The Eze Ekpeye Logbo lll, Eze Kelvin Anugwo, has granted chieftaincy autonomy and recognition to the people of Orlukwor Community in Ahoada East Local Government Area of Rivers State, though the matter is still subsisting in court.
This development came to the fore penultimate Saturday, when the monarch played host to Orlukwor people at his palace in Ula Upata Community, who visited him as a way of according affirmation to their traditional status within the Upata Kingdom.
While addressing the people in a written speech, Eze Anugwo did not mince words when he asserted that, “I want to let all Ekpeye citizens to know that Igbu Orlukwor had already been received to the Supreme Council”.
He said the aim is to develop the area, pointing out that his interest goes beyond creating ” a divide but to put structures that can bring development in Ekpeye Kingdom”.
The Ekpeye monarch also appealed to all aggrieved Orlukwor people seeking redress to withdraw such cases pending in the courts in order to consolidate on the relative peace pervading the area.
However, investigations reveal that the action of the monarch does not sit well with the generality of Ekpeye and Upata people, as most of them see it as a recipe for crisis and chaos.
This is because, according to sources, Upata people prefer to remain as a united Kingdom.
It was also revealed that instead of the monarch’s pronouncements eliciting the much expected accolades and celebrations, the seeming peaceful atmosphere existing in Upata Kingdom is apparently being threatened as the people are now singing in discordant tunes.
It was further gathered that against the Ekpeye Bye- Law of August 10, 2010, which Eze Anugwo relied on to allegedly bakan ccise the Upata Kingdom, Late Eze Robinson O.Robinson, Eze Ekpeye Logbo ll, had via a royal decree dated October 10, 2017, disbanded Orlukwor because it was” an emergency creation during the feud between me and late HRH Eze C.C. Nwuche, Eze Igbu Upata ll”.
According to the royal decree, “Orlukwor has never been in the history of Ekpeye dynasty and Upata Kingdom in particular”.
There are, however, strong indications that the Eze Ekpeye Logbo lll gave the Orlukwor people the chieftaincy autonomy and recognition in spite of the fact that there are subsisting cases in court that border on Orlukwor autonomy.
The people of Orlukwor Community was led to the palace of Eze Anugwo by the Regent of the community, High Chief Frederick Uwame.
It was gathered that efforts made to reach Eze Anugwo on the validity of his action were rebuffed by his aide, one Rowland Ebeledi.
