Members of Ajamimogha community in Ikpoba-Okha Local Government Area of Edo State have refuted claims by one Chief Johnson Atseleghe the lyatsere of warri kingdom that the Executive esco of Ajamimogha community has been dissolved by the Iyatsere Descendants of Warri as reported by a Warri based news tabloid, the Warri Trumpet of 7th March 2023, adding that Justice Otikpere remains the Ajamimogha Community trust president, as he was duly elected for a term of four years.
The community members led by Moses Otikpere, an elder in the community while addressing the press in Benin City, also debunked the claims by Johnson Atseleghe that Pa. Olayemi O J. Nanna, the Olare-Aja of Ajamimogha community said he was cajoled to swear-in Comrade Justice Otikpere as the trust president of Ajamimogha Community Trustee.
“There was never a time comrade Justice Otikpere and his executives were dissolved. We as a community (Ajamimogha) see that dissolution as a step-mother treatment from Chief Johnson Atseleghe, who is the lyatsere of warri kingdom.He’s not the lyatsere of Edo state. There was never a time that Pa. Olayemi OJ. Nanna, the Olare-Aja of Ajamimogha Community said he was cajoled into swearing-in comrade Justice Otikpere who was generally elected by the majority of the people of Ajamogha community.
“The community (Ajamimogha) have agreed and accepted comrade Justice Otikpere and Mr Morrison Otikpere as the Trust president and Youth chairman respectively.
While pointing out that being the Iyatsere of Warri does not make Chief Johnson Atseleghe an indigene of Ajamimogha community, Moses Otikpere said Bawo Otikpere is the out going past president of Ajamimogha community and urged him to stop usurping the position and powers of the duly elected president.
“We members of the elders council in Ajamimogha and Ajamimogha people agreed that the election should be done.And the election was done peacefully in the presence of security agents. Surprisingly for us to read online newspaper publication that one chief Johnson Atseleghe said he dissolved the Exco constituted from that election, and somebody who did not even contest the election, who was there before, whose tenure has expired should be the Trust President. Who gave Johnson Atseleghe the authority over Ajamimogha community when he’s not from Ajamimogha? What he has done is illegal, he has no locus standing to dissolve the Trustee of Ajamimogha community.
We are appealing to security agencies in Edo State to call Johnson Atseleghe to order because what he has done is capable of causing crisis in the community”.
In an interview with newsmen, Comrade Justice Otikpere, the Trust President of Ajamimogha community said Johnson Atseleghe has no right whatsoever to dissolve the duly elected executive of Ajamimogha community.
According to him, “Johnson Atseleghe is the Iyatsere of Warri Kingdom, he’s not from Edo State and we in Ajamimogha are from Edo State, we are not from Delta State, so he has no right to dissolve the Exco of Ajamimogha community.l Am duly elected, the community voted and elected me as the Trust President of Ajamimogha community to administer the affairs of the community for the next four years. The executive of Ajamimogha community remains”, he affirmed.
Speaking in the same vain, Comrade Morrison Otikpere, Youth chairman of Ajamimogha community said the purported dissolution was done to hamper the smooth administration of the community.
“We want to set the record straight about a misleading information disseminated by a newspaper, the Warri Trumpet that the Ajamimogha community executive has been dissolved. It’s not true, it was done to sabotage the smooth administration of Ajamimogha community. We are an autonomous community and we have decisions to make as a community”.
Meanwhile, a Socio Cultural Group, the Edo Concern Youths, ECY, has warned Johnson Atseleghe , the Iyatsele Of Warri to let peace reign in Ajamimogha Community .
The group in a release made available to journalists in Benin city and signed by the chairman, Idemudia Imuentin and Secretary, Osaze Uwayemwen said Johnson Atseleghe , is a chief in Warri kingdom and not in Edo, as such he has no right to be disrupting activities in Edo state.
. disturb the peace that reign in Ajamimogha Community.
