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Subscription Form Click here    Independent Mails Check Mail   Archives Select Date >>> March 04, 2003 March 05, 2003 March 06, 2003 March 07, 2003     NewsRoom Hotlines 234-1-4962136 234-1-4962139 234-803-3074261 Advert Hotlines 234-1-4719288 234-803-7011218 234-802-3125563 25 years on the throne: Oghara� monarch counts blessings By Uwakwe Abugu Bureau Chief, Warri   The presence and category of the dignitaries at the palace of the Ovie of Oghara in Ethiope West Local Government Area of Delta State yesterday actually set the tone for the big event of today as His Royal Highness Uku Oghara na me, Oreki II, celebrates the silver jubilee of his ascendance to the throne. As the visitors trooped in and out, the monarch, now aged 73, received countless royal greetings of Uku Oghara na me, Uku Oghara na me, Uku Oghara na me. And as each person greeted, sending the right knee close to the floor while raising the right hand supported at the elbow by the left arm, the royal father acknowledged and lavishly pronounced numerous blessings on them. In fact, this reporter alongside a photographer rehearsed the greeting several times while being led upstairs by a palace aide to meet the king for a brief chat on his experience on the throne these past 25 years. During the interview that lasted about 20 minutes, the soft-spoken king repeatedly mentioned God as the architect of every success that came his way and that of his subject since 1979 when he was crowned Oreki II. "I can tell you that in the past 25 years, it has not been too difficult not too easy, but in everything I thank God,� he said. "In the past 25 years, sometimes you get a lot of trouble, maybe because you want to follow government programme, the rule of law, and maybe some dissident groups may not want it that way, but we thank God that everything has gone well. We thank God for all things," he said. On how he was able to successfully handle the dissidents he referred to, the king simply said: "Well, it doesn�t only exist in this place; it is in the whole world. They are human beings and we manage them too as we manage other problems. So, it is not too difficult. They are our people. When we talk to them they listen to us, and when anything goes wrong we advise them, we bring them nearer. Even the so-called youths of today, we bring them together and advise them. "What we do here is like government managing people; it is like politicians managing members of their party. It is always like that here," he explained. The Oghara monarch also gave a detailed assessment of the performance of the state government, saying his comments were not influenced by the fact that the governor, Chief James Ibori, hails from his kingdom, stating that what he had to say about the administration was what he called an eye-opener or are self-explanatory. According to him, "for almost five years now, the government has been able to touch the lives of people in the state. For instance, when you look at the health programme anywhere in the state you will see signs of government efforts. Across the different zones in the state, you will see a lot of development projects by the government. "So, we thank God for his (Ibori�s) life. I am sure he will perform very well in future and everybody will attest to it that the man has performed very well. It is not because he is our son, no." He explained that, for instance, Ibori has been able to establish three polytechnics at a time, a development he described as very difficult, very rare to achieve. Beyond the polytechnics, he also drew attention to transformation at the Delta State University, Abraka, averring that it is a great achievement for development projects to be going on in the three campuses at Abraka, Oleh, and Anwai in Asaba. "Indeed, everybody in this community, in this state is happy and I am equally very happy to have such a governor come from my kingdom." On his advice to the people of the state, especially as it relates to their relationship with those in position of governance, the traditional ruler said: " I advise that the people should co-operate with the governor because he cannot do everything alone despite his position," while advising the governor not to relent on the on-going aggressive efforts toward transforming communities in the state. Some of the dignitaries at the palace also spoke on the reign of the traditional ruler. According to Mr. Duncan Ewhere, an Oghara indigene, "the reign of Oreki II has brought a lot of development to this community. For instance, before he came, there was no electrification project as you can see now, and the roads you are seeing now were not there. But by the grace of God, with prayers answered he was able to produce a governor and that is a great achievement. "Secondly, since the beginning of his reign, in Oghara there is good understanding; there is unity among the youths, among the womenfolk, among the elders, the traditional kingdom, and it has been quite impressive,� he said. Extolling his virtues, the Eze-Igbo (king of the Igbo) in Sapele, Chief Titus Ezewuzie, who came on behalf of the Igbo community to witness yesterday�s conferment of chieftaincy titles on some personalities by the king, said the Igbo rejoice with the monarch as his good qualities and peaceful disposition since he ascended the throne have endeared him to them. For the Iyasere (Prime Minister) of Oghara Kingdom, Chief Champion Oboh, the ability of the king to maintain peace in his domain attests to his good virtues, stating that Oghara under his kingship has blossomed from a rural village to a semi-urban town with a pace to soon become an urban centre. The royal father corroborated this viewpoint when he said he vividly remembers when the source of drinking water was a stream, while there was no road and no electricity. Governor Ibori, who is billed to be special guest of honour at today�s coronation anniversary, is among the long list of dignitaries that will grace the occasion.   Copyright� 2004. All Rights Reserved. Independent Newspapers Limited Block5, Plot 7D, Wempco Road, Ogba, P.M.B. 21777, Ikeja, Lagos State, Nigeria. www.independentng.com e-mail: [email protected] Designed By Powered By NigeriaNet.

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