Hundreds of people from Ulloshi Kingdom, Esan South East Local Government Area of Edo State have staged a peaceful protest against a resolution and a report of the State Peace and Conflict Resolution Committee which recognizes one Christopher Ike Kebordih, as the traditional ruler of Ozigono/ Illushi Clan.
The protesters were at the Palace of the traditional ruler of Ubiaja where they were received by the Palace Secretary, David Omodiale, who expressed concern over the issue that led to the protest.
The protesters comprising men, women and youths also stormed the Local Government Council Secretariat at Ubiaja, carrying placards with different inscriptions to convey their dissatisfaction with the position of the state Edict of 1979 on the Headship of ‘Ulloshi/Illushi..
Presenting their protest letter to the Council’s Head of Service, Mr Abert Elama, who represented the Executive Chairman, Hon Joseph Ikpea, the spokesman for the protesters, Mr JB Ebovo, said that Ulloshi is one and has only one Kingdom and one king who rules over Illushi.
According to him, ‘We are not here to create any trouble, but to tell the Local, State and Federal Governments that this is what is happening to us, that Ulloshi is one, we have one Kingdom and one King.
“We have never had it in history that Ulloshi has been divided since the beginning; so, we are just experiencing it now and it’s impossible because we don’t accept it.”
He condemned the marginalization of Ulloshi indigenes during employment into the civil service and therefore called on government to intervene in the right direction.
Ebovo expressed their rejection of Ike as a king while calling for a reversal of the resolution of the state Peace and Conflict Resolution Committee on the rulership of Illushi community.
Commending the orderly manner the protest was carried out, the Local Government Head of Service noted that, “The issue at stake is already before the state government” that set up the Peace and Conflict Resolution Committee.
