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Family, children fight over OMO OMORUYI’s estate

FOR late Professor Omo Omoruyi, the former Director-General of the Centre for Democratic Studies (CDS), during Babangida regime who died in Benin, Edo State, on October 14, 2013, after a protracted battle with prostate cancer and was buried on November 19, 2013, it is not yet peaceful rest.

This is because barely four months after his demise and three months after his burial, his children, brothers and uncle are in court cover the Will he purportedly left behind.

ProfessorOmo_omoruyiOne Owere Dickson Imasogie who is his uncle and claimed to be the head of the family is of the opinion that the purported Will was not written by his cousin (Omoruyi).

According to him, the Will was signed by Omoruyi two weeks before his death and was registered in court on November 25, 2013, just barely five days after he (Omoruyi) was committed to mother earth.

Another flaw in the Will, according to Omosogie, is the fact that the two witnesses of the Will, Dr. Festus Imuetiyan and Nehikhare Idiozee were also beneficiaries of the Will.  They (witnesses) got plots of land along Sapele Road, cars and all personal effects including publications of Prof. Omoruyi.

He also opposed vehemently the giving of the family house to his eldest son, Osarenren, on the ground that he is not only an adopted child but also a foreigner from Guyana (where their mother, Joan is also from).

This is why he was also opposed to allowing the eldest son, Osarenren, to perform the traditional burial rites for his father.

He is of the view that his late cousin’s two daughters, Amenze and Ivie, who were born out of wedlock but by a Bini woman should be accorded their respect and rightful position in the family.

As far as he was concerned, those two daughters who have been proved beyond reasonable doubt through DNA, as the biological children of his cousin, are the true proof that his late cousin was not an eunuch (infertile) in his life time.

omoruyi400He strongly believed that those who included the names of the two adopted sons Osarenren and Karl and their mother Joan, in the Will, as beneficiaries are doing it for their own interests because they know very well that the wife and the boys will never come back to Nigeria.

According to Imasogie, Osarenren, the supposedly first son was in Nigeria 25 years ago and Karl, the second son only came to Nigeria with Joan (their adopted mother) during the burial.

He implored those that are supporting the wife, Joan and the two adopted sons should go and read what his cousin wrote about them in his book, My Journal Back to Life.

But Mr. Sunny Omoruyi, a younger brother of late Professor Omo Omoruyi, did not accept Mr. Owere Dickson Imasogie as the head of the family and that the family already took decision.

As far as he was concerned, Osarenren is his brother’s first son and should be allowed to inherit the Igiogbe (the family house) as written in the Will.

He challenged the girls to show proof of their mother’s marriage to his late brother.

He said his brother before his demise acknowledges that he has four children which included the two adopted boys and the two girls born out of wedlock.

He, however, frowned at the girls for not accepting the boys as their brothers and going to their father house to cart away properties including cars.  He said the police are looking for them.

As far as he was concerned, the girls must not only accept the boys as their brothers but must also accept the provision of the Will.

Professor Omo Omoruyi was a professor of Political Science at University of Benin, Benin, Edo State, before he was appointed the Director-General of the Centre for Democratic Studies (CDS), during General Ibrahim Babangida regime (1985-1993).

He was diagnosed of prostate cancer in 2008 and was taken to the United States of America for treatment. He came back to the country only for the cancer to relapse again after few years.  He went back again abroad for treatment but when he saw that his situation was beyond redemption he came back to Nigeria in 2013 and he died on October 14, 2013.

He was survived by his wife, Joan, a Guyanese and two adopted sons, Osarenren and Karl, who are equally Guyanese too; two daughters, Ivie and Amenze, who are products of his romantic affair with a Bini woman from Asuen family in Benin, Edo State.

He was alleged to have left a Will which has become a source of controversy in the family.  According to the Will, his wife, Joan, was given their GRA building and his eldest son, Osarenren was given the building where he was buried.

His two daughters Ivie and Amenze got a landed property acquired in 1977 and cash. A nephew identified as Eddy got a building Omoruyi built for his mother.  Dr. Festus Imuetiyan and Nehikhare Iduozee who are witnesses to the Will got plots of land, cars and all personal effects including publications of Professor Omoruyi.

–   TOLANI ABATTI

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