Inaboya Royal Family of Ayogwiri tackles Ivowis over Publication on Royal stool

By DADA AYOKHAI

Fresh succession crisis which may in no distant future disrupt the prevailing peace and cordiality in Ayogwiri community, seems to be rearing its ugly head unless those concerned move swiftly to stem the tide..

Ayogwiri community is under Uzairue clan in Etsako West council area. 

Presently, the hitherto peaceful community,  is faced with the dilemma of which of the two opposing versions of the history as regards the ruling family with the right of ascension to the revered throne of village head. 

The fire over who is the rightful occupant to the throne was at stoked via two separate historical books authored by two prominent sons of the community, both of whom are co- incidentally from the same lineage.   

The two separate publications which stirred the controversy over the right to ascension to the royal stool was written by Prof U. M. O Ivowi and Sir Oyaseh Ivowi. 

However, both publications contain some contentious historical claims which cannot be ignored. 

 Mixed reactions have since trailed the publication, leading to calls for an urgent conference of stakeholders to determine whether, indeed, the royal stool, presently occupied by the Inaboya ruling house, is a rotational thing or one which passes from a father to his son. 

One of them is the claim that Pa Ivowi, of blessed memory, was the first Ayogwiri village chief, and further stressed that the only ruling house   in Ayogwiri is  that of  Ivowi.    

 Not to be outdone, the Inaboya Royal Family reacted fiercely to these assertions with a rejoinder, also in a book form, sponsored by the family, basically to refute the "historical distortions and falsehood" and to render their own version of history. 

According to the family, nobody can tell the story of the Inaboya family better than them. 

They accused the Ivowi family of  attempting to distort history by alluding to certain historical fictions which never occurred as well as engaging in flagrant misinformation.

 In their own account, the Inaboya family asserted that there was no time in the course of the history of Ayogwiri community when late Pa Ivowi was made a village head, stating instead, he was the oldest person in the village, a position that conferred on him the right to perform certain communal rites, as granted by the custom and traditions of the community. 

They insist further that such privileges, as conferred on Pa Ivowi by virtue of his age and wisdom, does not in any way translate into his being the first village head of Ayogwiri neither does it confer any special status on his descendants. 

Accordingly, the Inaboya family said, going by the historical accounts, the first recognised village head of Ayogwiri was Chief Inaboya, the progenitor of the Inaboya family. 

Before his ascension, he was a tax collector for the Nupes and was  overseeing  their activities in eight villages collectively known as Uzairue south group. This, it noted, was before the advent of the Europeans.

: It stated further that, the Europeans, on their arrival in the axis, formalised his position as a warrant chief whilst Pa Ivowi continued to perform his functions as the oldest man in the village. 

Sadly, the early death of Chief Inaboya as village head, left a vacuum due to the fact that the heir apparent who ought to have automatically stepped into his late father's shoes, was just a minor as at the time of Chief Inaboya's demise. 

Consequently,   a regent was appointed, a stop gap measure pending when the heir apparent comes of age. 

The lot fell on Eshiemogie Ivowi who, after his death, two others whom they regarded as uspers took advantage of the  interim arrangement to corner the throne. 

This ugly situation persisted until the heir apparent, fully grown and capable to handle the affairs of the community, challenged the existing status quo and reclaimed the throne for its rightful owners.

Ever since, the Inaboya family has enjoyed an unfettered access to the throne of village head of Ayogwiri community

With the sudden attempt to rewrite the history of ascension to the exalted throne of the village head of Ayogwiri by the two  disputing families, a possible conflict and crisis can only be averted if disputants exercise some restraint in the manner they  are pursuing their claims.