Odionwere Alfred Aguanomwan Agbontaen
By Kingsley Abavo, Benin
Ekowe in Ovia North East Local Government Area of Edo State, is a fast developing Village; richly endowed with all the necessary natural and human resources.
The indigenes and almost all residents engage predominantly in farming as a source of livelihood.
According to the Odionwere; (Head of Elders’ Council) Pa. Alfred Aguanomwan Agbontaen, Ekowe Village was founded in 1848 by the great Oba Adolor.
He sent (Avbiogbe) Chiefs then to go plant neobad three (Ikhinmwin) to demarcate the boundary between Ekowe and other surrounding villages and they have been co – existing peacefully.
Most of the Villages along the road today, were all living inside but relocated with the grading of the road in those days, and still maintain the boundaries between them.
Adding; for the records, Ekowe has boundary with Isiukhukhu, NIFOR, Ogumwenyi, and Abumwenre Villages respectively.
Ekowe people have always been calm, peace loving and accommodating hence gave out land to non indigenes amongst them to farm; and camps created for easy farming.
The camps under Ekowe are: Isoko camp, kwale camp; Urhobo camp; and Ekasa camp respectively.
These camps according to the him, were just farm camping by those whose farms were very far from the Village.
They would stay back after the day’s farm work and return to the Village thereafter; and everyone have been co – existing peacefully since.
Continuing; the Odionwere said they were surprised to read recently in one of the daily newspapers with the headline: “Ekasa community cautions against land deal with neighbouring Ekowe community.”
He said the publication read in part: “no indigene of Ekowe community has the right to give out, lease or deal in any manner whatsoever with Ekasa community lands for borrow pits or for any other purpose.”
The Odionwere emphasized that the publication was false; as Ekasa community remains one of the camps under Ekowe Village.
If you get to the purported Village, you only meet farmers who uses it as a camp for farming, he stressed.
Hence it was a surprise Ekasa wrote that Ekowe are currently in an unholy agreement with some persons, to whom their land have been illegally sold for borrowed pits.
According to him for the records; Ekasa has been a camp very many years ago, under Ekowe Village and that the persons behind the unholy agitation does not have a farm there.
They came out from nowhere to cause problem for the people of Ekowe Village for obvious reasons of self interest, he entused.
“When they first attempted to change the status of the camp to a Village some time ago; they were met with calamity as any person they proposed to install as Odionwere does not take charge before dying.
“Because our ancestors know that what they are doing or try to do is wrong and cannot work
“They should join hands with us (Ekowe people) to bring in the necessary development to the area as directed by our father, the Oba of the great Benin kingdom, the god king who has come to right the wrongs; and make things work the way they should be.”
For further clarification, the Odionwere asked that the other neighbouring villages should be asked if the said Ekasa is actually a Village?
“As they claim to be a Village why have they not had any Village head: Odionwere? They know it; they are not indigenes but people who came to farm there.”
Pa. Agbontaen, the Odionwere of Ekowe appreciated the great Oba; the god king saying he has come to redeem the people; evidenced by the relative peace enjoyed by all and sundry since ascending the throne of his forebears, in the Kingdom.
He specifically noted reawakening and development of the rich cultural heritage of the Benin people, under the reign of Oba Ewuare II.
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