From Okey Sampson, Umuahia
Arochukwu Kingdom, Abia State has announced the passing on of its traditional ruler, His Majesty Mazi Ogbonnaya Vincent Okoro. The monarch died after 25 years on the thrown.
Announcing the death of the first class traditional ruler during a virtual press conference yesterday, chairman Central Committee, National Rites of Passage of the late Monarch, Prof (Mazi) James Ijioma disclosed that the monarch will be buried on Monday, April 5 at his hometown.
Ijioma while describing the 25 years of the kingship of the late revered monarch as eventful said the death of their traditional ruler was a big loss not only to Arochukwu people, but the entire Aro Nation across the globe.
According to Ijioma, who is a Professor of History, the people are sad that they lost their dear monarch, but happy at the same time that he (late Eze Aro) has gone to be with his maker.
While making public activities lined up for the burial of the monarch, the burial committee chairman stated that though the people of Aro want to give the late monarch a befitting burial, he however, lamented that the COVID-19 pandemic has affected the scale and scope of the burial plans.
He went further to state that arrangements were already on ground to get a successor to the thrown from the royal family.
“Eze Ogbonnaya Okoro joined our ancestors and the Aro saints after a brief ‘ovia uwasi’.
“Before ascending the throne, Mazi Ogbonnaya Okoro, who trained in the United Kingdom as a Medical Laboratory Scientist, was pioneer head of Department of Laboratory Technology at the University of Nigeria Teaching hospital, Enugu.
“He retired as the Chief Medical Laboratory Scientist at the UNN in 1988 to ascend the throne.
“The Igbo weeklong rites of passage of His Majesty, Mazi Ogbonnaya Okoro, CFR, will take place from Friday, 2nd to Monday, 5th April, 2021”, he said.
