Sunday Okobi
The immediate past Chairman of the Delta State Council of Traditional Rulers and the Obi of Owa Kingdom, His Majesty Dr. Emmanuel Efeizomor II, has commended the state Governor, Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa, for giving him the opportunity to successfully serve and complete his tenure as the chairman of the Council.
He said the privilege has afforded him the opportunity to invest his wealth of experience in shaping the socio-cultural and economic development of the traditional institution and the state at large.
The Owa king expressed joy that in the 30 years of the state creation, he has put in 10 years of active service to the state as acting chairman, first vice -chairman, and chairman of the council, saying he feels fulfilled in the service of his state.
Obi Efeizomor stated these during a thanksgiving service organised to mark the successful completion of his tenure as traditional council chairman.
The thanksgiving service, which attracted a large attendance of sons and daughters of the Owa Kingdom and well-wishers from around the world, was organised by the Anglican Communion, Ika Diocese.
The event, which was held last Sunday in the Owa Palace ground in Ika North East Local Government Area of the state, formed part of the activities of the 21-day diocesan fasting and praying for the year 2022.
At the event, the traditional ruler said:
“The crusade of today is very important because it has come at the time of the dissolution of the Delta State Council of Traditional Rulers.
“I have been on this job for no less than five years, and I thank God I came out of the job hale and hearty. Some of my colleagues died while in office, even some members of the council equally died during the period.
“It has become relevant that the council must be reorganised in keeping with the provisions of the law.
“I want to thank His Excellency Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa, the governor of Delta State, our son, my brother, the light of Owa Kingdom in whose tenure I became the chairman of the council.
“The truth is that I am the longest-serving member of the council; the state is 30 years old and I have served five years under this current administration in the successive administrations, and I have equally served more than five years, all put together, I have served more than 10 years in a state that’s just 30 years. It’s a thing I must be grateful to God for.
“I must congratulate my colleagues for the unflinching support they gave to my administration in moving the state and the council forward, and we must ensure that there is peace in the state. I pray that God will continue to bring peace to the state.”
The revered king stated that Governor Okowa “is my son, a man of peace, who has brought unprecedented development to the state. He has brought peace and progress, infrastructural development, including universities, road projects, employment among others. It was God that made it possible for him to do all these, and we thank God for his life.
“We must all join hands to pray for him to enable him to finish strong because this is election period. Those who are wishing him evil should turn around; those who are trying to create tension in the state should have a rethink. Okowa must not fail; so we must join hands to pray for him so that his successor will continue in his good works of progress and development of the state.”
Earlier, the officiating minister and Bishop of the Anglican Diocese of Ika, Rt. Rev Godfrey Ifeanyichukwu Ekpenisi, urged the congregants to have faith in God, and to be of graceful heart as God is capable of making a way where there is no way.
He prayed for Okowa, the state government, the Owa Kingdom, and its monarch, saying beautiful things are yet to come to the state and the kingdom, and urged the congregants to remain prayerful.
