By Francis Ewherido
In some kingdoms in Nigeria, when a traditional ruler joins his ancestors, succession can be very messy. But in Olomu Kingdom, Ughelli South Local Government Area, Delta State, succession is crisis-free and seamless. This is not because the Olomu kingdom Kingship is hereditary. No, in fact, there are three ruling houses in Olomu Kingdom. The traditional ruler, the Ohworode of Olomu’s stool is rotated among the three ruling houses of Uhurhie, Oghoro and Eyanvwien.
After the Ohworode, the next in line to the throne is the Otota of Olomu (Unuevoro), followed by the Akpile of Olomu. When the Ohworode transits, the Otota is crowned the new Ohworode of Olomu Kingdom after the mourning period and the rite of passage ceremonies of the departed Ohworode. The Akpile becomes the next Otota. The ruling house where the late Ohworode came from now produces the next Akpile.
This is actually where members of the ruling house choose the next Akpile, but when more than one member of that ruling house indicates interest in becoming the next Akpile, there is a contest within the members of that ruling house. That is why the Olomu Kingdom transition from one Ohworode to another is smooth and hitch-free. Unless the unexpected occurs, Olomu people and indeed the whole world know the next Ohworode while the incumbent sits on the throne.
Today, the world will converge in Olomu Kingdom to witness the coronation of the current Otota, Chief Albert Akpomudje, father, husband, legal luminary, a deeply cultural and cultivated man, and a man of many paths, as the new Ohworode of Olomu. Incidentally, today is the 71st birthday of his Royal Majesty. Happy birthday and many happy returns, HRM Albert Akpomudje. May your reign be long, fruitful and prosperous for Olomu Kingdom and may God grant you continuous health of body and mind. Amen.
HRM Akpomudje needs no introduction. He is a senior advocate of Nigeria and a life bencher. He is not just a life bencher, but the vice chairman of the body of life benchers. He is a past Chairman, Nigerian Bar Association, Warri Branch (1983). He is the lead counsel and founder of Albert Akpomudje, SAN and Partners. HRM Akpumudje is a legal luminary; what the Urhobos call ogbu r’irhi or etekwele r’irhi.
He brings to the throne enormous knowledge of law, Olomu culture and life experiences garnered over the years from many spheres of life. A widely travelled man, the new Ohworode hails from Akperhe and was born on November 15, 1954. That day was St. Albert’s feast day, so his parents named him Albert. His father was a customary court clerk. This necessitated frequent transfers. Consequently, HRM Akpomudje started primary school at L.A. Primary School, Otu-Jeremi, then moved to St. Paul’s Primary School, Ughelli, which I also attended at a later date, and completed his primary education in L.A. Primary School, Ewu, which happens to be my hometown, in 1968.
In 1969, he gained admission into the prestigious Government College, Ughelli, where he obtained his West Africa School Certificate (WASC) in 1974. Many who’s who in Nigeria, both living and late, from all over Nigeria, went to Government College, Ughelli. In pursuit of further education, he went to the renowned Edo College, Benin City, after a one-year stint as a teacher in Okpare-Olomu, between 1974 and 1976, and obtained his Higher School Certificate, HSC.
His next port of call for his academic pursuit was the University of Lagos where he effortlessly got admission to study law in 1977. He graduated three years later, passing all his courses without a single reference (reseat) in any course. He proceeded to the Nigerian Law School, Lagos, and was called to the bar on July 11, 1980.
He did his compulsory National Youth Service Corp (NYSC) in Cross Rivers State (now Cross Rivers and Akwa Ibom States) and was posted to the Legal Aids Council in Calabar. He returned home after his NYSC. He settled in Warri and started work at Punuka Chambers. From there, he moved to M. O. Akpofure, SAN and Co. Chambers in 1982. He left for Akpedeye and Co., before berthing at Mudiaga Odje and co. in 1984. He spent a decade there. In 1995, he started his own practice, Albert Akpomudje and co, while still retained as a consultant or external associate to Mudiaga Odje and co.
In 2007, he opened another legal chapter when his firm merged with other legal firms to form Consolex Legal Practitioners with offices in Lagos, Warri, Abuja, Uyo and Port Harcourt. In the course of his legal career, HRM Akpomudje has traversed the length and breath of Nigeria handling very technical and intricate cases. He loathed losing cases and pursued them down to the Supreme Court, especially when he was fundamentally convinced. One of the most notable cases was the Bunge vs Governor, River State and others. At the lower court he lost and at the court of appeal, the judge quoted Shakespeare in Macbeth, “It is a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury; signifying nothing,” after Akpomudje, SAN, presented his witnesses, before dismissing the case.
This would have broken some lawyers, but not Akpomudje, SAN. He appealed to the Supreme Court and like in many other cases, he won. In a landmark Judgment delivered by the Supreme Court on June 9, 2006, the apex court overturned the judgment of the court of appeal and granted all the reliefs claimed by the appellant.
The effect of the judgment is that the Agba Family of Otari in Abua in Rivers State were entitled to produce the King of Abua Kingdom, a position the family was deprived of by another family for over 100 years! The River State Government has since amended the law to give recognition to the Family of Abua in line with the Supreme Court decision.
On a personal note, Akpomudje, SAN, was the lead counsel in the appeal case challenging the election of my brother, Senator Akpor Pius Ewherido, as a senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria in 2011. Akpomudje, SAN, won the case and my brother remained in the red chambers until June 30, 2013, when God called him.
All those who know his legal prowess were not surprised when he was elevated to the prestigious rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) alongside the dogged Chief Gani Fawehinmi and 14 others on September 10, 2001.
HRM Akpomudje is married to HRH Clementina Akpomudje (Nee Igbuwe) and the marriage is blessed with three children: Okiemute, Albert (Jnr) and Eloho. He joins the league of monarchs who are monogamists.
Olomu Kingdom is one of the 24 Kingdoms of Urhoboland, in Delta State, Nigeria. Olomu has over 15 towns. They are in alphabetical order Agbazo, Agbon, Akperhe, Aloba, Ogoni, Okpe, Ophori, Okpavuerhe, Oguname, Okpare, Ovwodokpokpor, Oviri-Olomu, Ovwor, Ophorigbala and Umolo.
An Olomu Chief and Founder of Jakesville57, a resort and farms in Ovwodokpokpor-Olomu, Olorogun Jacob Diedjomahor, the Oghoverere of Olomu Kingdom, from the Oghoro Ruling House, described the emergence of the new Ohworode of Olomu as an epoch-making event that will bring more prosperity and progress to Olomu Kingdom, the Urhobo Nation and Delta State in general.
HRM Albert Akpomudje, the Ohworode of Olomu Kingdom, the land of Emadagua Ewherido, my paternal grandmother from Okpare; Oriunuketa, my paternal great grandmother from Oviri-Olomu, my second great grandmother from Umolo, and Enemuadia, my maternal great grandfather’s mother from Oguname, may your reign be long, fruitful and prosperous.
Ajuwe! Ajuwe!! Ajuwe!!! Wo su ton.
