THE relative peace in Onicha Olona community, Aniocha North Local Council of Delta State may be disturbed over who becomes the traditional ruler of the small town, located a few kilometers from the council headquarters in Issele Uku.

Speaking with reporters Wednesday at Onicha Olona, the Obi-in-Council warned the state government not to give a Staff of Office to one Mr. Dumbili Nwadiajueboe as the Obi-elect of Onicha Olona as anything to the contrary would have a catastrophic consequence on the community.

The spokeswoman, Chief Pius Eziachi, Iyase of Onicha Olona advised the state government to initiate a legislative action directed at repealing the government white page number 4 of 1995 and the Chieftaincy Declaration number 6 of 1996 made pursuant thereto and for government to order a return to the well-known and recognized system of ascension to the Obiship stool of Onicha Olona, the Okpalabisi system.

Flanked by Chief Christopher Diji, Obi designate/Obunze of Ogbeobi Village and other six chiefs, he said it is a common knowledge that since the official attempt at distorting and or destroying the recognized system of ascension to the throne of Obiship in the community (Okpalabisi), Onicha Olona has no government recognized Obi till date.

According to him, the development has been a situation that has left governance of Onicha Olona in the hands of Obi-in-Council the various village heads who are produced by Okpalasi system, maintaining that the present confusion is a product of a cooked up government White Paper which informed the Government Edict of 1996.

Going down memory lane, Eziachi recalled that the erstwhile military government set up the Odebala Commission of inquiry with specific terms of reference and which includes amongst others to determine the acceptable system of ascension to the throne of Obi in Onicha Olona.

He said: ‘’Despite several memoranda that were submitted to the said one-man commission of enquiry which shows that Okpalabisi system is the only recognized system of ascension to the throne of Obi in Onicha Olona, the said one-man commission of inquiry having been influenced, recommended a hereditary system of ascension to the throne of Obi of Onicha Olona, a system alien to the tradition and custom of Onicha Olona people,’’

The spokesman added that the Okpalabisi system has also been adopted by Aniocha North traditional Council in a recommendation as the system that can solve the lingering Obiship tussle in Onicha Olona.