By ThankGod Ofoelue
In late July 2024, the people of Arochukwu Kingdom celebrated the coronation of their new monarch, His Eminence, Dr Eberechukwu Oji.
The ceremony which stretched for four days, was full of activities, remarkable because those four days marked a turning point in the lives of Aro people, who have been eager to have a new Eze since the passing of the last Eze Aro, Mazi Ogbonnaya Okoro in 2021.
As the first Coronation Anniversary fast approaches, it is necessary to reflect on the last one year of Eze Eberechukwu Oji’s reign and what he has been able to achieve on the throne.
Southern Nigeria Traditional Rulers Council inauguration
On the heels of the 2024 Coronation Festival came the inauguration of the Southern Nigeria Traditional Rulers Council, which was held in Owerri, on the 30th of July 2024, just days after the Coronation Celebration.
That day, first-class traditional rulers from the 17 southern states of Nigeria gathered at the Banquet Hall of Rockview Hotel, Owerri. This was the first time since 1914 that traditional rulers of the South were coming together “to work in synergy for the peace of Nigeria and the furtherance of the unity of the Southern Traditional Institution” with the motto “Togetherness, Strength and Progress”.
The Nigerian President, Bola Tinubu, was represented by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator George Akume, while the event was hosted by the Imo State Governor Senator Hope Uzodimma
The event was also graced by Prince Dapo Abiodun, Governor of Ogun State and Chairman, Southern Governors’ Forum, and Governor of Yobe State, Hon Mai Mala Buni Also in attendance were esteemed royal fathers, including the Ooni of Ife, Jaja of Opobo, Obong of Calabar, Dein of Agbor, Obi of Obinugwu, and many others.
The council has the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, as the chairman; as well as the Obi of Obinugwu Kingdom in Orlu, Imo State, Cletus Illomuanya, and King Jaja of Opopo in Rivers State, Dandeson Jaja, as co-chairmen. The Dein of Agbor in Delta State, Benjamin Ikenchuku Keagborekuzi 1, was made Secretary, while the newly coronated Eze Aro, His Eminence Dr. Eberechukwu Oji, Eze Aro IX emerged Publicity Secretary. The office is significant, as Eze Aro had, even long before, had registered a heavy presence in the media space by showcasing the unique essence of the traditional monarchy in Nigeria.
Ikeji Festival 2024
By September 2024, the New Yam festival of the Aros came up, and the new Eze was available, and the festival became the first to be superintended by the Eze Aro as a monarch. Though a month long ceremony, the program, with the theme, ‘Culture for Aro Renaissance, Unity and Youth Empowerment’, gathered momentum towards its final four days, beginning on September 20.
Ikeji 2024, richly hosted by Eze Aro, besides the regular usuals, hosted extra programmes, including an Interdenominational Thanksgiving Church Service and the Light up Aro’ socio-economic intervention project entailing the installation of solar street lamps across the 19 villages in Arochukwu.
Others were the CEC meeting of Nzuko Aro Worldwide, Ikeji Aro Okeigbo Lecture, as well the final show of Eke Ekpe, where the Eze Aro seized an opportunity to present trophies and cash support to the first set of beneficiaries in the newly launched Aro Youth Enterprise programme.
The Light Up Aro Electricity Project
On September 1, 2024, Eze Aro, His Eminence Eze Dr Eberechukwu Oji announced plans to overwhelm the length and breadth of Arochukwu town with solar electricity
He said there were plans to plant between 2500 and 3000 solar poles in the community. His words “We will launch that program during Ikeji, and our target is to get between 2000 and 3000 solar lights. Already, we have planted 480 of these lights across the community, and we want to increase it so that Aro will be abundantly lighted.
“Electricity is of capital importance, and we won’t joke with it. For this reason, we want to put in all we can to achieve our goals in this area.
“If we have that, what it means is that we now have the basic infrastructure to even add CCTV cameras to enable us to enhance security across the length and breath of Aro,” he stated.
The project has since been launched, with the community already lighted up through solar electricity, even as the target goal is yet to be fully achieved.
Ububo Eze Aro n’Umu Aro
It will be recalled that on September 1, 2024, the Arochukwu monarch had hosted the 2nd edition of Ububo Eze Aro n’Umu Aro. Ububo Eze Aro n’Umu Aro is a discussion platform of the entire Arochukwu people hosted on the Zoom chat platform on the internet.
Callers who participated in the program, numbering over 375, engaged the monarch on various issues, seeking answers to pertinent questions regarding the development and well-being of all Aros, while others offered profound opinions and advice.
Eze Aro says, Stool For All Igbos, not just for Aros Alone
During the Zoom session, Dr Eberechukwu Kanu Oji said “We have come to realize that this stool does not belong to the Aro alone. In Lagos, the Igbos of the 5 eastern states organised a program and invited me. I went with some of my Aro brothers in business.
“When they spoke to me, they said that the reason for my invitation is to inform me that the Eze Aro throne is not an exclusive of the Aro alone, but a stool that represents the legacies, histories and pride of the entire Igbo nation.
“That there is no Igbo traditional ruler or monarch that has the capacity to protect them from persecution outside Igbo land, for instance, when their businesses or homes are attacked or face destruction in Lagos, there is no Igbo monarch they can run to, who will speak with the governor on this.
“They said they came to me this early so that I should not focus on Aro alone and forget Umu Igbo. That if they have any emergency, they will run to Eze Aro, and Eze Aro will go, whether to the Governor or president and tell them that the way his people are being treated is not fair.
“So, the Eze Aro will not only go to our Diaspora communities but will go even beyond that. Those Igbo brothers were at the coronation celebration.
“Therefore, we Aro should know that it is a giant responsibility not just on Eze Aro, but on all Aro to be aware that Eze Aro is for all Igbos, and when Umu Igbo requires Eze Aro to play any role of responsibility, he has to do that. So Eze Aro shall be prepared to ensure that Igbos are never oppressed anywhere again, “he reiterated.
The Ububo Eze Aro N’umu Aro was earlier instituted by HRM Eberechukwu Oji in February, in order to create an enabling platform for all Arochukwu people to be able to sit with and see their Eze, as well as be able to ask him questions on the general wellbeing of the kingdom.
To be continued…
ThankGod Ofoelue, a member of the Eze Aro Media Team writes from Benin City.