By Chinedum Onuegbu (Capacity)
Eze ka Eze, Dr. N. Kelly Nzekwe, Okalakwu Igbariam, Anambra state, was an unusual traditional ruler in all ramification. He was a man of style and majestic grandeur.
His dressing, magic, conduct, carriage and fleet of exotic cars, marked him out as a colourful personality and a unique king.
This was a man who usually referred to himself as “Eze ka Eze”(a king that is greater than other Kings).
He was the only traditional ruler in Anambra state that dressed in English traditional regalia. In his lifetime, he usually comes into a house using his back. He had the best/biggest fleet of cars in his convoy in Anambra state among traditional rulers.
Watching him use his back to enter a house was an interesting magic (amansi), and switching from back to his front, after successfully entering the house, was another interesting awesome magic performance, that people would remember for a long time.
The first time I saw Okalakwu was in 2005. I was in the convoy of Chief Chris Uba to Anambra East LGA for his political tours as the then leader of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), in Anambra state. We had paid a courtesy visit on the late Ogalagidi of Aguleri and thereafter, headed to Igbariam to visit his ally – Okalakwu of Igbariam.
When we got to his palace, I saw a handsome man wearing a sweet blue long jacket gown, with white trousers and a white English royal hat. I was fascinated by his style immediately and have remained his fan till his latest journey.
He later joined us at the rally in Community Secondary School Aguleri with his sleek Lincoln Navigator vehicle.
Ululu Case: before Okalakwu became Igwe, he was a high street ‘guy man’ and a successful one at that. In those days, especially in the terrible military era of Gen Tunde Idiagbon, Igwe was popularly known to be fearless. He wasn’t known to be afraid of any case with police , military tribunal or other authority.
It was said that once there was any case and it was brought to his knowledge , he would call for briefing by his lawyers and it was alleged that immediately after the briefing, Igwe will tell his lawyers, that this is “Ululu Case”. Ululu is a tiny bird in Igbo land, so Ululu case means a tiny case that money can take care of
All through his life on the high street , Igwe tagged all his cases as Ululu Cases and allegedly closed all with money, hence he was fondly known and called ‘Ululu Case’.
When the last suspension handed down to him and some of his colleagues by the Anambra state government came, as a result of their controversial outing at Abuja with Prince Arthur Eze, I smiled, because HIM Dr. Kelly Nzekwe believed that he was Eze ka Eze!
Many of his colleagues were dethroned permanently , but indeed he proved to be Eze ka Eze, because his suspension was lifted a week before his latest journey that was approved by the gods & spirits of Igbariam land, bringing to an end to a very colourful and eventful era in the history of the traditional stool of Igbariam .
Around October 2003, his convoy clashed with that of Dr. Chimaroke Nnamani, the then governor of Enugu state over not giving way for the convoy of the number 1 citizen of Enugu state to pass. Some of his cars were subsequently impounded on the alleged orders of the then governor of Enugu state. But it was said that 24 hours after the then President, Olusegun Obasanjo, allegedly ordered that his convoy be released with an apology from the governor to him (Okalakwu Igbariam).
Okalakwu was a ‘guy man’, who had penchant for dared the high and mighty.
Talking about magic , I think Igwe John Emeka of Anam was the biggest in that regard among the traditional rulers of the current Anambra state, followed by Igwe Osita Agwuna. But since the death of Igwe Agwuna and Emeka, Okalakwu was the only traditional ruler that was performing magics (amansi), in the recent past .
Igwe , Igwe , Igwe !!!
Eze ka Eze
Ululu Case
Okalakwu of Igbariam Kingdom
Nnukwu Mmadu bu Nnukwu Muo …
*Onuegbu wrote from Idemili, Idemili South LGA, Anambra State .