His Majesty, Dr. Felix Enene Otuwarikpo, Eze Igbu Upata III of Upata Kingdom has resigned his position as the Regent to the stool of Eze Ekpeye Logbo.
This is sequel to incessant litigations from a section of indigenes of Ekpeye land that have allegedly obstructed selection or election of a replacement to late Ekpeye Logbo, Eze Robinson O. Robinson.
Eze Otuwarikpo made his decision known to newsnmen shortly after his resignation during an emergency meeting by Ekpeye Traditional Council held at Ekpeye House in Ahoada town on Monday, March 15, 2022.
According to him, he thought he could function as the Regent so as to hand over to the Eze Ekpeye Logbo III at the stipulated time but the multiple court cases have continued to prolong his stay as the Regent.
He noted that the indefinite postponement of the election to produce the new Eze Ekpeye Logbo III was a pill too bitter to swallow by the Upata Traditional Council. The people of Upata kingdom, which he said, have expressed serious concern, urging him to return home to focus attention on his primary responsibility of implementing the Upata strategic vision.
The monarch pointed out that prior to his emergence as the Regent, Upata was on a very fast lane of developing but functioning as the Regent to Eze Ekpeye Logbo has actually been a big strain on the Upata Kingdom.
The Royal father said the proactive intervention of Governor Nyesom Wike was supposed to be the tonic needed to actualize the emergence of a new Eze Ekpeye Logbo, rather the governor’s charge was greatly misunderstood and forces outside the traditional institution hijacked the process and purported to elect an Eze Ekpeye Logbo for the Ekpeye people, without observing basic principles of their cherished customs and traditions.
It would be recalled that the Eze Ekpeye Logbo in council and Ekpeye Council of Traditional Rulers and Chiefs, were the ones that approved the appointment of Eze Felix Otuwarikpo as the Regent to the stool of Eze Ekpeye in consonance with section 4(1) of the Ekpeye bye-law 2010, due to the demise of late HM, Eze Robinson .O. Robinson, the Eze Ekpeye Logbo II.
He noted that during the period of their regency Council the Ekpeye nation witnessed accelerated development because of their emphasis on promoting peaceful co-existence, saying Ekpeye land is very much peaceful and safe for investment.
He therefore declared that the Regency Council, that was inaugurated on the day of his installation as Regent is dissolved and all activities of the Executive Committee of the Ekpeye Council of Traditional Rulers and Chiefs and the Ekpeye Ethnic Nationality Customary Arbitration Panel are thereby disbanded with immediate effect, urging that all pending cases at the Arbitration Panel be referred to their kingdom of origin.
He advised that all the kings of the kingdoms that make up Ekpeye ethnic nationality should go and take care of their kingdoms, until everyone is ready to do the election to produce the new Eze Ekpeye Logbo.
Eze Otuwarikpo thanked all and sundry for the massive support and solidarity during the period of his regency, and for giving him the opportunity to had serve Ekpeye land.
He urged the youths of Ekpeye land to continue to be law-abiding as he will not tolerate any rascality in any part of Ekpeye land.
