The elders and people of Ivbiokhulotor Village, Ubuneke in Ivbiaro Clan, Owan East Local Area of Edo State, on Sunday installed Chief Isah Umoru Osikhekha as the Ovbiotse (Village Head) of the village.

His installation by the chiefs of the various quarters that make up the village followed his being the most senior man in the community, in line with the custom and tradition of the people, as contained in the Chieftaincy Declaration regulating succession to the village headship of Ivbiokhulotor on one hand, and the entire Ivbiaro Clan on the other.

Performing the symbolic ceremony, Chief Mohammed Oyagha, the second in command, supported by Chief Y.A. Ekhagba, third in command of the village, stressed the significance of the occasion, which, according to them, is in line with the custom and tradition of Ivbiokhulotor Village and Ivbiaro Clan at large.

Speaking shortly after his installation, the Ovbiotse (Village Head), Osikhekha, thanked the people for the honour done him and promised to lead the community on the path of peace and prosperity for the benefit of all.

He stated that his formal installation as the Village Head of Ivbiokhulotor complies with the dictates of the Ivbiaro Chieftaincy Declaration, which confirms the customary laws and practices that confer rulership on the oldest men in the respective villages in Ivbiaro Clan, including Ebese, Ivbiokhulotor, Usun, and Ivbiosogbe.

The Ovbiotse appealed to every member of the village to join hands with him to advance the collective aspirations and dreams of the village, aiming to make it one of the shining examples of progressive communities in Edo State and the nation at large.

He described the event as particularly unique, noting that it is the first to be performed since the enactment of the governing law regulating the Ivbiaro Chieftaincy.

“It’s important to state here that the Chieftaincy Declaration has created a veritable opportunity for the four branches of Ivbiaro’s sole ruling house, consisting of Ebese, Ivbiokhulotor, Usun, and Ivbiosogbe, to take their respective turns in the succession process to the Ivbiaro Clan-headship on a rotational basis.

“It’s my expectation that the elders and people of Ivbiokhulotor Village support and embrace the new order with regard to the processes leading to the appointment of a Village Head,” the Ovbiotse said.

He pledged his unalloyed loyalty to the authority of the Clan Head of Ivbiaro, HRH Alimu Abu Oshame, and wished him a successful reign.

In his brief remarks, Barrister Abdulkarim Ozoya Yusuf urged the Ovbiotse to carry everyone along in the administration of the community. He also charged the chiefs and elders of the village to support and cooperate with the Ovbiotse in this regard.

Yusuf explained that to qualify for this noble appointment, the person must be the most senior man in any of the four villages in Ivbiaro Clan, including Ivbiokhulotor Village.

“The Ovbiotse’s appointment is first and foremost made by God Almighty by reason of longevity; it has been confirmed by the Chieftaincy Declaration, and what we are doing here today is the formalization of the appointment in unanimity of purpose defined by our commitment to respect the laws and keep the peace of our community,” he said.

The high point of the ceremony was the decoration of the Ovbiotse, symbolising the installation.