Dr Ejiro Imuere

LAGOS SEPTEMBER 11TH (URHOBOTODAY)-The Ohovwore Title is the oldest Chieftaincy Title in Urhobo land. It was with the Urhobos for hundreds of years before the Okakuro and the Olorogun titles arrived from BENIN.

The earliest migrants of the Urhobo tribe from BENIN came during the Ogiso Period.

These ones came with the Ohovwore Title.

The Ohovwore Title PREDATES ANY URHOBO MONARCHY, because it was not given by any king originally, it was given by the “Okarorho”.

The Okarorho is the oldest man in any village and in Pre Monarchy Urhobo society the Okarorho was their King.

The Okarorho Presides as the Chairman of the Council of elders, and so can bestow the Ohovwore Title.

So what is the meaning of Ohovwore?? Ohovwore or Ohongware in the Original Agbon Urhobo language literally means “ÖROVWAGWARE”., It is derived from the BENIN word “Enonwanre”.

Orovwagware means the one who owns the court or Council.

So if the Okarorho and the Ekpako( ELDERS) in your village finds you worthy of an Ohovwore “Title” (which can never be equated to the Onotu and Otota in the recent urhobo kingdoms) it means that they have found you worthy to sit with the other Elders to adjudicate cases.

That means in the immediate vicinity where you stay in your village, you can summon a case, and pass Judgement and impose fines.

It means that you have been given a warrant of summon.

Those who disagree with your Judgement can then appeal to the Okarorho in COUNCIL.

As an Ohovwore, you are suppose to have your own “ikor'” or “onyikor”( messenger) whom you will direct to issue your summons or Warrant.

Once given an Ohovwore, you are now considered to be a noble, there are certain things you can’t do.

You are not expected to climb the Palm tree to tap Banga any more. Never allowed to carry load on top of your head.

You will Preside over meetings even when other Elders are there if they are not Ohovwore. Even if an Elderly Ohovwore is there but you became an Ohovwore before him, you will still Preside. As practiced in Clan like Ancient Okpara, Orhoakpor, Ovu e.t.c

There are very many rules I will publish them tomorrow as Chadwick listed them in 1929.

So the Ohovwore was the Only Urhobo title until latter immigrants came from BENIN.

These ones came with Okakuro and Olorogun.

Unlike Ohovwore, Okakuro or Olorogun was  either given by the Oba himself, or an Ovie whom the Oba gave the insignia of office.

In some Communities with no king, the heads of the Okakuro or Olorogun Societies ( called Osuivie) can bestow the Okakuro Title. Same practice till date in Okpara, Orhoakpor and Ovu respectively from ancient time.

Note: Before the whiteman came, Okakuro or Olorogun were not Palace Chiefs like we see them today.

They were actually “servants of the king” or the Oba of Benin who gave them the Title.

Literally Okakuo means War Captain, while Olorogun means Warlord.

These were people whom the Ovie or Oba, can rely upon to raise an Army for him to go to War.

So many Ekakuro and ilorogun were called upon to fight for Oba Ovonranmwen during the invasion of Benin in 1897.

Because they were Warlords they became untouchable, so they became superior to the Ohovwores,

So during times of War, they can declare a state of emergency, and suspend the activities of the ehovwore or Okarorho until the village War is over.

But where there is a king, they are inferior to that king,…they submit only to the King or the most senior Okakuro ( Osuivie).

The Okakuro cult was a sacred order.

Their cases are not usually tried in the courts of the Okarorho, except if that Okarorho himself was an Okakuro.

If you have a case against an Okakuro, you only report him through another Okakuro to either the Ovie or his Osuivie.

But if he took his own Okakuro from the Oba of Benin, then he may appeal to the Oba if his Ovie or Osuivie did not trash the case to his satisfaction.

The easiest way to be an Okakuro before the British came was to kill either an Elephant ( Eni) or a Leopard ( Ubido)

By Urhobo and Bini traditions the Tusk of an Elephant does not belong to the Hunter who killed it. It was a Property of Only the Oba of BENIN.  In Urhobo the Elephant Tusk is called AKENI.

So after a brave hunter kills an Elephant, his village men under him will accompany him to the Oba of Benin and give it to him if the Oba is pleased with his prowess he will give him the Okakuro or Olorogun title.

When he comes home he can then recruit young men as soldiers and hunters under him.

Then if there is any emergency the Oba can send for him to fight for him.

The hundreds of elephant Tusks the British  looted from the Oba Palace in 1897, were gotten this way. They were later sold as Ivory in many European markets

Another way to become an Olorogun was to kill a leopard. The Leopard skin was the  Property of the Oba of Benin. The Oba of Benin was the “Ekpenomwan” or home Leopard.

In ancient Urhobo and Bini land the leopard was the most dreaded beast not the Lion. Lions were hardly seen. They were in the Savanna. Our forests were filled with leopards ( Ubido).

A ferocious beast that kills with stealth, agile, fast and can climb .

Killing it was like killing a dreaded monster . You take the skin to the Oba.

But if you have an Ovie or an Osuivie ( most senior Okakuro) and you don’t want to go to BENIN for your Title then they can also bestow it upon you.

But these ones if they collect the leopard skin or elephant tusks from you, they must send it to the Oba eventually on your behalf.

But if you are not fortunate enough to have killed a leopard or Elephant, you can still be given the Okakuro Title.

But that was now in mid 1800’s then, Wealth due to British trade have started coming, and with Wealth you can buy men and Power.

So with gifts of goats, native cows, Yams , Palm oil, Plantains , Palm wine and at least 20 slaves, the Okakuro Title can be bestowed upon you by the Oba or your Ovie or your Osuivie.

Next I will write on the Okarorho.

Thank you

@Dr Ejiro Imuere

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