ABOH kingdom in Ndokwa East Local Government Area of Delta State, last week, was in jubilation mood as Dr. Greg Nnamdi Oputa, emerged the new Obi of the Kingdom, thus, putting an end to the crisis that greeted the demise of his predecessor, His Royal Majesty, Obi Imegwu II.
Feelers from the Kingdom confirmed that, the emergence of Dr. Greg Oputa is a new dawn in the life of the kingdom, the indigenous people of Aboh and the residents in general, and that the process was transparent, credible and generally accepted by all.
My findings confirmed that Dr Greg Oputa’s emergence as King speaks volume of the rich tradition and culture of the people over the decades. This is in addition to the view expressed by many I spoke to, who said that, his ascending the throne of his forefathers will bringing renewed hope and the promise of a brighter future to the Kingdom.
Some others hold the view that his being crowned King is the beginning of a new chapter in the rich history of Aboh, a kingdom that had faced numerous challenges, including setbacks and divisions that had caused pains and stagnation.
Recall that, the journey to his being crowned King was not an easy one, given the prolonged battle for the throne, that left deep scars and tensions among the people of Aboh. The process was fraught with struggles and disagreements, resulting in bitterness and divisions that threatened to tear the kingdom apart. However, the emergence of Dr. Greg Oputa as the king is expected to put a stop to all these and possibly, would be an opportunity for healing and unity in the Kingdom.
The challenges before him towards achieving this are enormous, realizing that, Aboh Kingdom is grossly underdeveloped, particularly in the area of basic infrastructures for the people like water, electricity, roads, health and education. This is more regrettable when one realises that, the Kingdom is blessed with abundant human and natural resources like oil and gas.
The human and natural resources that abound in the area, and even the disagreement and fight, that had before now almost torn the Kingdom apart, thus hindering the needed socio-economic and political development of the area could be used as instruments for positive growth, only made possible by a man of the people that is well read and genuinely committed to taking Aboh kingdom out of the woods. That man, judging by his pedigree and love for human growth and development is, Dr Greg Oputa.
Interestingly, disagreements or conflicts are bound to occure in any human community, so that of Aboh is not an exception. What matters most now, is a man and King that has the capacity and genuine interest to see such perceived societal shortcomings as instruments for love, growth and development. And that is what Aboh Kingdom needs now. Enough of the disagreements, the hatred, the arguments, and let brotherly love and the genuine spirit of development and growth that Aboh Kingdom needs come. Let the people see these shortcomings as a springboard to creating a well developed and new Aboh Kingdom that would be a legacy for their children now and those yet to be born. For this should be a time to build Aboh Kingdom, not to destroy it. Therefore, let Aboh people join hands with the new King Greg Oputa to actualise this, bearing in mind that, it is only in unity and love that they can stand and grow Aboh Kingdom.
For those who may not know, the new Aboh King, His Imperial Majesty, Dr. Greg Oputa is a leader who possesses the wisdom, vision, and capacity to lead Aboh to new heights. His reputation as a man of integrity and commitment to progress precedes him, and there is no doubt that under his reign, Aboh will experience a renewed sense of purpose and growth. This is a time to look forward with optimism, to envision a future where the kingdom thrives once again and attain its rightful place in the comity of kingdoms in the world.
It is, therefore, important for every son and daughter of Aboh to put aside past differences and come together in solidarity. The future of Aboh depends on the collective efforts of all its people. Now, more than ever before, it is time to rally around the new king, and support him wholeheartedly as he embarks on the noble task of rebuilding and advancing the kingdom.
Aboh indigenes should count themselves lucky for having Greg Oputa as their King. He is the founder of the Gregory Oputa International Foundation, and was recently conferred with the American President’s “LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
The Foundation is designed to reach out to the poor and needy in poor communities in the United States.
For the purpose of history, according to Paul O. Opone of the Delta State University, Abraka, Aboh Kingdom is located in the lower Niger at the extreme of the Western Igbo Area. It is presently the administrative headquarters of Ndwoka East Local Government Area of Nigeria, Delta State. Aboh is an an ancient African Kingdom in whose jurisdiction is located all the Igbo speaking people in the neighborhood that are collectively referred to as Ndosimili (the water people) because they are riverine settlements. It’s territory stretches south along the Niger River as far as the head of the Delta eastwards to Ashaka and other towns North of the Sobo (Urhobo) and Isoko countries and East of the Niger for a considerable distance (Hubbard 1948).
The 1940 annual report on the area as well as Talbot (1969) established that the town Aboh itself was probably founded about 1530. During the colonial period, Aboh was organized into a Division from the Benin Province, covering Ndosimili and Ukwuani areas. The people of Aboh speak the same dialect of Igbo, though they are divided into two distinct classes as far as organization and customs are concerned. They include the Umude and Ndiche. The former class constitutes all the ruling houses in Aboh, while the latter is the Kingmakers’ class, comprising the rest of Aboh inhabitants and villages.
Aboh Kingdom, like other kingdoms began as a single compact community and expanded overtime to six village settlements.
The communities were founded by titled Chiefs who moved with members of their clans and dependants to establish military outposts. They were used as platforms to raid and plunder nearby communities. The military outpost grew to the great significance that the Obi (King) and his council used them to control the activities around the Niger River against any outsider such that Aboh was referred to as the guard and defender of the Niger.
Although these settlements had their names as Udagba, Odaja, Odugiri, Ukwu Ugbomma, Aseomuku, Abalagada, Iseokpo and so on, they pay allegiances to the Obi of Aboh and also attended the religious festival of Aboh. The influence of the Kingdom cut across most of the riverine clans as well as some upland clans (Nzimiro 1972, 11-12). It was not too surprising that Ogume, Ashaka, Amai, Ossissa, Afor, Adiai, Okpai, Utuoku, Akaria, and Onya were some of the communities that recognized the authority of the Obi of Aboh (Ikime 1989).
