5th Coronation Anniversary: Why Ijaw nation celebrates Pere of Gbaramatu kingdom

By GbaramatuVoice Editorial Board

If there is any event in recent time in Gbaramatu Kingdom of Delta state, that accurately supports the correctness of the time-honoured belief that ‘the God of our land cannot lie’, it is the selection on Thursday February 25, 2016 of His Royal Majesty, Oboro-Gbaraun II, Aketekpe, Agadagba, as the 26th Pere of Gbaramatu Kingdom, from the Oboro Ruling House in Benikrukru town.

He was thereafter crowned on Tuesday March 15, 2016 and received his Staff of Office on December 6, the same year. An event that attracted another illustrious son of Ijaw nation in the person of Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, GCFR, GCON, the immediate past President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria; the Executive Governor of Delta state, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa, among others.

The above claim/assertion is predicated on the harvest of peace, unity, infrastructural, progress, transformational leadership and brotherliness in Gbaramatu kingdom in particular and the entire Ijaw nation as a whole, has recorded within 5 years of his enthronement.

To help those that are unaware of what transpired, prior to the coronation of Agadagba, the entire kingdom suffered violence from the social and political forces which cast a very dark shadow on the kingdom and retarded development. Living was very difficult as the people had no good survival record. The entire Ijaw nation spread across the six states of the South South geopolitical zone were divided as unity eluded the nation.

This sad narrative however changed on the day His Royal Majesty was crowned the Pere of Gbaramatu kingdom. He made it clear and left no one in doubt of his mission to salvage, attract infrastructure and democratize wealth creation in his kingdom and promote unity among the Ijaw nation.

In keeping to his promise, Agadagba hits the road running – visiting and preaching peace in different Ijaw communities and towns in Delta, Bayelsa, Edo and Ondo states and uniting warring factions while attracting infrastructural developments from both federal and state governments to his kingdom.

Specifically, it needs to be underline that His Royal Majesty, Oboro-Gbaraun II, has impacted in the lives of his subjects from political, economic, social and cultural perspectives. No wonder it is said that the interest subjects take in their leader is not in absolute terms about the leader’s physical and intellectual abilities; but, rather in what he can add to their lots in life’.

Social and Infrastructural development

With Oboro-Gbaraun II’s enthronement as Pere of Gbaramatu kingdom coupled with his leadership sagacity, the age-long excuse that the coastal areas like Gbaramatu kingdom cannot be developed infrastructually because the terrain is marshy – a feature that renders construction difficult if not impossible, has since given way. God has in fact used Him to send such an excuse to the dustbin of history.

As a responsible and responsive media organization, we can attest that with His Royal Majesty’s influence and contacts, the kingdom is now blessed with an appreciable level of good/internal road networks and other infrastructural development- a feat that qualifies him as God sent.

On political sphere

We respectively remind you His Royal Majesty, Aketekpe, and proudly inform the world that it was under your reign that one of your subjects – a Gbaramatu son, Hon. Emomotimi Dennis Guwor, in 2019, got elected into the Delta State House of Assembly as Honorable member of the House.

This is historic!

Within this short but eventful period on the throne, the Kingdom again witnessed the take off/commencement of academic activities at the previously approved Maritime University, located in Okerenkoko community, Gbaramatu Kingdom, Warri South West Local Government Area of Delta state.

But of all the Royal Majesty’s achievements within the Gbaramatu kingdom, one stands out as the most resounding.

The use of peace building prowess to end hostility and youth restiveness in the kingdom and successful rebranding, and projection of the Kingdom to the world as peace loving people. Your capacity in this direction (peace building) has also reflected in the sustained peaceful relationship/coexistence between Gbaramatu kingdom and its neighbouring communities.

As we celebrate, the Newspaper can say without fear of contradiction that it remains a puzzle of the sort to the nation and the world at large how peaceful co-existence and social orderliness have become a new order in the kingdom and Ijaw nation.

On the impact created among the Ijaw nation, it is on good record that His Royal Majesty, Oboro-Gbaraun II, Aketekpe, Agadagba, united warring Ijaw communities. This fit achieved has made him a darling of all the Ijaw towns and villages in Nigeria.

As the whole world and Ijaw nation celebrate your 5th coronation anniversary, Gbaramatu Publishing Company Limited, publishers of GbaramatuVoice, the Niger Delta leading and most trusted newspaper, bears eloquent witness to the fact that the entire sons and daughters of Gbaramatu kingdom and of course the Ijaw nation worldwide are in agreement that you, His Royal Majesty, Oboro-Gbaraun II, Aketekpe, Agadagba, is not only Pere of Gbaramatu kingdom but Pere of peace and development of Ijaw land.

In our estimation, you have done exceedingly very well our Royal Majesty, but like the famous Oliver Twist, we humbly request you to do more for your people.

Congratulations our revered and dear Royal Majesty.