​Tension In Edo As Egbema Youths Converge, Takes Tough Decision Against Binidodougha, Loyalists 

…Warn those secretly supporting alleged Binidodogha’s kingship to desist or be ready for a showdown 

…A must read exclusive from the creek

By Binebai Princewill 

There is palpable tension in Edo State as youths of oil rich Egbema Kingdom in Warri North and Ovia South West  Local Government Areas of Delta and Edo States met on Saturday at the traditional headquarters of the ancient kingdom, Ajakurama community to take tough decision against one Henry Binidodougha whom they described as someone imposing himself as paramount ruler of the Egbema people in Edo State. The Liberator Newspapers can report. 

The Egbema Youths Convention/Congress  which was majorly called by the Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) Egbema Clan Chapter, Egbema Youth Council (EYC) and Egbema Peace Keeping Force (EPKF) saw youths from of all the  nine (9)  autonomous communities in the Kingdom with their youth presidents in attendance with representatives at some instance.

However, in their opening remarks, the trio of Comr. Raphael Egbuwa, Chairman Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) Egbema Kingdom, Comr. Ebidouwei Miyenperegha Messiah, President general Egbema Youth Council (EYC) and a representative of the Egbema Peace Keeping Force (EPKF) all spoke in similar direction  by urging all youths of the kingdom to be united in fighting against the issue at hand which  they described as a threat and allege alteration of the sacred ancient traditional institution of Egbema Kingdom. 

Obviously speaking with pains in their submissions while deliberating on the said self styled strange Royal Highness of Egbema Kingdom in Edo State, Henry Binidodogha, the youths have vowed that they will fight even if it means using the last drop of their blood to resist Henry and his group of kinsmen from parading Binidodogha as king of Egbema Kingdom in Edo State , adding that Egbema Kingdom remains one and nothing can change or split it as they do not recognise him as a king in their kingdom. 

The youths stated  that Egbema Kingdom had being in peace until trouble started recently when one Henry Binidodogha from Ofonama community was allegedly in a controversial means appeared, declaring himself as His Royal Highness (HRH) Henry Binidodogha, the Ajuaga 1 of Egbema Kingdom in Ovia South West  Local Government Area of Edo State.

This development angered the leadership of Egbema Kingdom that is in Edo and Delta States, a matter the people sees as an insult, a taboo and a desecration to the revered traditional institution of the ancient Kingdom. 

With a view of putting the records straight, the apex leadership of Egbema Kingdom from all the nine autonomous communities under the aegies of Egbema leaders of thought, Egbema traditional council, elders  as well as other critical stakeholders in the Kingdom had earlier met to inform the world and the general public that the said Henry Binidodogha is not their king and if Egbema is to be crowning their king it is solely the people of Egbema that will be choosing their king and not a king that is being appointed by strange people in Edo State, particularly  in Benin, describing the entire exercise as insulting and a sacrilege to the sanctity of Egbema Kingdom, adding that Binidodogha is on his own and is not a king of Egbema Kingdom, describing his action as the highest height of betrayal. 

In upholding the decisions reached by the apex leadership of Egbema Kingdom in both Delta and Edo States, the youth wing of the Kingdom met via a convention that was massively attended by youths of the kingdom yesterday the 23rd of January 2021 moderated by Comr. Freedom Atigbi, former Chairman of the Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) Western Zone had in a unanimous decision after much deliberation passed a note of warning to all those in the kingdom secretly and openly supporting Henry Binidodogha in his quest to divide the Kingdom to desist from their actions or be ready for a showdown with youths of the kingdom henceforth. 

While taking tougher decisions against the alleged self styled highness Henry Binidodogha, the youth convention unanimously agreed to implement the resolutions reached by the leaders, elders and chiefs of the Kingdom in their previous convention. 

The autonomous communities that made up ancient Egbema Kingdom in Edo and Delta States include Ofonama, Ajakurama, Ogbudugbudu, Ogbinbiri, Gbolukanga, Abere, Jamagie, Gbeuba, Opuama/Polobubo and several satellite settlements. 

Meanwhile, shortly after the marathon Egbema National Youth Congress/convention held at the  Ajakurama community town hall in Edo State, Comr. Freedom Atigbi, former Chairman of Ijaw Youth Council (IYC), Western Zone who briefed the media reeled out the decisions reached by the youths. 

He said the coming together by the youths of Egbema Kingdom via the congress was to  implement and give a bite and backing to the resolutions reached by the Egbema Kingdom traditional council and its leaders. 

He maintained that Henry Binidodogha stands being banished from the Kingdom as the youths are wide awake to chase him away whenever he tries to make his way into the kingdom, stressing that his boys stationed in the waterways of Egbema Kingdom allegedly collecting strange levies from petty traders will be  chased way. 

Atigbi said one Mr. Endurance Eferesuoa who was a member of the Egbema Kingdom structure of IYC stands to be suspended indefinitely for his open romance and activities in support of Henry Binidodogha against the interest of the Egbema Kingdom.  

He said the youths have also resolved to set up a high powered implementation committee to be constituted by youths from the nine autonomous communities of Egbema Kingdom in both Delta and Edo States. 

While speaking on the kingship of the ancient Egbema Kingdom, Atigbi Freedom emphasised the fact that it was like a shock to them when they heard that Henry Binidodogha has been parading himself as king of Egbema Kingdom. 

He said highly disturbed by this development, since Henry Binidodogha is their son hence the traditional council of chiefs and the entire leadership of the kingdom had invited him over to explain himself on his latest strange move severally but he had continued to ignore such calls.

The former IYC Western Zone chairman Atigbi Freedom explained that Henry is towing a wrong path and is on a deadly mission, stressing that following the traditional arrangement in Egbema Kingdom in which Henry Binidodogha hails from Ofonama, Atigbi pointed out that the people of Ofonama are only king makers and cannot become king, a matter he said is clearly contained in the Egbema Kingdom traditional gazzet. 

Freedom noted that the kingdom has written to all relevant authorities in Edo State both the Government, security agencies and members of the general public to completely disregard the purported kingship of Henry Binidodogha, adding that he is a man ruling himself and not ruling anyone in Egbema Kingdom. 

He said the kingdom might show clemency to Henry Binidodogha and his crew if they realised their act of betrayal by coming to  beg for forgiveness from the Egbema people, stressing that there is no light at the road that Henry is embarking on, opining that the people of Egbema Kingdom are only under the rulership of the Agadagba of Egbema Kingdom and not under any other strange arrangement. 

In a similar vein, while the Egbema Clan IYC Chairman, Comr. Raphael Egbuwa had vowed to resist any move made by Binidodogha and his people whenever he tries to parade himself as King of the Kingdom, he said rather if the Edo State Government so love the people of Egbema Kingdom, they should have made moves before now to give staff of Office to the paramount ruler of Egbema Kingdom, warning that any act of betrayal will not be tolerated. 

On his part, Comr. Messiah Miyenperegha, President general of Egbema Youth Council had in his interview  with newsmen vowed to mobilise the youths in executing the resolutions reached by the kingdom leadership. 

Speaking further on the deplorable state of things that has over time engulfed the kingdom, Miyenperegha had called on the Edo State Government, His Excellency, Godwin Obaseki, the federal government of Nigeria, NDDC, Niger Delta Ministry and others to complete the abandoned Udo/Ofonama road project.