History In Sylva’s Community As King Bows Out, Regent Steps In

• Natives In Awe, Await Court Judgement

For the first time in the history of traditional rulership, a king has decided to retire and walk out of his throne, despite resistance by his people against the strange decision. Some months ago, the Ibeyanaowei of Okpoama Kingdom, His Royal Majesty, King Ebitimi Emmanuel Banigo, Okpo XXI, had issued a notice of retirement, citing health issues.

His decision to issue the retirement notice did not go down well with majority of Okpoama people of Brass Local Government, Bayelsa State, where Chief Timipre Sylva comes from.

Some Okpoama people even went to court in a bid to stop the king from leaving the throne. To them, it would be too shameful if the king made true his threat to quit, as such had never happened in their land.

But on Saturday, King Banigo finally threw in the towel and made history as the first king in the entire Nembe/Brass to resign from ancient throne. In his place, a regent was appointed at a meeting that was said to have been attended by some of the natives.

Chief Paul Briggs Omubo, who is the chairman of the Okpoma chiefs council was made to pass through the traditional rites of succession called chalking and thereafter took over in a temporary basis as regent.

TNN reached out to the new regent via whatsapp messages on Saturday night to get his views on his new assignment, but he did not respond to all the messages, even though they were delivered to his phone.

Some of the natives who spoke with TNN expressed shock at the way and manner their king decided to leave the throne and also questioned the modalities for the choice of the regent.

A few weeks ago, a historian from the community, I.B. Robbinson had spoken on the development, saying it would be a shame if the king was allowed to leave, even as he had said his decision to quit was suspicious.

On Saturday night, TNN reached out to him to speak on the matter as the king has eventually left the throne, but he said he was yet to get full information on the issue and would not be in a hurry to speak, knowing that the matter was before the court and he was yet to know how the regent emerged.