Delta Council Chairman Ends Decade-Long Feud Between Asaba and Oko Monarchs

A protracted, decade-long legal battle and deep-seated animosity between two prominent royal fathers in Delta State has finally been resolved, signaling a major victory for grassroots governance and community reconciliation. The Executive Chairman of Oshimili South Local Government Area, Kelvin Obi, successfully brokered a peace accord between the Asagba of Asaba, HRM Prof. Epiphany Azinge, and the Akor of Oko Kingdom, HRM Osita Onwuka I, putting an end to a dispute that had lingered since 2016.

Dependable NG reports that the reconciliation ceremony, held on Friday in Asaba, drew to a close a legal saga spanning nearly a decade, involving numerous injunctions, judgments, appeals, and cross-appeals. A reporter for Dependable NG gathered that the root cause of the prolonged discord was a “stipend issue,” likely concerning the sharing formula for the five percent monthly statutory allocation due to traditional rulers from the local government council, which had unfortunately escalated into a multi-layered legal confrontation.

Addressing the reconciled monarchs, palace chiefs, and community stakeholders in his office, LGA Chairman Kelvin Obi expressed profound satisfaction, stating that he was “certainly the happiest person amongst us all.” The Chairman revealed that resolving the dispute was a promise he made during his campaign for his first tenure in 2021, driven by a deep reflection on the communal and harmonious relationship, including inter-marriages and trade, that once thrived between the people of Asaba and Oko. He lauded both Royal Majesties and their Palace Chiefs for their maturity and “spirit of reciprocity displayed during the period of mediation and reconciliation.”

The move to end the feud, which effectively buried years of judicial rancor, promotes the larger cause of development in the capital territory. Asaba, the state capital, and Oko, its neighboring community, are crucial components of the Oshimili South LGA. The absence of peace between their royal institutions would naturally impede administrative efficiency and dampen economic vitality.

In his commendation, the Asagba of Asaba, HRM Prof. Azinge, a renowned Professor of Law, praised the diligence and “open mind mediation” demonstrated by Chairman Obi. The Asagba emphasized that the issue never translated into a dispute between the people of Asaba and Oko, reassuring the public: “Let it go out that there is no dispute. We remain committed to each other.” This position was immediately endorsed by the Akor of Oko Kingdom, HRH Onwuka, who affirmed that “The past is gone for ever” and stressed the need for both communities to move forward collaboratively. The Chairman’s successful mediation effort now stands as a model, which he urged every civic community to embrace, noting that conflict resolution “promotes economic development, increased interpersonal relationships, and exchange of ideas rather than conflicts.”