… And a little controversy
From PAUL OSUYI, Asaba
At 18, Obi Chukwukah Noah Akaeze I was not expecting the royal responsibility that has been thrust on his small shoulders, even though he was destined to rule the kingdom as the first son of late Obi Akaeze Ofulue III.
Upon his young shoulders have been thrust the enormous responsibility of protecting and preserving the culture, customs and traditions of the people of Ubulu-Uku Kingdom in Aniocha South Local Government Area of Delta State that practices the principle of primogeniture in ascension to the ancient stool.
The kingdom was thrown into mourning following the sacrilegious kidnap and subsequent murder of Obi Ofulue III in January this year by suspected herdsmen.
Obi Ofulue III, who was 53 years old, was barely 10 years on the throne of his forefathers before the abominable death in the hands of the marauding herdsmen who had been arrested and under-going investigation.
This was the circumstance that threw up the teenager, Akaeze I, despite opposition by a section of the community led by the Onishe, Chief Emma Ejiofor who had insisted that Ofulue III allegedly usurped the throne of his elder half-brother, Prince Okuchukwu, an half cast.
Akaeze I was traditionally installed on February 18 as the 24th Obi, but had to wait till September 5 for his formal recognition with presentation of the staff of office by the Delta State Government.
The processes that culminated in the presentation of the staff of office started after the traditional enthronement when the Umuozim of the community gave him the title, Aniyemeze, which means ‘the land has given this kingship to you’.
His traditional enthronement was endorsed by the Aniocha South Local Government Council of Traditional Rulers and Chiefs vide a declaration made on April 28 and signed by the traditional rulers.
The process was further consolidated by the Delta State Executive Council in its meeting of June 28 when the council ratified Akaeze I’s appointment as Ubulu-Uku King. The ratification was transmitted via a letter with number CH.202/Vol.111/48 of July 28.
At the presentation of staff of office ceremony witnessed by a large turn-out of indigenes of the agrarian community both at home and in the diaspora, the king, dressed in his sprawling immaculate white vestment and enhanced by ornamentation of royal beads, walked into the arena within the palace in majestic gait.
He momentarily stood to acknowledge obeisance from his subjects who trooped after him in royal armada shouting Nnanyi (our father).
Despite his majestic reverence, the young king did not exude much confidence, apparently reflective of his age. His voice quaked as he addressed his people, rushing through the prepared speech after receiving the staff of office from the deputy governor, Kingsley Otuaro.
But one thing was paramount to the young monarch as he appealed to security agencies to expedite action on the investigation into what he described as conspiracy that led to the kidnap and gruesome murder of his father.
He thanked the government for supporting the community during the trying moments and urged his subjects to remain calm, peaceful and go about their lawful duties without fear.
Presenting the staff of office on behalf of Governor Ifeanyi Okowa, Otuaro implored the people of Ubulu-Uku to show the young king great respect, love and support, for him to succeed in the traditional task.
“My dear people of Ubulu-Uku, God and your agreement have bestowed on you, a new ruler. Despise not his youth, offer him all due deference. Let no man despise thy youth, but be thou an example of the believers, in words, in conversation, in charity, in spirit and in faith,” Otuaro said.
The deputy governor, who commended the people for following the time-honoured process of succession to the throne, appealed to them to accord the royal father the understanding needed to facilitate his duties as a dynamic and resourceful people, urging the Obi to discharge his responsibilities in a transparent manner by being fair and just to all his subjects.
“As the custodian of the tradition of your people, it is important that you do not in words or action, give cause to your subjects to doubt your ability to uphold the sanctity of their customs. I sincerely appeal to you to imbibe the democratic virtues of dialogue and consultation in all your dealings with the people,” he charged.
Regardless of the ceremonious presentation of staff of office, the Onishe of the kingdom, Chief Emma Ejiofor-led opposition to the emergence of Obi Akaeze I is still pronounced and looming large.
The Onishe title was bestowed on Ejiofor in 2005 by Obi Ofulue II, and he (Ejiofor) insists that his duty as Onishe is to crown a new king, adding that he neither crowned Ofulue III in 2006 nor his son, Akaeze I.
He maintains that Prince Okuchukwu, the elder half-cast brother to the late Ofulue III would return someday to claim his inheritance,, adding that this was a traditional rule that cannot be compromised.
Ejiofor says he is unperturbed by government presenting staff of office to Akaeze I, explaining that it can be withdrawn if it is discovered that it was presented in error, according to the official edict. He says only the traditional staff of office (Otulaka), which he claims, is with him and yet to be presented to anybody, cannot be withdrawn once it is given.
“I am not Okuchukwu’s mouthpiece, I am talking because as an elder, I can’t keep quiet when things are going wrong. I am a man of integrity. The position of the king is not optional, and Okuchukwu knows it,” Ejiofor had told Saturday Sun.
But he got hard tackles from the UDC President-General, Jones Ofunne, who assured the young king that the throne was not under contest.
“Nobody is contesting the throne with Akaeze I. Before Ofulue II left for London, he had two sons. The same reason those two cannot is also why Prince Okuchukwu cannot be king. Those fighting for Okuchukwu are looking to become the king in proxy. We, as a community, will not allow it to happen,” he vowed.
A prominent citizen of the community, Mrs. Amaechi Mrakpor, who represents Aniocha/Oshimili, is in the same league with Ofunne as she gave insight into what led to disagreement between Ejiofor and the late Ofulue III.
“The issue of Emma Ejiofor was one of the greatest mistakes of the land. When Obi Ofulue II was really aged and sickly and they wanted to give Ejiofor chieftaincy title, myself and the former deputy governor, Benjamin Elue, kicked against it because we know his character.
“By what I know of him, I kicked against it. We were in Ogwashi-Uku High Court, I dragged him and some of my uncles there. I am from the royal palace, my grand mother was the Ada of the royal family. So it is not by representation, it is by family. But eventually they gave him that chieftaincy title.
“Ofulue III was the rightful person to the throne, there is no contention about it. It was his mother that was traditionally married, taken by Obi Ofulue I accompanied by four Chiefs through the old voyage then, not by air but by sea to meet Ofulue II in London and they gave birth to Akaeze Ofulue III.
“They (Ejiofor and his group) said they are looking for justice why are they now taking number three of the sons, my half-cast cousin is number three, he is not the first son. Ofulue II had a son when he was in school in Calabar. His first son is by a Calabar woman.
“His second son is by an Ubulu-Uku woman, his name is Dike; he is alive today. He attended Anglican Grammar School, everybody in Ubulu-Uku knows him. So he had two sons even before he traveled overseas where he met the British woman. So the British woman’s son (Okuchukwu) is the third.
“It is so funny, but those of us who are keeping quiet know that there is no struggle for the throne, all that is happening is that Ejiofor wanted to install my half cast cousin, because it will be difficult for the man to stay or even while the man is here, he (Ejiofor) will become the reigning king while just deceiving the man on the throne, that is what he wanted,” she fumed.
According to her, Ejiofor had initially welcomed Ofulue III as the king, but later fell apart with him when the late king asked him (Ejiofor) to give account of his stewardship as the President-General of Ubulu-Uku Development Council.
She said: “When Ofulue III returned, he (Ejiofor) was the one who took him to Aniocha South Traditional Rulers and said that he has completed all traditional rites and he should be given staff of office. He wrote a letter and signed for the government to come and give him staff of office.
“…So (due to the disagreement), he boarded a flight to London to bring the half cast. The half cast said so in his interview, that Ejiofor came to him to say that they have not buried his father since he died, and that they were waiting for him. Ejiofor went to bring the man to say that the throne was waiting for him.
“Meanwhile, Ofulue III had been on the throne for five yearsbefore Ejiofor went in search of the half cast. Who did Ejiofor present cow to when he took his title? Because anybody that takes a title must present a cow to the crown prince. It was Ofulue III, as the crown prince that Ejiofor presented cow to.”
Mrakpor emphasized that the community had since derobed Ejiofor of the traditional title of Onishe, adding that the chief he was bearing was given to him “by the Obi of Akumazi and not Ubulu-Uku.
She also debunked Ejiofor’s claim that as the Onishe, it was his duty and right to crown the king, explaining that in Ubulu-Uku, nobody knew how kings were crowned. According to her, the Umu-Obi performs the function secretly by sitting the butt of the king on the inner throne.
“Has Ejiofor ever crowned anybody? Ofulue II was crowned in 1964, Ejiofor was not there. The Onishe before Ofulue II was crowned had already died before the crowning, so there was no Onishe. How come Ofulue II lived for so long? They said Ofulue III died young, well for me, he lived a fulfilled life. He reigned for 10 years, Jesus reigned for three years,” she said.
Meanwhile, the state government through the Commissioner for Information, Patrick Ukah, had explained that government ratified the appointment of Akaeze I as the Obi and subsequently presented staff of office to him, because there was no form of protest against the processes known to it.
“There are processes for an Obi to be appointed. As far as we are concerned, there is no petition before the government against the Obi. We have no evidence of any crisis in that community.
“If there is any, it has not reached government. What is important is that the various processes to be undertaken before an Obi is appointed are followed,” he told journalists at the end of the state executive council meeting on June 28.