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The ancient Arochukwu Kingdom in Abia State was aglow with celebration on Saturday as it celebrated the coronation of its ninth traditional ruler, Dr. Eberechukwu Oji, a 50-year-old leader, who was honored with the title of ‘Eze Aro’ in a grand ceremony that exhibited the kingdom’s rich cultural heritage.
On January 26, 2024, Dr. Eberechukwu Oji’s ascension to the throne as the ninth Eze Aro was met with a significant endorsement from Abia State Governor Dr. Alex Otti, who presented him with a staff of office, effectively conferring official recognition and cementing his position as the kingdom’s leader.
Prior to the state government’s official recognition of Dr. Eberechukwu Oji as the rightful Eze Aro, a rival claimant, Mazi Godwin Kanu Idei, from the same revered Okennachi family, had attempted to seize the throne, undergoing a clandestine coronation ceremony that would later be deemed illegitimate.
As the power struggle reached a boiling point, the state government intervened by convening a board of inquiry in October 2023, culminating in a White Paper that decisively backed Dr. Eberechukwu Oji’s claim to the throne, effectively quashing the ambitions of his rival.
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The government’s acceptance of the board’s recommendations had far-reaching consequences, as it led to the formal nullification of Mazi Godwin Kanu Idei’s coronation as Eze Aro IX, clearing the path for Dr. Eberechukwu Oji’s rightful assumption of the throne.
During the coronation and civic reception in honour of the new monarch, Governor Otti commended the people for choosing Dr Eberechukwu Oji.
He said, “I have no doubt that the majority of Aro people are very happy with his choice, but there may be one or two people who are not.
“I say without any fear of contradiction that the Aro people made the best choice. From what I have seen, read, and heard about the 9th Eze Aro, Mazi Eberechukwu Oji is the best in his class.”
In his remarks, the new monarch said the day marked a significant milestone in the kingdom’s history.
In a bold declaration, he pledged to put the well-being and advancement of the Aro community at the forefront of his leadership, driven by a selfless commitment to serve.
He also urged the federal government to adopt a genuine federal system, where the entrenched culture of marginalization and exclusion would be replaced with a more inclusive and equitable framework, ensuring justice for all, and notably, the freedom of Mazi Nnamdi Kalu, the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).
