𝐔𝐠𝐛𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐚, 𝐎𝐧𝐨𝐣𝐢𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐔𝐫𝐨𝐦𝐢, 𝐏𝐚𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐞 𝐑𝐨𝐰:

 Ugbesia, Onojie of Uromi, Palace Row: 

...Between Traditional Protocol and the Dignity of Office

By: Oriaifoh Godwins

The Chairman of the Edo State Traditional Medicines Board, TMB, High Chief Abudu Ugbesia, JP, on Tuesday, October 6, 2026, visited the palace of the Onojie of Uromi, in Esan North East Local Government Area of Edo State, in a bid to resolve a leadership disagreement among Traditional Medicine practitioners in the locality.

What was supposed to be a peace-making intervention, however, reportedly ended in an unfortunate disagreement over traditional protocol, following a request that High Chief Ugbesia remove his cap before the breaking of kola nut at the palace.

Beyond the controversy, however, one fundamental question deserves to be asked: Was High Chief Ugbesia's refusal an act of disrespect, or was he simply standing by the dignity and protocol attached to his own traditional office?

Available accounts indicate that on same day, High Chief Ugbesia performed the same role of traditional kola nut breaking/prayer, in the inner sitting room of the Palace, where Chief Awele, an Uromi Palace Chief, was also present. Chief Ugbesia performed the role, with his cap on his head. There was reportedly no objection to the manner in which the prayer was conducted at that initial stage.

It was subsequently, when the gathering moved to the larger hall for the main meeting, that the issue of the cap reportedly arose.

High Chief Ugbesia was said to have declined the request to remove his cap, explaining that he was appearing not merely as an ordinary visitor, but in his capacity as the de facto Regent of the Okaijesan of Esanland, a traditional position which, in his understanding, carries its own dignity, authority and protocol. Perhaps, the word 'defacto regent', confused some persons.

That position, it must be stressed, should not automatically be construed as an affront to the Onojie of Uromi. Of course, it is definitely not an affront.

A traditional ruler's authority, such as that of the Onojie of Uromi, is worthy of respect. So equally is the dignity of another traditional office holder. Especially bearing in mind that, he is a representative of the Primus inter pares among the traditional rulers of Esanland.

Respect for one traditional institution does not necessarily require the humiliation or diminishment of another.

High Chief Ugbesia did not reportedly visit the palace to challenge the authority of the Onojie of Uromi, nor did he go there to assert superiority over the monarch. He went there as Chairman of the Edo State Traditional Medicines Board, and as a senior traditional figure, principally to mediate a dispute and find a peaceful resolution to a disagreement among practitioners.

His mission was therefore fundamentally a peace-building mission.

It will be unfair to allow the disagreement over a cap to overshadow the purpose of that visit.

The issue is particularly significant because, traditional institutions operate within a complex network of customs, titles, precedence and protocols. What is considered appropriate conduct in one traditional setting may be interpreted differently in another.

Consequently, where two traditional authorities have different understandings of protocol, the appropriate response should ordinarily be dialogue and mutual accommodation, rather than an interpretation that portrays one party as deliberately disrespectful.

High Chief Ugbesia's position, as reportedly expressed at the Uromi palace, was that his status as de facto Regent of the Okaijesan of Esanland carried a protocol which informed his decision not to remove his cap.

That is a position of traditional protocol, not an act of rebellion.

Indeed, if the High Chief had intended to disrespect the Onojie of Uromi, it would be difficult to explain why he would undertake the journey to the palace in the first place, to mediate a dispute that did not directly concern him personally.

He went there because the affairs of Traditional Medicine practitioners fall within the mandate of the Board he heads, and because he was interested in finding a solution to the leadership crisis.

It is therefore important that the incident not be allowed to create unnecessary friction among traditional institutions in Esanland. In view of this, busybodies and crisis fuellers should steer clear.

The reported decision to ask High Chief Ugbesia to leave the palace may have brought an abrupt end to the meeting, but it should not bring an end to the larger objective of finding peace among the Traditional Medicine practitioners in Esan North East.

For High Chief Abudu Ugbesia, his position appears clear: he did not go to Uromi to disrespect the Onojie; he went to resolve a dispute. His refusal to remove his cap was based on his understanding of the dignity and protocol of the traditional office he represents.

It would therefore be wrong to reduce a senior traditional figure's peace-making intervention to a narrative of disobedience or disrespect, simply because he stood by a position concerning his own traditional status.

At a time when Esanland needs greater cooperation, unity and mutual respect among its traditional institutions, the incident should serve as a reminder that the dignity of one traditional office need not diminish the dignity of another.

What should ultimately matter is the peace and unity of the people, the resolution of the Traditional Medicine practitioners' leadership dispute, and the preservation of the mutual respect that ought to exist among the traditional institutions of Esanland.

High Chief Ugbesia's visit was intended to achieve precisely that.

Watch video of Chief Abudu Ugbesia's explanation, below 👇👇👇