BENIN CITY – THE Okpojenaga of Ohi Ora in Owan West local government area of Edo state, Chief Jacob Ikhidero yesterday said the Oyakhire of Ora, a honourary title he bestowed on the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu is legitimate and that allegation that he does not have the right to perform such ceremony should be disregarded.
It would be recalled that Professor Joshua Unuigboje Aisiku who says he is the Oje elect of Ora had distanced himself from the title conferred on Ize-Iyamu just as he argued that Ikhidero does not have the powers to confer such a title on anybody.
Ikhidero in a press conference said he is the traditionally recognised person that confers chieftaincy titles on anybody in the community adding that he performed the ceremony for all the chiefs including Professor Aisiku just as he said he had met with all the chiefs and they agreed that honourary chieftaincy titles would be conferred on Ize-Iymamu and Governor Godwin Obaseki whenever they visited the area for campaigns as he the two were recognised as illustrious sons of Edo state.
He said “It does not lie in the mouth of Chief Joshua Unuigboje Aisuku to question my authority and action as it relates to the conferment of this chieftaincy title. On learning of the impending visit of Edo state governor, His Excellency, Godwin Obaseki and probably to be followed by that of the APC governorship candidate, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, I, in consultation with my fellow Ijiwes (The Chief Priests of the various communities in Ora) decided that they are both prominent sons of Edo State. However, the news of the Governor’s visit was received and hidden from the Ora chiefs by Chief Aisiku and his cohorts of unrecognised chiefs.
“I am traditionally empowered to place the chieftaincy cap on the head of any male individual inspiring and qualified to be Chief of Ora, or hand over staff of office to such individual and pronounce such person chief before he can be a Chief in Ora. All Chiefs in Ora passed through this process including Chief Aisiku. I am also empowered to grant honourary chieftaincy title to any deserving individual”
He said Aisuku’s claim as Oje elect is contemptuous as the issue is in court.