By Julius Oweh

The aura and grandeur of an African king is so overwhelming that his demise is announced in innuendoes as ‘joining the ancestors‘ and is usually discussed in hushed tones. But in Ubulu-Uku, a sacrilege uncommon happened when the icy hands of death snatched away His Royal Majesty Edward Ofulue III by unknown assassins. But despite the air of gloom that enveloped the ancient kingdom of Ubulu-Uku known for its traditional clothes weaving and alluring palm wine, the people rose with one voice and passed the symbols of royal sovereign, the crown and the spectre to the scion of the departed king, the 17-year-old HRM Obi Chukwuka Akaeze, making him one of the youngest monarchs on the face of the earth.

He is actually 17 and not 15 as widely reported.

•HRM Obi Chukwuka Akaeze

The secretary to the Ubulu-Uku palace, Mr Joseph Obazei spoke on the importance of the ceremony, harping on the theme of eternal values of the king. Listen to Obazei: ‘The kingship has now been thrust on him and he has taken up the mantle of his late father. Ubulu-Uku people are very happy that somebody has ascended the throne because king never dies. When it appears that there is no king, there is already a king. And that is what has just happened. By our tradition, you can wake up in the morning and see the heir apparent sitting on the throne issuing commands which must be obeyed. That will tell you that something has happened.

Thus apart from the principle of the first son of the king wearing the crown, the royal palace after the crowning on February 18, 2016 presented the young king to the    Aniocha traditional council on Monday    and the young king paid a royal visit to Government House, Asaba on Tuesday within the week. The governor, Dr Ifeanyi Okowa welcomed the king and promised the royal entourage every assistance. Okowa promised the king thus: ‘We want to encourage you to know that as you study, you have your people back home that you have to administer their culture and custom as their royal father.

And we hope that soon you will be through with your studies and bring your experience to bear on the administration of your kingdom‘.    The king was highly appreciative of the roles played by the governor and the people of the state during the trying times of his kingdom, adding that he will continue to count on their support to succeed as the Obi of Ubulu-Uku.

For a young man who recently lost his father, the new king is a study of dignity and nobility. After his coronation, he promised his people that he bore no ill will as regards the unfortunate demise of his father saying that ‘I am coming to do    my work and work with all the people of the kingdom‘. This was also the line pursued by Pastor Eloke Ijeh, the national co-ordinator of Ubulu Christian Forum when he said that the king was just natural in his royal elements. Ijeh shared his sentiments on the regal bearings of the king :When I saw    the strides of the new king, I realised the sayings that kings are really born. Everything about him is regal and has a touch of royalty. He will be trained in the culture and tradition of his people‘.

As for Tony Eluemunor, a prominent journalist and a son of the soil, the notion of undying king was responsible for the crowning of the new king. He opened up on the undercurrent themes that led to the crowning of the new king: ‘The throne is never allowed to be empty, that gave rise to the saying- the king is dead, long live the king!. But it is not just days, not just even weeks but almost a month for the king to be crowned. That does not represent undue haste by any stretch of imagination`.

When the reporter visited Ubulu-Uku and the palace during the week, the people while mourning their departed king were eager to move on with their new king and this was demonstrated by the show of love and solidarity during the coronation of the king. This reporter‘s check indicated that the king was crowned with a bible in his hands, passing the powerful message that God was in control of the land and the affairs of the people. Pastor Ijeh explains the importance of God in the affairs of the kingdom :‘We thank God for everything. God does not make mistakes.

God is in charge. We may not understand the workings of God. The former king ruled with the fear of God and it is a good thing that the new king has placed his trust in God by holding a bible during the coronation ceremony. There is no contradiction with the culture of the people. He is only saying that he is against  fetish things and idolatry. The new king is a firm believer in the culture and tradition of his people‘.

Eluemunor also believed that the king is the focal point of the people culture and tradition and that the new king has demonstrated that modernity shall not erode the culture of the people. This is how Eluemunor puts the new cultural orientation of his people :‘The king is the cultural identification . The throne is the rallying point. It is the core of what makes you a distinct community. And monarchies play special roles , even the government recognizes that they help maintain unity in their    domains‘.    The people of Ubulu-Uku are looking up to the new king to fulfil that royal obligation after completing his studies in the United kingdom. Currently, the king is doing his ALs that will prepare him for admission into any university of his choice. An ebony black, tall, bold and intelligent man with oratorical skills, the people of Ubulu-Uku could not have asked for a better king after the unfortunate incident.

It is also to the eternal credit of the Ubulu Uku people that there was no succession crisis because of the respect the people have for their customs and tradition. Eluemunor explained the process better :‘The entire world just witnessed a seamless succession from father to first son as happened from Obi Ofulue I to Obi Ofulue II to Obi Ofulue III and now to His Royal Highness Obi Akaeze I. Second, it is not mandatory that only an Ubulu-Uku born wife should produce a heir to the throne. The immediate past Obi, Ofulue III had a mother that came from Ogwashi-Uku and there was no issue at all.    Instead the marriage strengthened the ties between Ubulu and Ogwashi‘.

In the absence of the king, the uncle will act as the regent and after completing his studies; the king will come back to Ubulu-Uku to take charge of the affairs of his people. All those who spoke to this reporter maintain that the Ubulu Uku tradition abhors struggle for power and that every body is aware of his position in the scheme of things. Pastor Ijeh spoke the minds of the people in this regard: ‘There is no conflict between the regent and the king. The roles of the two men are well defined. The regent holds brief for the king and when he comes back to the palace, he will assume his traditional role as the sovereign of the people‘.

The people of Ubulu Uku while mourning the death of their former king, are equally happy about the smooth transition and transfer of power to the son of the last monarch.

As for those behind the death of the former king, some Ubulu Uku women steep in tradition for about seven days running, were invoking curses on the assassins. The Christians among the people in the mould of Pastor Ijeh believe that God as the ultimate judge shall dispense justice at the appropriate time. It is now incumbent for the peace loving people of Ubulu -Uku to enter a new chapter of history as their new and young king with bright ideas shall take the kingdom higher believing strong in advancing the frontiers of their culture and tradition. In Ubulu Uku, youth and modernity coupled with a firm conviction in the efficacy of culture and tradition are shaping the community. This is the song on the lips of every Ubulu man and woman as they try to forget an ugly chapter of their history.