The Court of Appeal sitting in Benin, Edo State, has declared Chief Hyacinth Afamefune Okolie, the authentic Ihonor of Ogwashi-Uku, Aniocha South Local Government Area of Delta State.
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The Chieftaincy title is the third in the hierarchy of traditional titles in the Kingdom after the Obi and the Iyase.

Chief Okolie had won the contest for the coveted title after a fierce contest in 2008 but unsatisfied with his emergence, two of the contestants, Borniface Anyibuofu and Augustine Nwaeke Okeibunor, headed to the high court, seeking to quash his nomination.

The two contestants at various times, in different suits, sought the courts’ nod to quash the nomination.
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The matter was later brought before the Appeal Court in a case marked CA/AS/174/2018, where judgment was delivered in favour of Chief Okolie.

Indigenes of Ogwashi-Uku, who were at the court premises hoped that the judgment would engender peace in the Kingdom.

The court judgment was coming on the heels of a similar judgment over the Iyase title, the second most powerful title in the kingdom.

High Chief Mike Nwaukoni was installed as the Iyase in 2004, but his installation challenged in 2008 following the enthronement of Prof Aninshi Okonjo as the Obi of the town.

The legal fireworks that ensued climaxed at the Supreme Court, where it was decided by the Justices of the apex court that Onowu Mike Nwaukoni was the authentic Iyase of Ogwashi-Uku.
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