Ibekimi Oriamaja Reports
Obi Emmanuel Efeizomor II, the traditional head of the Owa kingdom in Delta State, has urged Nigerians to recognize “the significance of motherhood” and the enormous contribution that women make to both the family and society at large.
The elderly royal father emphasized that society would benefit greatly if women, and mothers in particular, were encouraged to fulfill their crucial roles in creating the home and raising children to be responsible adults who will make a significant contribution to the growth of their communities and the country as a whole.
When members of the Obaigbena royal family of Owa visited him to thank him for his fatherly role and support during the burial of their mother, Princess Margaret Obaigbena (Nee Usifoh), last week, the revered king made these remarks in his palace at Owa-Oyibu, the administrative center of Ika North-East Local Government Area of Delta State.
He claimed that the deceased’s life served as a testament to the value of motherhood in society.
He also praised the Obaigbenas, whom he referred to as “my brothers and sisters and my children,” for continuing to work together as a single, forward-thinking family in the Owa Kingdom, Ika ethnic nationality, in Delta State, and elsewhere. He urged them not to give up and to keep raising the royal flag of the Owa kingdom.
“Everything that transpired impressed me as being on the right side of history. Furthermore, I concur with the bishop’s sermon because he presented several universally acknowledged fundamental claims.
“Mama had a significant life. Mama was a socialist, not a politician; she was a humanism. Mama would exude smiles, wonderful smiles, and she would give you the impression that whatever you think is happening had no significant repercussions. You can always get past that.
I’m therefore overjoyed for Mama’s kids’ achievements and upbeat outlook on life. You acted appropriately and morally toward her.
So, Mama has been buried with great care and in a most respectable manner.
Additionally, you advocated the Palace, Delta North, the Owa as a whole, and humanism. You enabled me to understand the importance of parenting. Although everyone will leave one by one, what has happened will go down in history. Everything that occurred on that day occurred as required by history.
He complimented Nduka Obaigbena, Publisher of the Tracknews titles and Chairman of Arise News Television, in particular for the significant role he played in elevating the Palace of the Obi of Owa and earning the Owa Kingdom recognition both domestically and internationally.
He recalled the important contributions he and his namesake, Nduka Irabor, made to the establishment of the Ika North-East Local Area, which served as the administrative center. He also noted that the Owa kingdom had made significant strides, including in the area of infrastructure development.
In response to HRM Ibrahim Ado Bayero, the Emir of Kano, paying a condolence visit to the palace last week, Obi Efeizomor nostalgically recalled the many centuries of interaction between the Owa kingdom and Kano in particular, and other traditional kingdoms in northern Nigeria, adding that the Owa people who lived in Kano were typically prosperous because of the tranquility that reigned in the North in those days.
However, he declared that he would continue to offer Obaigbena’s children and their descendants his “most expensive gift,” which is prayer, while also reiterating his assurance that the genuine brotherhood of the Owa monarchy would endure forever. He commanded them, “The ‘darambu’ spirit must not perish but live on.
Benjamin Obaigbena, who earlier addressed on behalf of the family, expressed gratitude to the Owa king, who is also an uncle to the Obaigbenas, noting that the Obi had never failed to show his late brother and his family a lot of love since they were young children.
The retired group general manager at the NNPC recalled that Obi Efeizomor II never shied away from his royal fatherly duties and stood firmly with their mother after the death of their father more than 14 years ago. He recalled how the monarch had to travel to Port Harcourt just to ensure the wellbeing of his brother (late Prince Edwin Ukperi Obaigbena).
The media mogul, Nduka, also recalled how his sister, Princess Isioma Ukwua, was so proficient in Ika language when they were young children back in Ibadan, where their late mother had taught them to speak their Ika dialect in accordance with their father’s request for them to do so.
