie of Avwraka in 1995.

Faced with the above situation, and seriously viewing the ascension of an Umiaghwa son - (H.R.M Luke Erede Ejowhomu) to the position of Ovie of Avwraka as sacrilegious, Oruarivie-Avwraka decided to intensify their request for a separate Kingdom for the two sections of Avwraka, based on their true heritage. The administration of Navy Captain Walter Feghabo (rtd) had a second look at the original reports and recommendations of the Uwafili Commission of Inquiry, and by a Delta State Traditional Rulers Council and Chiefs Edict Amendment of May 1999 No. 1, the Oruarivie-Avwraka and Umiaghwa-Avwraka section of Avwraka were approved and delineated as two separate Kingdoms in line with their true heritage – an action that was most welcomed by Oruarivie-Avwraka, who felt that justice was at last done on the matter. The attempt by Umiaghwa-Avwraka to challenging the Delta State Traditional Rulers Council and Chiefs Edict Amendment of May 1999 No. 1 in court failed woefully.

HRM Peter Tete – a true descendant of Ovie Avwaeke from the Urhuogo Ruling House, was thus crowned the Ovie of Oruarivie–Avwraka Kingdom, with the title of ‘Emeruo I of Oruarivie-Avwraka Kingdom’ in 1995 to succeed HRH David Oghenegueke Dafe (OROVWORHO I).

At the demise of HRM Peter Tete (EMERUO I), HRM Benson Atigogo - a true descendant of Ovie Avwaeke from the Urhuovie Ruling House, was crowned the Ovie of Oruarivie-Avwraka Kingdom, with the title of ‘Ogodo II of Oruarivie-Avwraka Kingdom in 2005.

When HRM Benson Atigogo (OGODO II) transited in 2008, HRM Akpomeyoma Majoroh - a true descendant of Ovie Avwaeke from the Ekrejeta Ruling House, and our present Ovie (King), was crowned the Ovie of Oruarivie-Avwraka Kingdom, with the title of ‘OJETA II of Oruarivie-Avwraka Kingdom’ in 2008, and was presented with his staff of Office, as Ovie of Oruarivie-Avwraka Kingdom on the 23rd September, 2011, which proclaimed the unhindered actualization of the Delta State Traditional Rulers Council and Chiefs Edict Amendment of May 1999 No. 1.

The lineage of Kingship in Oruarivie-Avwraka, beginning with Ovie Avwaeke has thus been:

Ovie Avwaeke reigned from 1370 A.D. to 1461 A.D.

Ovie Anaja (Orovworho) from Urhuoka as Ovie of Avwraka, 1461 A.D. to 1485 A.D.

Ovie Echi from Urhuogo as Ovie of Avwraka, 1485 A.D. to 1505 A.D.

Ovie Ogodo from Urhuovie as Ovie of Avwraka, 1505 A.D. to 1510 A.D.

Ovie Ojeta from Ekrejeta as Ovie of Avwraka, 1510 A.D. to 1515 A.D.

Ovie Ezegbenechi from Urhuogo as Ovie of Avwraka, 1515 A.D. to 1530 A.D.

Ovie Oguezi from Urhuoka as Ovie of Avwraka, 1530 A.D. to 1579 A.D.

(There was a brief interregnum between the year 1579 A.D. to 1625 A.D.).

Ovie Egidi from Urhuovie as Ovie of Avwraka, 1625 A.D. to 1665 A.D.

(There was a long interregnum between the year 1665 A.D. to 1790 A.D.).

Ovie Ogbeta from Urhuoka as Ovie of Avwraka, 1790 A.D. to 1810 A.D.

(There was yet another brief interregnum between the year 1810 A.D. to 1860 A.D.).

Ovie Ewofobe from Urhuogo as Ovie of Avwraka, 1860 A.D. to 1894 A.D.

(There was a long period of interregnum between the year 1894 A.D. to 1980 A.D.).

Ovie Oghenegueke Dafe from Urhuoka as Ovie of Avwraka, 1980 A.D. to 1990 A.D.

(There was a short period of interregnum between the year 1990 A.D. to 1995 A.D, during which time, the Oruarivie-Avwraka people resisted the imposition of an Umiaghwa-Avwraka person, as Ovie to rule over them. During this short period of interregnum, the Omorovie-in-Council of Oruarivie-Avwraka ruled over the people of Oruarivie-Avwraka).

Ovie Peter Tete from Urhuogo as Ovie of Oruarivie-Avwraka, 1995 A.D. to 2005 A.D.

Ovie Benson Atigogo from Urhuovie as Ovie of Oruarivie-Avwraka, 2005 A.D. to 2008 A.D.

Ovie Akpomeyoma Majoroh from Ekrejeta as Ovie of Oruarivie-Avwraka, since 16th November, 2008 till date.