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Sunday Ani and Chukwudi Nweje
Former Head of State, General Yakubu Gowon and the Ahaejiagamba of Igboland, Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu have commended the Asagba of Asaba, Professor Chike Edozien for his decision to confer on Professor Emma Okocha the title of Ikemba Asaba.
They made the commendation recently when Gowon led a delegation of bishops and pastors of the Nigerian Prays Congregation to Asaba, Delta State, and decided to pay a courtesy visit to the royal father.
Gowon congratulated the royal father on his 95th birthday anniversary, even as he commended him for the conferment of the Ikemba title on Professor Okocha.
The former head of state described Asagba’s conferment of the Ikemba Asaba on Professor Okocha, who is also a columnist with the Sun Newspaper as the long awaited reaction that the royal father owed him and many other Nigerians who felt sorry after he (Gowon) openly apologised to the people of Asaba for the atrocities committed by the Nigerian army under his command during the civil war to the community.
He stated that Professor Okocha’s book, ‘Blood on the Niger,’ was what made him to understand the severity of the atrocities and what the people suffered in the hands of the soldiers during the civil war. “By the courageous efforts of that young man who wrote the book, ‘Blood on the Niger,’ we got to know” he said.
“We support that the conferment and the title, with the permission of His Royal Majesty, would be Ikemba Nigeria,” he added, saying further, “That author, am told is the next Ikemba and the Royal Majesty, in his usual wisdom has thoughtfully responded to me and this most commendable conferment would go a long way in healing the wounds caused by my soldiers to Asaba people.”
He stressed that his apologies delivered to the Asagba, many years ago was his heartfelt reaction after reading Okocha’s tragic epic, Blood on the Niger.
He added that the Asagba has extended a royal recognition to a deserving writer who had courageously revealed to him and to other Nigerians the bloody path the people of Asaba went through, during the war. He went on, the Asagba and I agree that the Federal government should compensate the Asaba people and he was sorry he did not lead the Federal government to compensate Asaba when he was the Head of State.
In the same vein, Chief Iwuanyanwu also hailed Asagba’s choice of Okocha as the next Ikemba. He said: “We had pointed out to His Royal Majesty our inclination. Most of our people wanted the young man and now His Majesty has done our will. Our people are mobilising and would storm Asaba on the installation date to support the new Ikemba.’’
Meanwhile, the installation which comes up towards the end of the year would be highlighted with a two-day Nigerian cultural extravaganza directed by the national troupe, featuring dances from the Tiv land, the Efik, Ishan, the Igbo masquerades, the fire eating Iya Agboku from Enugu and Orimili once a lifetime appearance from Nri Anambra.
Others are Apecha from Abor Delta, Anioma Idegbani, Omoba from Cable Point Asaba with lead performances featuring the award winning Isoko choral group and the sexy explosion of the Nkwa Umuagbogo, Afikpo, Ebonyi State.
