*Other Contestants Kick
THE Asaba traditional council, Asagba-in-Council, on Sunday, August 18, announced the emergence of legal luminary, Epiphany Azinge (SAN), a professor of Law and the Okilolo of Asaba, as traditional ruler designate, who would ascend the throne as the 14th Asagba of Asaba after his coronation.
The Ochendo of Asaba, Chief Anthony Edozien, who made the announcement on behalf of the council, said the selection process was in line with the Traditional Rulers and Chiefs Edict of 1979, which is applicable to Delta State, saying: “By the authority vested in me as Ochendo of Asaba, and the authority vested in me under the Traditional Rulers Edict of 1979, I pronounce Prof. Epiphany Azinge as the Asagba of Asaba designate, in line with Asaba customs and traditions.
“There are many steps that will commence today, culminating in his installation as the 14th Asagba of Asaba. Most of those rites have been established by long established traditions. Our dearest traditional chiefs have sacred roles to play.
“Until the installation is done, the authority of the Asagba still rests on the Ochendo of Asaba. When the Asagba fulfills the installation sites, the Ochendo of Asaba will extinguish the authority. May God guide us.”
Five Ebo’s (quarters) of Asaba, backed by the Iyagba quarters, unanimously selected Azinge as the 14th Asagba of Asaba designate.
This followed the death of the 13th Asagba of Asaba, Prof. Chike Edozien, on February 14, thuis year.
Azinge, a former director general of the Nigeria Institute of Advanced Legal Studies (NIALS), was selected from among 10 contenders, including Mr. Tony Ogugia Konwea, Prof. Emmanuel Onwuka and Chief Chinedu Esealuka.
It would be recalled that the emergence of Azinge as the new Asagba,
But his emergence has not come without opposition, as a large crowd demonstrated against his choice, with a section of the town saying Azinge was not qualified for the stool, with one of the contenders saying the kingmakers disregarded the rotation principle.
They include Konwea, Onwuka and Esealuka, as well as a group, Concerned Asaba Indigenes, who warned of the dangers of installing the wrong person as the new Asagba of Asaba.
The group, in an open letter to the kingmakers, warned that neither Konwea nor Azinge was worthy of the crown if any of them was selected in breach of tradition and in violation of the customary laws regulating succession to the Asagba stool, adding that zoning has been an age-long device to make rooms for inclusiveness, equity and fairness among the contending individuals, villages and Ebos, lamenting that the disposition of the Asagba-in-Council that there should be no zoning within the Ugbomanta quarters was unheard of and unprecedented.
A prominent Asaba chief and Okpala Onisha, Ogbueshi Olisaedua Uwaechia, said it was wrong for the Asagba-in-Council to void the rotation principle in the choice of new Asagba of Asaba.
Despite the objections, the kingmakers went ahead to install Azinge, a senior, advocate of Nigeria,as the 14th Asagba of Asaba.
The legal luminary was born on November 13, 1957 in Aba, Abia State, although he hails from Asaba, Oshimili South Local Council.
He attended St. Patrick’s College, Asaba, between 1970 and 1975, and proceeded to the University of Lagos in 1976, where he obtained a Bachelor of Laws with a Second Class Upper Division.
Called to the Nigerian Bar in 1980, he later attended the University of London for his LL.M degree, specialising in Comparative Constitutional Law and Shipping Law in 1983 and completed his PhD in 1986, with thesis on “Electoral Laws in Nigeria.”
Azinge began his academic career at the University of Benin in 1981, teaching several courses, including the Nigerian Legal System; Legal Process; Jurisprudence; Constitutional Law; Labour Law; Public International Law and Administrative Law.
He also taught Information Technology Law and Law of Taxation at the University of Abuja, and the Nigerian Legal System at the Nasarawa State University, free of charge.
He was special assistant to the attorney general of the federation and minister of Justice (HAGF) between 1991 and 1997, during which he contributed to many landmark legal developments that led to the promulgation of several enactments, including the Banks and Other Financial Institutions Act; Failed Banks Act; Advanced Fee Fraud Act; Money Laundering Act and Nigerian Drug Law Enforcement Agency Act.
A member of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) Section on Legal Practice (2004 -2008); NBA Continuing Legal Education Committee (2003-2006) and Chairman, NBA Section on Business Law and its Sub-Committee on Sports and Entertainment.
He became a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) in 2006 and was in May 2009, appointed the 5th director general of the Nigerian Institute of Advanced Legal Studies.
