Why I won’t abandon my wig and gown as king — Ohworode of Olomu, Albert Akpomudje 

The Ancient Olomu Kingdom in Ughelli South Local Government Area of Delta State is about to witness a 

great change as Albert Akpomudje, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria and Vice Chairman, Body of Benchers, today ascends the throne as the 14th Ohworode of Olomu Kingdom. In this engaging interview with AKPOKONA OMAFUAIRE in his office, Akpomudje lays out his blueprint to restore Olomu’s pride and prosperity, saying: “I’m not coming to benefit myself. I just want to make a difference.” He talks about his divine journey to royalty and how he intends to balance law, faith, and tradition. Akpomudje, recounts his humble beginnings, divine calling, and vision for a new Olomu Kingdom. From a small boy who once lost a wrestling match in Uwherun to a Senior Advocate turned monarch, Albert Akpomudje, shares his story of destiny, faith, and leadership. He reflects on his Christian faith, royal lineage, and why he believes God prepared him long ago for this historic role. Excerpts:

Congratulations on becoming the Ohworode of Olomu kingdom; Please share with us your background

I was born in Uwherun in Ughelli North Local Government Area, while my father was working there as a civil servant. He was a Customary Court Clerk, and was on transfer to Uwherun. That was where I was born and baptized. One thing I am proud of is that, the late Ohworode of Olomu, HRM R.L. Ogbon, Ogoni-Oghoro I, was my baptismal Godfather in the Anglican Church. A few months after I was born, my father was transferred to several other places. But the one I can remember now was when I was grown up, at Ughelli where I started Primary School and thereafter my father was transferred to Out-Jeremi where I continued my Primary School but I can’t remember the exact year. From Out-Jeremi, my father was transferred to Ewu-Urhobo in Ughelli South Local Government Area now, and that was where I completed my Primary education at LEA Primary School Ewu in 1968. I got admission into Government College Ughelli as well as several other schools including Edo College then but because of the proximity and distance of Government College Ughelli to Ewu where my father was working, he opted for me to attend Government College Ughelli where I finished my Secondary education.

But perhaps as destiny would have it, I had to do my Higher School Certificate at Edo College in Benin from where I went to University of Lagos to study law. I also attended Nigerian Law School Lagos and was called to the Bar as I became a lawyer and that is what I am today.

What were the most memorable childhood experiences you had?

I recall that when we were at Uwherun, I was very small then, I had not even started Primary School, one thing that the Uwherun people are known for is wrestling. As a child when I watched them wrestling, I took interest and in one of the wrestling festivals, I told my father that I wanted to join the wrestling team, so they dressed me up well because before one could go for wrestling, he must have an attire. I had never wrestled before that day, so when I got there, I then challenged one boy to the match.

Before I knew it, the guy took me up and landed me on the ground and used part of my back to hit the ground, so I was looking around whether any of my relations saw me when this happened and of course, they were there following up and they all rushed to encourage me and picked me up from the ground and cleaned the sand from my back and buttocks. That was my childhood experience and I have never forgotten it.

How do you view it when the person who was your Godfather became the 12th Ohworode of Olomu and you the Godson is now the 14th Ohworode of Olomu?

That is the divine work of God, when he was alive and I was made a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, he attended my Thanksgiving and he told everybody that ‘this man who is now looking big was my baptismal Godson’. That was how we related all through his lifetime. He was always fond of me but between us at that time, we didn’t know that destiny had the same vision to place us in the position to head the Kingdom. But before his passage, my own journey to ascend to the throne started.

Then, I was convinced by my people after so much pressure to accept the position of the Akpile/Akpohor of the Olomu Kingdom after the demise of my learned senior Olorogun Milton Ohwovoriole, SAN who was occupying the position. As if a SAN must take after him, that was one thing that influenced my people to think that since the last person was a SAN and they still have a son who was a SAN, they must try to convince me. Otherwise, it was not something that I had ever thought about, but like I said it was by divine grace of God that everything just worked out well.

How did you become a lawyer, was law your first choice?

After my secondary School, I taught for one year at Etako Primary School Okpare Olomu before I decided to go for a Higher School Certificate at Edo College. Initially I thought of becoming a Secretary or an Estate Surveyor, these were careers we just heard about, as a little child then I had no focus as to what I wanted to become. While I was at Edo College, I thought of studying Sociology at the university or Geography because I was good at it and also to become a teacher. But Sociology and Political Science were the reigning social sciences courses then. Every university had its own admission policy as there was no JAMB then, so when I was filling my form, I was always filling Sociology, Political Science only.

The last form I bought was that of University of Lagos and I had already filled Sociology and Political Science. So, one of my friends who was the head of school then saw my form and knowing my performance in school asked why I didn’t choose law in any of the forms. He said any of the subjects I was offering could qualify me to study law. I was already at the Post Office to post the form, so, I brought back the form, cancelled my previous choices and chose law as my first choice. The form was very untidy but as luck would have it, that was the first acknowledgment card that came back to me. An acknowledgment card always accompanied every form which would be sent back to you that they had received your form and they were processing it. So I was surprised that the last form which I sent and with all the cancellations was the first to be acknowledged. I did well in my high school exam but a second fear came when I learnt that one had to score very high marks in the subject combinations. Because of my desperation to enter the university, I went to Lagos so I could change my course because I didn’t want the university to disqualify me for scoring below the cut-off marks. So, I wrote an application to change courses from law to political Science where the cut-off points were lower. After I had written the letter, I showed it to one of my course mates at Edo College, Oboh, and I thought he would encourage me but he said he would not encourage me to submit it.

So, I changed my mind and tore the letter. And as at that time for you to study the social sciences you must have a credit in Mathematics, this again was an obstacle as I had a pass. So I decided to leave my fate to God. At that time also, we had one Professor Uvieghara at the University of Lagos whom I knew was an old boy of Government College Ughelli and was one of the top lecturers at the faculty of law. So I told him that I was an old student that I applied to read law. He asked me my name and checked the admission list. The admission had been done by that time but it had not been published. He then told me that I was successful and that I had been admitted to read law. That was how I got it and that was the only admission I got. Because of my pass in mathematics, the University of Ibadan and the University of Ife didn’t give me admission to read social sciences. So, some of these things once they are destined to happen, they will happen. That was the only admission I got and that is why I am a lawyer today.

Did you ever envisage that you were going to be a king while growing up?

That was the last thing I had ever thought of, but I began to wonder if my parents were alive to see that today I am now going to be the king of Olomu, it is something that we never imagined. But somehow, in those days, my father was a Christian but also practiced tradition. There was a time he told me that he went somewhere and that somebody told him that ‘this your son will be a great man’. My father just mentioned it to me that the man said that I was going to be a great man, but I didn’t take it as anything. I didn’t know that it was a benefit of hindsight that such a thing was going to happen in the future.

As a Christian, how do you intend to blend with the traditional demands as a king?

Before my coming in as a king, those issues had long been settled in the Olomu Kingdom. During the reign of HRM, R.L. Ogbon, Ogoni-Oghoro I, tried to balance the different religious beliefs within the Olomu Kingdom as much as possible. In those days, for you to become a Chief, there were a lot of fetish things you must subscribe to. But it was during his reign, for the long periods he stayed that he was able to put his foot down to ensure everybody had his right to belong to any religion but that should not place a barrier. And it was during his time that so many Christians within the kingdom started to accept Chieftaincy titles because a good number of them would not have accepted because of the fetish procedures involved then in becoming an Olorogun.

Though they would say it was not fetish but we know that the things they would do for you to become Olorogun in those days were not things that Christians could subscribe to. But those things were laid to rest during his reign which took more than 35 years. The king who took over from him, HRM, M.O.P. Ovbagbedia Uhurhie-Osadjere II was also a Christian. He just passed away recently. For example, in giving Chieftaincy titles, nothing is done other than just pour powder on your face and all that, no other thing. So it has been well established, I am not going to face any challenge. As far as that is concerned, I respect those who believe in other deities or any form of worship. I am not condemning anybody, if you are able to convince them to change their own traditional beliefs, all well and good, but if you can’t convince themt, you must allow them practice what they believe. You cannot stop them.

So, I am not going to stop any traditional practice, I will not interfere, but at the same time they will not also interfere with those who don’t believe in what they do. So, there is no conflict as of now. It has been long settled.

You are a member of the Anglican Church, so were your two predecessors; In Olomu Kingdom, is it now an Anglican affair?

God has made it so, it is the Lord’s doing, it is not an Anglican affair. It may change, maybe the next person after me will be a Catholic. It may even be from the other side. But we thank God for that, if you look at it in this part of the kingdom, it was the Anglican Church that actually started Christianity, so most of our parents were Anglicans. My parents were Anglican. It is just by coincidence that all of us are Anglicans but not that it is an Anglican affair.

As a lawyer, how are you going to cope without going to court as a king?

That is a difficult one. First, no law prevents me from going to court as a king and I stand to be corrected. But when you look at the position of the Ohworode, and if I want people to give that position the respect it deserves, then it may be difficult for me to go to court to go and practice the way I was going. But I am thinking of going to apply to the Bar Council to give me an exception so that I can appear in court if I want to, in some very high-profile cases in the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court. But so far as I know, no law prevents a traditional ruler who is a lawyer from practicing his trade. And you know traditional rulers have categories. There are some people who say there are traditional rulers who are lawyers and they go to court like in Rivers State and in some other places and nobody has ever challenged them. But if your own kingdom is such that you want to maintain the dignity of that position, then of course, it won’t be advisable. And that also means that my means of livelihood will be cut short because the briefs won’t come.

However, my chambers will continue to run fully, and I will go to the office to do legal work. The only thing which I may not do as I was doing before will be to appear in court. Otherwise, I will be in the office to write briefs, to advise clients, and to manage the office to the best of my ability while balancing my own traditional functions as the Ohworode of Olomu.

Your Majesty, incidentally, your three children are lawyers, did you influence them?

Again, by the will of God, all my children are lawyers. The first one had a PhD in law from Lancaster, the second one has his Masters from the University of Law in London, and the third, my daughter, had a first Class from the University of Manchester and thereafter did her Masters in the University of Cambridge, all in London. Apart from my first son whom I insisted must read law, I did not influence the two others. I asked my first son to read law because I was developing an office and I said at the end of the day, if he does not read law nobody will sustain the office, so I insisted from the word go. The second one was not even interested in law, he wanted to become an Aeronautical Engineer, so I used to tease him that with his weight he would likely break the seat of the pilot. But somehow, one day, he just got up and said he wanted to become a lawyer. Then, my daughter was very good in the sciences, she attended Corona Secondary School in Lagos.

So, I thought she would do engineering, or even medicine. But one day, she just told me that she wanted to read law. I then screamed that with all the sciences in your head; you want to go and read law? You know these days, you don’t control children, I said, well before she said so she already had the mind to do it. I didn’t try to interfere with the choice they have made because in all these, it is the joy in anything we do that brings success. So, I left them to do whatever they wanted to do. But my daughter is not ready to practice law, she wants to do event planning. You don’t dictate to them what they want to do. All I do is to wish them well.

On your journey to becoming a lawyer, who was your role model?

Dr. Mudiaga Odje was my role model. Incidentally, I don’t know whether that was the reason I had to work with him for more than 10 years before I left. Another person encouraged me so much when I was in law school and we were on holidays. I just went to the court premises to go and watch proceedings, and on that day, there was a criminal trial going on. There was this lawyer who so impressed me the way he conducted the cross examination, I didn’t know his name then, but the memory of what I witnessed was always in my head. So, when I came into practice, I kept describing him until they told me that the person was T.J. Okpoko, SAN.

That man as a young lawyer then was a firebrand. In those days, you could just leave whatever you were doing to go and watch proceedings when you heard that a particular lawyer was coming to a particular court to conduct a case. I so much enjoyed the way Okpoko conducted the case that particular day that it gave me some encouragement that this is a profession that I want to follow.

What would you describe as your worst day as a lawyer?

There are many bad days, particularly when you lose a case that you know you are not supposed to lose. And it is not that you didn’t work hard, or that you were negligent in conducting the case, but simply due to the incompetence of the judge. Taking matters on appeal because of the way our legal system is takes quite a lot of time. And before you know it, a bad judgment may sail through in the Court of Appeal. So, bad days are usually when you lose a case that you are not supposed to lose. It can really hurt you, and knowing fully well that pursuing an appeal is not a tea party, and perhaps by the time you conclude the appeal, the steam in you with which you started it would have vanished. Initially you want to do it but drop the idea because of these delays in the administration of justice. I remembered one even recently where I was appearing for a lady who was charged to court. The judge respected me.

After the charge was read, he said okay, I will release the defendant to you until I hear the application for bail whether to grant or not to grant. On the day the application for bail was argued, it was adjourned for ruling and on the day of ruling, against my expectation, the trial judge refused bail. I said, ‘my lord, if you could release this person to me and throughout the period before you decided to give the ruling, she was coming to court, that was enough for your lordship to have been convinced that this was not the person that would jump bail because at that point you have not convicted the person.

The only fear about bail issues is whether the person will not come to face the trial. It pained me a lot, she was a very respected woman but she was sentenced to prison. I had to struggle hard and then it was just during vacation, so I had to go through the vacation judge in a Federal High Court in another state where she was released. It really pained me, I felt very bad. I can’t forget that day.

As the Vice Chairman of the Body of Benchers, now becoming a king, how do you intend to cope?

I don’t think it is an impediment at all, maybe this is the first time it will happen. Lawyers being what they are, I don’t know how they will react to it yet, but one thing that is certain is that in the Body of Benchers we have traditional rulers. For example, the Emir of Lafia today is a life Bencher and he comes to our meetings. The Asagba of Asaba is also a member of the Body of Benchers. Justice F.F. Tabai, formerly of the Supreme Court, who is now a king is also a member of the Body of Benchers, they all come for the activities of the Body of Benchers. So, as long as my membership of the Body of Benchers is not curtailed in any way by being a traditional ruler, then of course, I am also entitled to all the rights that go to every member, there is no discrimination.

Remember that if my becoming a traditional ruler will not stop me from being a member of the Body of Benchers, and if being in the Body of Benchers, I am entitled to be the Chairman, of course nothing should stop it. I do not envisage any obstacle and I think I have a duty to perform that role again creditably. One thing that is good about the Body of Benchers is that if you become Vice Chairman, the Chairmanship is not contested for, the Vice Chairman moves to become Chairman. I have been Vice Chairman for almost one year now, and by March next year, the tenure of the current Chairman will end and by our own rules I will move to become the Chairman of the Body. And good enough, it is just for one year. Before you know it, one year is out, so you have to put in your best in the year that you will be there to make your mark and I promise to do that.

What is your agenda for the Olomu Kingdom?

I know that the expectations are very high. Olomu with all due respect is very backward in terms of development despite the fact that we have so many prominent people of Olomu that have held positions. I won’t say they didn’t try, for example when Olorogun Emmanuel Aguariavwodo was Managing Director of NDDC, he did a lot by tarring all the roads in Olomu kingdom. Also at a time, all communities in Olomu had light connected to the National Grid but today, more than 10 communities are without light. They said they were owing, but the cost to bring back the light is now even more than the cost of applying for a completely new line. This has been the dilemma for over ten years. They have disconnected the electricity since 2017 which is eight years ago, that is the first thing.

Olomu has no police station as big as we are. So, if anything happens, we have to go to Out-Jeremi. Olomu is big enough to have a Local Government. In the area of financial institutions, we don’t have an ATM gallery, and if you want to collect money, you must either go to Warri, Effurun or Ughelli. And most importantly, there is no higher institution in Olomu.

When you have a higher institution anywhere, it brings development very fast to the place. If you go to Abraka today, even though it is not well planned, you see that it is an urban area now. If you look at Udu because of the presence of DSC at that time, almost all Udu towns are like urban areas. We don’t even have any company in Olomu either government owned or privately owned that will change the fortunes of the Olomu people. So, these are all numerous challenges we have. We may not be able to address all of them but we will do our best, at least to let them see the difference when I am there on the throne.

First of all, in the area of manpower development, we are going to try to educate our people at the leadership level from the towns to let them know their roles. It is not a question of saying I want to be President General, what is your role? Because I see most of them, they just want the position and when they get there, they think of what they can get from there and not what they will do for the people.

I am coming in with no intention to benefit myself. I don’t need anything, so I will do my very best to see that at least we feel the impact of my position as the Ohworode of Olomu Kingdom. There should be some impact and of course I cannot do that on my own and I will solicit the support of all Olomu sons and daughters and government in particular to come to my aid so that we can make life better for the people of Olomu Kingdom.

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