It was joy unlimited at Obazuwa Village in Ovia Northeast Local Government Area of Edo State on the 19th February 2022 when the people unanimously appointed Deacon Sunday Osagie Egharevba as the Ozeukpogieva of the ancient community.

At an enlarged meeting of elders and youths held at the Oguaedion on the 19th February 2022, the community without opposition accepted the octogenarian as the substantive Ozeukpogieva, next to the Odionwere, village head, in Benin administrative system.

For about eight years there have been no Odionwere in the community after the death of the last occupant, Pa Francis Uhunamure Egharevba, eldest brother of the second-in-command.

Due to the several disputes that rocked the serene community on who should be the appropriate person to occupy the exalted office, the people were not able to resolve the lingering issues for almost one decade. Some elders who were probably driven by selfish interests in collaboration with certain youths jostled for the number one non-hereditary position.

This condition pitched various vested groups against themselves a situation that left the community divided along familial and social lines. Obazuwa was left a great loser because the incohesion allowed some elements to rip off the commonwealth of the village to their own advantage.

It wasn't surprising that the neighbour communities capitalised on the anomaly to penetrate the fringes to trespass her large bush expanse for land grabbing.

It was this kind of poor scenario that led to crisis that resulted in armed youths from her neighbour attacking Obazuwa on the 6th August 2021 which led to the death of Pa Michael Igbinovia and arson and looting.

In the process some disgruntled persons ganged up and rebelled against the authority of the Enogie by attempting to impose an illegal administration on the dukedom. But the Enogie, HRH Prince Edun Akenzua, MFR summoned courage and obtained a court ruling stopping the impostors from parading themselves as lawful representatives of Obazuwa.

But like the Biblical saying that there is a time for everything, te emwen se eghe ore in Edo, the end of a tortuous episode of constant quarrels, fights and upheavals came on the 6th day of January 2022 when a group of mercenaries led by a youth whose father had held the community in a reign of impunity and maladministration attacked indigenes numbering about forty without provocation.

The youths had gathered to refresh themselves after carrying out an assignment by the Enogie, to map out an area for Oba Ovonranmwen Cultural Centre to be built by Edo State government. The project was planned in 2010 to bring the village to national and international limelight in cultural tourism.

This ugly incident and subsequent developments stirred up the people to defeat the unnecessary wranglings and overcame the situation by forgetting their differences. This is what eventually led to the people closing ranks to do the needful.

The order of seniority of the elders, as sorted out in the historic gathering of over forty indigenes are:

1. DEACON SUNDAY EGHAREVBA (Ozeukpogieva
and Odionwere-designate)
2. CHIEF OBABUEKI AGHEYISI
3. PA ROLAND AIMUAMWOSA AGIDI
4. MR MONDAY OSAYANDE

The people poured out into the streets singing to the Glory of God for a new dawn which will usher in peace, a necessity for development and growth.

Otu Notedoghewii celebrates with the people of Obazuwa and her Enogie for this milestone achievement.