This
year’s Ofala Annual Cultural festival celebrated by the Obi of Onitsha, Igwe
Alfred Nnaemeka Achebe appeared to have added more glamour than those of the
previous years.The added glamour which included Ofala Music Concert, and a
royal banquet in honour of Igwe Achebe, would remain fresh in the annals of
history and evergreen in the minds of the participants.
This
year’s Ofala was most remarkable as Obi of Onitsha personally extended
invitation to a Biafra Leader – Barr Emeka Emekesiri,the Chairman of Movement
of Biafrans in Nigeria and Chairman,IPOB Biafra Project. Barr Emeka Emekesiri
who resides in UK was represented by the Director- General of the Movement of
Biafrans in Nigeria(MOBIN) -Rita Anigbogu and the Administrator of the
Customary Government of Biafra-Engr Anthony Aniegbue with many other delegates.
Igwe
Alfred was excited to receive the Biafran delegation from Barr Emeka Emekesiri
who came with Igbo Cow among other gift in honour of His Royal Majesty.Barr
Emeka Emekesiri through a paper presentation ,informed His Majesty that the
Biafra project is being handled by professionals and that His Majesty’s call
for Regional Government is in line with the Biafra phase 2 project.The full
detail of the royal homily reads ;
HIS
ROYAL MAJESTY,
IGWE
NNAEMEKA ACHEBE CFR, mni, Agbogidi
OBI
OF ONITSHA
With
utmost humility, unalloyed and unfeigned loyalty, honour and respect to His
Royal Majesty, Igwe Nnaemeka Achebe CFR, mni, Obi of Onitsha, Agbogidi, I
present this homily in honour of His Royal Majesty and the Throne he occupies
in our nation on this special occasion of the 2018 Ofala Festival.
I
regard this 2018 Ofala Festival as SPECIAL because I am involved. His Royal
Majesty invited me to attend the Ofala just as I am without directing me to
hide my identity as to what I represent and the people I represent. I am a
Biafran human rights activist and represent the Biafrans. I was humbled with
some trepidation when I saw that he sent the invitation directly to me by
himself and not by his messengers. Like a child given a portion of meat bigger
than what he expected from his father, I deeply appreciate the honour and
recognition that His Royal Majesty has accorded me despite my littleness in the
society.
We
have gathered here today to celebrate and rejoice with a man, not just a man
but a King, not just a King but a Treaty King in Africa, Obi of Onitsha,
Agbogidi, a man bestowed with the national honour as Commander of the Federal
Republic (CFR), who has impacted positively to the lives of millions in the
society. We have gathered today at the Ancient Palace of the Obi of Onitsha,
not only to celebrate with Agbogidi, but also to learn from him. There are many
lessons we can learn from His Royal Majesty but there are two most important
lessons I would like to draw our attention to.
The
first is the lesson of respect for our Traditional Institutions and restoring
the dignity and honour of our Ancient Thrones. In this era when Royal Fathers
in this part of the country are prostrating before politicians, speaking
contradictions from the two sides of their mouths to win favour from the
government, Obi of Onitsha, Agbogidi, made the Igbo Nation proud by upholding
the sacredness and dignity of the Ancient Throne he occupies. It was in
November 2017 when the Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari visited Anambra State
and expected the Obi of Onitsha to leave the Palace and come to the Airport to
welcome him! Yet, the President of Nigeria visited the Emir of Kano and other
Traditional Rulers in the North and paid homage to them at their Palaces! The
Obi of Onitsha remained in his Palace waiting for the visitor to come and pay
homage but the visitor left Anambra State disappointed that he could not
ridicule the Ancient Throne of Igbo Land. Agbogidi has made us proud. All
traditional rulers in the Igbo Nation should learn from him and stop disgracing
the Igbo Traditional Institutions.
The
second lesson is the call by Obi of Onitsha for the Restructuring of Nigeria
into Regional Governments in the exercise of our right to self-determination as
published by the Punch Newspaper on 27 August 2018 so that each region would
govern itself, thrive independently and develop at its own pace. He said that
RESTRUCTURING rather than IGBO PRESIDENCY was his concern. This is where I
declare him my comrade in the struggle for self-determination by way of
devolution of power. He is saying what we are saying in the Biafra Project by
legal methodology and political diplomacy. This is the same message of
Restructuring by Devolution of Power being preached by Chief Barr Nnia Nwodo,
President General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo. We are Biafrans by indigenous identity
described in the Suit No FHC/OW/CS/192/2013 between Biafra and Nigeria as
INDIGENOUS PEOPLE OF BIAFRA. We have no intention to destroy Nigeria but to be
free to govern ourselves and develop at our own pace just like Scotland governs
itself within Britain. The four countries- England, Wales, Scotland, and
Northern Ireland, are autonomous nations governing themselves within Britain.
Every REGION should be free within Nigeria to govern itself with its own
Regional Parliament, control its resources, pay the agreed percentage tax to
the Federal Government and develop at its own pace. This is the best solution
to the Nigeria-Biafra conundrum. If this political arrangement could work in
Britain, why should it not work .
This
is the Biafra Project which my teammates and I represent and advocate for in
the present dispensation. We have created the structures on the ground for
self-determination by legal methodology. We have gathered the remnants of the
Biafrans together by the use of Customary Law. We run our Customary Government
under our Council of Elders and hold our Town Hall meetings every month in all
parts of Biafraland. We participate fully in the Nigerian politics and have our
political movement called Movement of Biafrans in Nigeria (MOBIN). We therefore
use this SPECIAL occasion of Ofala Festival to invite all lovers of freedom to
join our self-determination movement anchored upon the rule of law and
political diplomacy. Please visit our websites at www.ipobgovernment.org and
www.mobinbiafra.org for more information on how to join us.
I
appreciate this Special Invitation by Agbogidi to participate in the Ofala
Festival and do hereby present an Igbo Cow (EFI IGBO) with the condiments to
His Royal Majesty, the Obi of Onitsha. The Igbo Cow is symbolic. The Igbo
herdsmen rearing Igbo cows do not carry AK47. Let us patronize our own instead
of contributing money to the Fulani herdsmen to buy more bullets. I pray the
Almighty God who has placed Agbogidi on the Throne to continue to protect him,
guide him, increase his wisdom, power, knowledge and understanding, and renew
his strength and health from year to year. May the King live forever’ The
message concluded.
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