His Eminence Eberechukwu Oji, the Eze Aro of Arochukwu Kingdom, is a different kind of traditional ruler.
Urbane, tall, very good-looking, and soft spoken .
An Oil man, he has built an envious career that has seen him rise to the very top in an industry that continues to wield world attention
Edgar, Arochukwu is witnessing a renaissance, he says to me stretching his long legs in his cosy VI Lagos office
Why are you in Lagos and not in Aro, I ask.
Aro has a well-defined system that engages its people at various levels and this takes quite a huge amount of the load off me, he answers
In elementary history, the Long Juju of Arochukwu story fascinated a whole generation
Myths and different stories of its efficacy were Judiciosly shared amongst us
The role of the Shrine, during the slave trade, was variously told and passed down through the generations
Eberechukwu Oji’s grandfather was the longest-serving monarch in Arochukwu history, if not in the world.
He ruled for over 70 years and won the respect and admiration of the British, who gave him honours.
His reign saw Arochukwu rise in prominence to become one of the most important kingdoms with its fame soaring worldwide
Later day heroes like Alvan Ikoku and Utchay father of Princewill only served to further cement Arochukwu as a very important kingdom
Chief Emeka Anyaoku the well-respected international statesman mentioned that in the 1800s Igbo land had only 6 monarchies with Arochukwu being one of them
What this means is that its traditions, history and culture remain quite rich and deep.
I was privileged to walk into the huge Civic Centre at Arochukwu this December to the brilliantly executed stage Play Uda Nkwa
Uda Nkwa was written and directed by specially gifted Dr Erojikwe of the University of Nigeria Nsukka
Ikuku has come to create a unique niche in presenting to the world a certain kind of story
Stories which showcase Igboland with its diverse and colourful traditions carrying the audience through the beauty of a people much misunderstood but variedly respected
The hall was filled with some of the most prominent Arochukwu citizens led by their popular king.
His parents were also in attendance, with one other vassal Chief who represents a part of Arochukwu that claims ancestry from the Ibibio of Akwa Ibom.
The Okoroafor brothers – Bank and Dr Obi were in full attendance with their families with my other brother Ugochukwu who I had met while he was the CBN spokesperson
The little boy won the hearts of the audience with his scintillating dance steps with his father on the drums and his mother dancing in the troupe behind him.
The packed hall remained glued to their seats as the colour on stage took them back to the Arochukwu of their ancestors
It was over and I went to Uche’s house to relax
Uche being the Uche Orji that led Nigeria’s Sovereign Wealth Fund to global acclaim, and in the morning, I ended up at Banks for breakfast but not before a nightcap with Dr Obi.
The 79 steps that take u down the famous shrine were my target but I detoured to the crispy clean waterfalls to make merry with the villagers
Uda Nkwa is one of my most exciting plays. It has tasked us budget wise, leading to very strenuous exercise in holding down the budget while still retaining the extravagance of its calling.
I decided to make the Lagos Show free simply because I can.
With the strong support of His Eminence and his very beautiful Queen who visited cast and crew at rehearsals, I felt that I should open the doors for free so that Lagosians would have unfettered access to the beauty of Arochukwu after which a few of my guests would join me in hosting His Eminence and his Queen to sumptuous dinner at the world-famous Prime Chinese Restaurant.
Wait. Did an imp just call me Fluke of Shomolu?
Duke of Shomolu