By DADA AYOKHAI
A legal Practitioner ,Sunday Enegbuma wants Governor Monday Okpebholo to limit Ogieaga’s powers, alleging the monarch wrongly shortened his title to “Ogieaga of Ivie” instead of “Ogieaga of The Three Ivie” .
According to Enegbuma , the issue is a big deal and needs addressing.
The Edo State Traditional law, according to Enegbuma, restricts the monarch to only Three Ivie and not the entire Ivie that extends to other territories, including Okpekpe Clan.
He advised “that the traditional leadership of The Ogieaga of The Three Ivie Clan restricts himself to his territory or domain as provided for under the Edo State Traditional Rulers Law.”
The petitioner, in a letter to the governor dated November 10, 2025 and received on November 13, 2025, said, “my humble prayers and the humble prayers of the people of Okpekpe Clan are that there is no lawful traditional title known as The Ogieaga of Ivie.”
Copies of the letter went to the Speaker, Edo State House of Assembly, Benin City; Commissioner of Local Government & Chieftaincy Affairs, Edo State Government, Benin-City, Ag. Chairman, Etsako East Local Government Area, Agenebode; the Clan Head, HRH, the Onwueweko of Okpekpe Clan, Okpekpe, and the Ogieaga of The Three Ivie Clan, Ogieaga’s Palace, Imiegba town.
He said that the so-called title of “The Ogieaga of Ivie” signified the overlordship of “The Ogieaga of Ivie” over all the people of Ivie everywhere including the territory or domain of the Onwueweko of Okpekpe Clan.”
Establishing his basis for the petition, Enegbuma said he was an Ivie man from Okpekpe Clan in Etsako East Local Government Local Government Area of Edo State.
He said it had been brought to his attention and to the attention of the public, particularly, the people of Ivie in the entire Etsako East Local Government Area and the people of Ivie in Nigeria and in the Diaspora that the traditional leadership of the Three Ivie Clan, led by The Ogieaga, held a meeting in Imiegba town on the 18th October, 2025.
According to him, “arising from the meeting, a Communique was issued that purportedly altered the traditional title of ‘The Ogieaga of the Three Ivie Clan’ to ‘The Ogieaga of Ivie’.”
Enegbuma said the communique dated 29th October, 2025, arose from a meeting held in the Ogieaga’s Palace at Imiegba town on the same date.
The Communique, he said, was published in some local newspapers, particularly, Uptown Press of 30th October, 2025.
He, however, noted that the disclaimer from the Ogieaga’s Palace, Imiegba town, was also published in a local newspaper, particularly, The Authority Newspaper of 6th November, 2025.
According to Enegbuma, the communique or disclaimer notwithstanding, the Ogieaga of The Three Ivie Clan still held the impression, albeit wrongly, that the lawful traditional title of The Ogieaga of the Three Ivie Clan had been proscribed by the Ogieaga’s Palace and substituted it with an unlawful traditional title of “The Ogieaga of Ivie”.
Insisting that the monarch’s explanation amounted to impersonation, Enegbuma said, “To do so, in my humble opinion, amounts to impersonation.”
He recalled that Ivie people migrated from Benin Kingdom some centuries ago, adding that the people of Ivie were divided into North Ivie and South Ivie.
According to him, “”The South Ivie people can be found within Etsako West Local Government Area. The North Ivie people comprising the people of Okpekpe, Itsukwui, Imiakebu, Ugbamhe and Imiegba communities became known as North Ivie Clan in the present Etsako East Local Government Area of Edo State. Unfortunately, the Ugbamhe community has gone extinct.
” The split of North Ivie Clan: In 1954, following the agitation of some of these communities, the colonial Administration split the North Ivie Clan into two clans to wit:
“(a) Okpekpe Clan: comprising Okpekpe community only with a Clan Head known then as either The Ede of Okpekpe Clan or The Apa of Okpekpe Clan or now as The Onwueweko of Okpekpe Clan.
Lawyer Calls for Ogieaga’s Domain Restriction Over Title Dispute
