The awardees were selected and conferred the chieftaincy titles following their contributions to the community development projects and human empowerment
By Eze Victor, Abakaliki
The traditional ruler of Mgbalukwu Autonomous Community in Izzi local government area of Ebonyi State, HRH Eze Stephen Akpaghara has conferred a chieftaincy titles on seven illustrious sons of his community.
Among them were the member representing Izzi East constituency in Ebonyi State House of Assembly, Hon Goodluck Mbam and Senior Special Assistant to the state governor on Abuja Liaison Office and Inter-Government Affairs, Comrade Ekene Nwokoro who were conferred Odozi-Obodo 1 and Ikeoha 1 of Mgbalukwu Kingdom respectively.
The traditional ruler flanked by his cabinets during the event held at Osebi Primary School in the Mgbalukwu community also conferred the Catholic Priest of Abakaliki Diocese, Rev Fr Godwin Uguru, as the Afunwa-Elota-Nna 1 of Mgbalukwu Kingdom.
Eze Akpaghara equally conferred the lawmaker representing Izzi East State Constituency, Goodluck Mbam as the Odozi-Obodo 1 of Mgbalukwu Kingdom but the Izzi local government Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Odilichukwu Okeye was conferred Agbarike Oha 1 of the community and a Mgbalukwu born businessman basing in Edo State – Chief Elijah Omininyi received an Omere 1 of Mgbalukwu as his Chieftaincy title from the community.
Also, former Izzi local government chairman, late Chief Godwin Onwe, was given a posthumous Chieftaincy title of Nnaji-Oha 1, and the deceased Ward Councilor from the community, late Moses Nwankpu, received posthumous recognition as Dike-Eji-Eje-Mba 1 of Mgbalukwu Kingdom.
The sons of the duo received the chieftaincy titles on their behalf from the community.
Speaking during the event, the Mgbalukwu monarch, Eze Stephen Akpaghara said the awardees were selected and conferred the chieftaincy titles following their contributions to the community development projects and human empowerment.
He urged them to sustain such magnanimous lifestyles and advised those who had contributed meaningfully to the growth and development of their community to exercise patience as the award would be coming in batches.
He urged the community people to be law-abiding, ensuring the existing peace in the area grows higher instead of engaging themselves in any form of crisis and unnecessary court litigations or police arrest.
The chairman of the occasion, Chief Dustan Nwogbaga congratulated the awardees and described them as the ambassadors of the Mgbalukwu community in terms of grassroots development and humanitarian services.
In his address, the chairman of the Planning Committee for the occasion said the chieftaincy titles were conferred on the 7 Mgbalukwu illustrious sons who have, in one way or the other, contributed to the development of the community.
He urged them to keep doing well by shining above the merit of their respective Chieftaincy titles, noting that the community is still facing some challenges on how to award scholarships to indigent children to further their education, moribund structures of their primary institutions, lack of standard hospital, electricity, portable water, good roads and bridges to easy movement and connect various villages and homes to their neighbourhoods in the area.
He, however, commended Governor Francis Nwifuru for appointing members of the community into positions of trust and bringing some development projects to the area but expressed worry that the community’s traditional ruler’s palace is yet to be built like his colleagues in the state.
The Public Relations Officer of the Mgbalukwu’s traditional ruler cabinet members, Chief Jethro Onwe, said the community needs support from both government and private organizations.