AN ADDRESS OF WELCOME ON THE OCCASION OF THE CORONATION OF HRH IGWE EMMANUEL EMEKA URAMA (EZEONYEMEGBULE IBEYA THE 2ND), THE TRADITIONAL RULER OF NDIOKE IBAGWA-AKA AUTONOMOUS COMMUNITY – 10TH JUNE, 2023

His Excellency Dr. Peter Mbah, the Executive Governor of Enugu State.

His Excellency Rt. Hon. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, the immediate past Governor of Enugu State.

Hon. Barr. O.C. Egumgbe, the immediate past Commissioner for Chieftaincy Matters, Enugu State.

Hon. Dr. Peter Andy Nnabuike Omeje, the immediate past Hon. Commissioner for Transport, Enugu State

Hon. Vitus Okechi, the Executive Chairman of Igbo-Eze South LGA

HRH, Igwe Ikechukwu Oke of Itchi Agụ, the Chairman, Igbo-Eze South Traditional Rulers Council

Your Royal Highnesses here present

Ladies and gentlemen of the fourth estate of the realm, the Press

Permit me distinguished guests to stand on this few established protocols

Barely fourteen years ago, precisely December 2009, the people of Ndioke Ibagwa-Aka set out on a journey of carving out their own autonomous community from this great community of Ibagwa-Aka so serene and so ancient.

At that time, the creation of autonomy wasn’t as popular as it is today especially in this part of the world. Thanks to the foresight and incredible wisdom of our founder, late HRH Ochigbaru, Ogwuma, Peter Ibagwa Urama, the Ezeonyemegbule Ibeya the 1st of Ndioke Ibagwa-Aka. May the Lord continue to grant his blessed soul, eternal happiness.

To his memory, distinguished guests, we bequeath today’s ceremony and to his memory we can proudly stand here today and say, “we are Ndioke Ibagwa-Aka Autonomous Community.”

Today again, to the glory of the most high God, we celebrate the handsome young man seated on that throne before us, HRH Igwe, OGWUMA, Emmanuel Emeka Urama formerly Prince Emmanuel Emeka Urama whom it pleased God almighty, to be coronated today in now Akwebi Royal Kingdom as Ezeonyemegbule Ibeya the 2nd. For clarity, coronation is said to be the formal investiture of a monarch with their regal powers.

Igwe Emmanuel Urama, like his father, had a very humble beginning. He was educated at the famous St. Theresa’s Secondary School Nsukka. As is common with young men of his days, he journeyed to Germany where he had a singular opportunity of working in Nigerian embassy where he trained under the tutelage of Ambassador Simon Eze. Following in the footprints of his father, he left Germany and headed home in search of golden fleece in Lagos. Nevertheless, as a man who had a stinct with destiny, he quietly, went into business, became successful and made Lagos his base. On 1st Jan. 2000, he married beautiful Miss Lilian Chioma Eze. He is blessed with 5 children, three boys and two beautiful girls. Today, destiny has brought him back to the land of his ancestors that he loves so much not as a young boy that sugeoned to the land of the whites but to his own people as their servant king.

With the privilege bestowed on me as the first President General of this embryonic community, (though on acting capacity), I most respectfully invite HRH to a great but daunting responsibility of rebuilding and of bringing our people back as one family that we have always been. This is his first task which he cannot afford to fail.

At the same time, I wish to state here that towards the end of this epochal journey, we as a people had missteps, and mudslingings. As humans, this should be expected. Having said that, I invite each and everyone of us to make genuine effort to rebuild our lovely community.

Eze Onyemegbule Ibeya the 2nd is a replica of Eze Onyemegbule Ibeya the Ist. If you have seen the 1st, you have seen the 2nd. We shall religiously keep to our motto which is, “To Build a Society Fair to All” by making frantic efforts to treat all men equal. It is human to err. It is also human to let go and forge ahead.

It will be stating the obvious, if I say that every one of us is invited to assist Igwe Emmanuel. Remember what his name stands for, EMMANUEL: “GOD WITH US.” Peace building is expensive my brothers and sisters. There is no alternative to peace.

At this juncture and on behalf of Ndioke Ibagwa-Aka Autonomous Community, I thank His Excellency, Rt. Hon. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi for this extraordinary double gift of Ndioke Ibagwa-Aka Autonomous Community and the gift of HRH, Igwe Emmanuel Emeka Urama. We will forever remain grateful to him.

In the same vain, we thank and appreciate in a special way, our indefatigable son, Hon. Dr. Peter Andy Omeje for making Ndioke Ibagwa-Aka his home. In times of rain and in times of shine, he has been with us. I see him as a man whom God endowed with a lot. He is handsome. He is extraordinarily intelligent. He is humble and humane. Indeed, he is a blessing to the entire community of Ibagwa-Aka and mankind. We must not forget so quickly that as the Chairman of Igbo-Eze South LGA, we enjoyed several social amenities. The beautiful hospital at Ndioke is entirely his intelligent hand work. It is also important to add that the road now being asphalted across Ibagwa-Aka came the way of his doggedness and today, Ibagwa-Aka can boast of two brand new autonomous communities and more is coming because of Dr. Peter Andy’s endless toil.

We wish to place on record and appreciate the immense contributions of Chief Ogwuma George Ugwuona. He did great things for the success of this autonomous community. We invite him to join us in rebuilding our psychologically bruised community. At the same time, let us all remember that only God can make a king. There is no gainsaying that our Autonomy involved the contributions of many and we must appreciate this at all times.

There is one man that we can’t afford not to mention. Many of us here do not know him or realize his enviable contribution. He is late Chief Omeje Idike Ugwuja of Ikolo Ibagwa. I want to place in our historical record, that his single act of honesty contributed to today’s event. His decision to be on the side of truth instead of on the side many, gave vent to the freedom we celebrate today. The person we are talking about here is invariably the biological father of Dr. Peter Andy Omeje the immediate past Hon. Commissioner for Transport, Enugu State and former Chairman of Igbo-Eze South LGA (my boss). I salute you. My brave people, you have seen how God brought father and son to help build our destiny. May God reward them beyond measure.

I want to say that every Ibagwa-Aka indigene deserves our gratitude for their immense support and encouragement. Nostalgically, I remember when that great son of Enugu State, Rt. Hon. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi asked Ibagwa-Aka people whether he should puncture the bag containing Ndioke Ibagwa-Aka Autonomous Community. We all, without exception responded with a “Yes” that shook the hallowed grounds of the Lion Building. That was the magic that brought Ndioke Ibagwa-Aka Autonomous Community to life. Perhaps, we may be the last autonomy that may be so honoured. Thank you brothers. We will never forget.

Permit me distinguished guests to mention but few individuals who made enviable contributions to our autonomy, Eminent Prof. and Igwe of Edemani Amebo Kingdom, Edeoga Ikenna Omeje, Ede Onowu Ugonabo, Sunday Omeke, His Excellency, Ambassador Simon Ejike Eze, Chief Levi Ezema, and many more. You have all been wonderful to the progress seen today. It is worth emphasizing without equivocation that without your individual and collective contributions, it would have been difficult to be here and now.

In a very special way, I cannot end without thanking the youths, elders and titled men of Akwebi Kingdom. They are no doubt, a special gift to our community. Your reward will be found in the tremendous dividends of Autonomy that Igwe Emmanuel Emeka Urama plan to unleash on our young Community.

“The only impossible journey is the one you never begin.” ~ Tony Robbins.

Let this your coronation be not a symbol of power and splendor but a declaration for our greater hopes for the future because history is made by men and women of destiny.

Thank you all for sparing your precious time to make history with us. We can never thank you enough.

Your Royal Highness, Congratulations! Congratulations! Congratulations! May your reign be like that of King David.

God bless Ndioke Ibagwa-Aka Autonomous Community!

God bless Ibagwa-Aka Ancient Kingdom!

God bless Igbo-Eze South LGA!

God bless Enugu State!

We shall be great again.

Comrade, High Chief Nkemjika Ossai (Odenamuo)
For and on behalf of Ndioke Ibagwa-Aka Town Union