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By Chukwudi Nweje
It was a day of pomp and ceremony on Sunday, December 13 when the Igbo speaking community in Lagos State and their well-wishers converged on Surulere, Lagos.
The occasion was the two-pronged celebration of the 75th birthday of the Ezeigbo Surulere, Chief Jossy Egwuatu, Eze Onyeozioma and the official reopening of Ozioma Palace to full traditional activities, nearly 43 years after the gates of the palace were literally shut.
Chief Egwuatu is the first titled Ezeigbo in Lagos State. He was crowned in 1977, but he voluntarily closed the palace to traditional activities a few years after his coronation and operated a joint palace affair with the much older Chief Cyril Anomneze, the Aka Ji Ofor Ndigbo,(the Kingmaker), who also resides in Surulere.
Now 75, while the Aka Ji Ofor Ndigbo is 95, Chief Egwuatu has decided to reopen Ozioma palace to full traditional activities.
Full of nostalgia, prominent Igbo sons and daughters came in droves to partake in the double celebration as well as pay homage and thank God for the life of the Ezeigbo, a man they referred to as a ‘Messenger of Good News.’
Reminiscing on the long road to the closure and reopening of the palace, Victor Samuel, who serves as the Palace Onowu, recalled that he was a young boy when the Ozioma Palace was closed to traditional activities and noted that it is a privilege for him to be the Onowu as the palace reopened.
He said: “I remember I was a young boy when Chief Jossy Egwuatu was enthroned in 1977. This palace has always been here. But some years after the enthronement of Chief Egwuatu, he decided to have a joint palace affair with the Aka Ji Ofor Ndigbo, Chief Cyril Anomneze, the kingmaker, who is 95 years old now. I am happy that after almost 43 years, the palace has reopened and I am the Onowu. It is a thing of joy for us.”
President Igbo Speaking Community, Lagos, Chief Sunday Udeh, who doubled as chairman of the occasion, said the occasion was a thing of joy and celebration not just because of the long life God bestowed on the Ezeigbo, but because the palace had finally reopened.
His words: “We are gathered here today to celebrate. It is a great day, we thank God for his blessings and mercies on the Ezeigbo. We thank God for the healthy life of the Ezeigbo. We are happy that this palace has finally been reopened. Eze Onyeozioma is the first Ezeigbo in Lagos; he was titled in 1977. This palace had been here. Eze Onyeozioma had been Ezeigbo long before other Ezeigbos began to emerge; that is why we call him the First Ezeigbo. We are happy that Ozioma Palace has been reopened.”
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Dedicating the palace to God, Elder Alex Okeke, prayed for God’s grace and protection on Chief Egwuatu and his wife Chief Mrs Njideka Egwuatu, Okwesili Eze.
He likened Chief Egwuatu and his throne to that of King David, who he noted had to wait for some years to manifest after he was anointed King of Israel by Prophet Samuel.
Elder Okeke anointed Chief Egwuatu, his wife and the throne and prayed that the machinations of enemies will not overthrow the Ezeigbo. He charged the wife of the Ezeigbo, Mrs Njideka Egwuatu and urged her to be a good and faithful partner and help the Ezeigbo accomplish his tasks.
The event featured the installation of some individuals as chiefs.
Among those given titles are Chief Chukwunonso Okafor, Mrs Ngozi Chinwuko and Chief Nkoli Ogwueleka. Merit awards were given to Chief Sunday Udeh, President General, Igbo Speaking Community, Lagos; Chief Solomon Ogbonna Aguene, President Ohanaeze Ndigbo Lagos; Chief Joe Igbokwe, Special Adviser, Drainages and Water Resources to Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu; Chief Chris Ekwilo, President, Igbo Coalition in Lagos and Chief Eugene Oguadimma,
Also inaugurated were the Golden Ladies of Ozioma Palace whose responsibility include to oversee the hospitality needs of the palace.
In his remarks, Chief Egwuatu thanked the well-wishers who graced the occasion of his birthday and reopening of the palace and pledged to rule with the fear of God and with a good conscience.
He said: “I feel great today that I am celebrating my 75th birthday as well as re-branding my palace in commemoration of my birthday. It is a thing of joy to be alive today to perform my duties as Ezeigbo Surulere. This palace is christened Ozioma Palace, which means Palace of Good News from God. Our symbol of authority is the Holy Bible from where we derive our message.”
On reopening his palace during the festive season, Chief Egwuatu said the Christians should use the commemoration of the birth of Jesus Christ to renew their faith in God and also do more charity work.
