● A legal luminary called to serve
● A monarch’s petition
The Edo State House of Assembly on Tuesday approved the nomination of Prof. Roland Itoyan Otaru SAN, PhD as a commissioner designate.
During plenary, the Speaker, Rt. Hon. Blessing Agbebaku, after reading his impeccable resume, described Prof. Roland as a man whose legal profile was unmatched.
In his remark, the member representing Akoko-Edo Constituency II, Hon. Donald Okogbe, said his joy knew no bounds.
Clad in pure white agbada, he declared that Edo State had received one of the greatest gifts from Akoko-Edo
“Every Akoko-Edo today is wearing agbada in spirit because the Governor has done us this great favour,” he said.
Hon. Okogbe described Prof. Roland as an expert with an unblemished record in the legal profession, noting his philanthropic commitment to training many lawyers. On behalf of Akoko-Edo and his constituents, he expressed profound gratitude to the Governor, Senator Monday Okpebholo, for finding Prof. Roland worthy of the cabinet. He then moved a motion that Prof. Roland Otaru (SAN) PhD be allowed to take a bow without questions, owing to his towering legal pedigree.
Adding weight to the commendations, the Minority Leader, Hon. Charity Airobarueghian, recalled their days at the University of Benin, where law students were constantly told to be studious enough to be like Roland Otaru SAN.
“If Prof. Roland must be a commissioner in Edo State, he deserves to be a double commissioner, for he is more than just a commissioner,” he declared.
Members representing the various constituencies, from Orhionmwon to Esan South-East and Ovia North-East I, spoke glowingly of Prof. Otaru’s brilliance and humility. Hon. Sunday Aghedo of Ovia South-West noted that he would never have become a lawmaker if not for the benevolent legal dexterity of Prof. Roland. He prayed for God’s blessings upon him.
In her remarks, Hon. Maria Edeko, member representing Esan North-East II, highlighted Prof. Roland’s affiliations with prestigious institutions like Harvard and Oxford University, stressing that his acceptance to serve as commissioner was itself a sacrifice, given his global stature.
When Prof. Roland Itoyan Otaru (SAN), PhD finally took the podium to introduce himself, the chamber fell into reverent silence. Heads nodded in affirmation, as members recognized the sheer brilliance before them. His eloquence and command of legal expressions left many bewildered, as though they were listening to a lecture in law school.
The day ended with one clear consensus; Governor Monday Okpebholo has given Edo State not just a commissioner, but a rare gift in Prof. Roland Itoyan Otaru SAN, PhD, a distinguished servant of the people.
A Petition By Ikpeshi Monarch:
Meanwhile, the Assembly confirmed Prof. Roland Otaru as a Commissioner despite a petition against his nomination by the traditional ruler of Ikpeshi/Egbigere clan, HRH Luckman Momodu Odamah III.
Recall that the Edo State Governor, Monday Okpebholo, on August 8, 2025, approved the nomination of Prof. Roland Otaru, Barrister Nosa Adams, Yakubu Oshiorenua Musa, Felix Akhabue, and Prof. Omorodion Ignatius Ikponmwosa as commissioners-designate
However,following his nomination, the traditional ruler of Ikpeshi/Egbigere, HRH Luckman Momodu Odamah III, petitioned the state government to stop the House of Assembly from confirming him.
In the petition addressed to the Governor on August 29, 2025, the monarch argued that confirming Otaru would effectively make him a judge in his own case.
He alleged that Otaru had opposed his ascension to the throne following the death of his father on September 11, 2011.
According to him, “Prof. R.I. Otaru has, since the death of my father, HRH Momodu Odamah II, been working tirelessly against my nomination, traditional installation, and eventual appointment by the state government as a successor to my father.
“From 2012 till date, Prof. Otaru has been acting and continues to act as counsel to the Akoko-Edo traditional council that unsuccessfully [challenged] my appointment.
“To this end, he unsuccessfully opposed the suit I filed before the High Court, Igarra, out of which he now has a pending appeal at the Supreme Court.
“In addition, in December 2020, Prof. Otaru, who is from the Emegbe family of Igun kindred, raised one Chief Joseph Shuru Uduagbamen from his kindred and sought to impose him as the Zaiki of the Ikpeshi/Egbigere clan. To carry out this plot, they filed a case before the Igarra High Court to set aside the gazette/declaration that regulates the appointment of the traditional ruler of the clan.
“The suit was dismissed on March 16, 2022, and the Emegbe family proceeded to the Court of Appeal, Benin.
“From 2012 till date, the position of Prof. Otaru had always been in opposition to that of the Edo State Government, the Attorney-General of Edo State, and the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs in all the court cases with respect to my ascension to the throne, from the High Court, Court of Appeal and now at the Supreme Court.
“Thus, his membership of the State Executive Council will ultimately put him in a position that makes him a judge in his own case, that is, to supplant the lawful position of the Edo State Government that has never filed or accepted any contrary position to that contained in the chieftaincy declaration gazette,” he said.
The traditional ruler stressed that his petition was necessary to lay the facts bare before Otaru assumed office as a commissioner.
He added that the petition was also aimed at ensuring that appointments of traditional rulers in the state fully comply with the gazette or declaration as passed into law by the government. [Big Eye Live]
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