His Royal Majesty Obi of Owa Kingdom, Dr Emmanuel Efeizomor 11 is an embodiment of many essential pillars, namely:The Man Who Kept Divine Appointment with Destiny. The Education-Hungry Person and Educationist. The Peacemaker & Conflict Mediator.The Seasoned Administrator and Technocrat.The Community Leader, Motivator and Mobilizer.The Development Champion, Change Agent and Father of Transformed Owa Kingdom.The Profuse Reader, Author, Scholar and Orator.The Diplomat and Ambassador. The Professional Athlete.The Humane, Good-Natured & God-Fearing Person.The Architect, Engineer, Builder and Interior Designer.
AS THE MAN WHO KEPT DIVINE APPOINTMENT WITH DESTINY: His Royal Majesty is a product of divine appointment with destiny. This is manifested in the extraordinary circumstances of his birth, upbringing and ascension to the kingship at the young age of 21. He was born on the 10th of March 1938 to Obi Hezekiah Efeizomor I of Owa-Oyibu and Queen Uwanode Uwaya Oligie Efeizomor (Nee Irabor) of Alioye in Owa-Alero, the first of his 26 wives. Out of the 26 wives, only 3 bore a son each but they died as they came, until the 4th but 1st surviving son, Onyeike was born at Iyi-Enu Mission Hospital, Ogidi, Anambra State.
The apprehension which surrounded the survival of the unborn child led his father (Obi Efeizomor I) to take his pregnant wife to live with his friend, Mr. Paschal Odita in Asaba until 1945, when he was about the age of 8.Between 1945 and 1952, the child crown prince, Onyeike, crisscrossed living homes at Issele-Uku, Boji Boji Owa and Owa-Alero. This was a deliberate plan by his father, Obi Efeizomor I to shield him from perceived dangers and harm. The frequent change of living homes caused him to chanage from CMS School, Owa-Alero at Standard 3 to St. James CMS School, Boji Boji Agbor, where he attained Standard 4, in 1953.
Not long after his 15th birthday in 1953, a dark cloud befell Owa Kingdom. Obi Hezekiah Efeizomor I had passed on. As an interim measure, the Owa Regency Council, headed by Prince Vincent Obaigbena began to oversee the affairs of Owa kingship. This circumstance marked a new dawn in the life of the crown prince, Onyeike.
A year later, in 1954, Onyeike, the crown prince moved along with Police Sergeant Ugbaja who was on duty transfer to Sapele. While there, Onyeike continued his primary education at Abott Commercial Institute, up to Standard 5. As a result of his intelligence and hardwork, he took and passed the joint Standard 5 & 6 examination, which earned him admission into Abott Secondary Commercial School in 1955. While in his first year at Abott Secondary Commercial School, specifically in December 1955, the then Chairman of Owa Patriotic Union in Sapele, Rev. Frederick Morka Ohen and members of Owa Regency Council arranged his interview by a Baptist Missionary team from Port Harcourt. The team came to attend the Baptist Convention holding in Sapele. Based on his excellent performance, Onyeike was admitted into Baptist High School, Port Harcourt, in January 1956, under the care of Mr. J. K. Mgbejume, a Geography teacher and House Master in the school. Two years later, that is, in 1958, at age 20, another new dawn began in the life of the crown prince. He was withdrawn from Baptist High School, Port Harcourt, with Grade 4 Certificate. It was time for him to undergo the traditional and customary rites in preparation for his coronation at age 21.
Accordingly, on the 6th of September 1959, the royal crown was placed on Emmanuel Onyeike by which he became Obi Efeizomor II, the 17th Obi of Owa Kingdom, a dynasty which started in 1291 A.D. with Obi Odogwu as the 1st Obi of Owa Kingdom. So, by implication, Owa monarchy is currently 733 years old.
AS THE EDUCATION-HUNGRY PERSON AND EDUCATIONIST:
His Royal Majesty, Obi Emmanuel Efeizomor 11 exhibits outstanding intelligence, academic excellence and love for education beginning from his youth. Despite facing very difficult and disruptive circumstances throughout his primary school age, he excelled in the joint Standard 6 and Standard 5 examinations while still at Standard 5 in Abott Commercial Institute, Sapele, as a result of which he skipped Standard 6 class. His impressive performance before the Baptist High School panel, headed by Rev. W. R. Davies, the Baptist missionary and school principal, is another historic evidence of high intelligence.
Not enticed, or weighed down by royal privileges, the young king was hungry for self-improvement through formal education. It was, therefore, not surprising that, few months after his coronation, he applied for and attended the Extramural Studies programme of University of Ibadan in 1960. Motivated by the same burning desire, he attended the Diploma programme in Personnel Management at the University of Sussex, UK in 1972. He followed-up with a Higher Diploma or Degree equivalent programme in Development Administration at the Graduate School of Public and International Affairs (GSPIA), University of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S.A. in 1975.
His educational credentials climaxed in the Honorary Award of Doctor of Education by City University, Los Angeles, California, USA, in 1989.
AS THE PEACEMAKER & CONFLICT MEDIATOR:
His Royal Majesty, Obi Efeizomor 11 mirrors the peace-loving, friendly and respectful character of Owa people. Testaments of his peace-making and conflict-mediating capabilities and effectiveness are as follows: He was Chairman, Ika Local Government Area Police Community Relations Committee, 1985; Chairman, Zonal Police Public Relations Committee for Ika, Ndokwa, Aniocha and Oshimili Local Government Areas, 1987 – 1992; Chairman, Delta State Council of Traditional Rulers’ Committee on Land Disputes, 1994; Vice Chairman, Presidential Panel on Warri Crisis, 2003; Member, Project Steering Committee for the Establishment of Multi-Door Court House in Delta State, 2011; Fellow, Institute of Chartered Mediators and Conciliators, National Judicial Institute, 2017; Investiture as Life Patron, Police Community Relations Committee (PCRC), South-South Geopolitical Zone, 2021; Member, Governing Council of the Delta State Multi-Door Courthouse, 2014 – 2023; and Co-Chairman, Delta State Community Policing Advisory Committee, May 2020.
AS A SEASONED ADMINISTRATOR AND TECHNOCRAT:
“From 1960 till date, His Royal Majesty, Obi Emmanuel Efeizomor 11 has had more than 35 public service appointments and served in committees, panels, councils, task forces, commissions, delegations and boards at the state and national levels.
AS A COMMUNITY LEADER, MOTIVATOR AND MOBILIZER:
His Royal Majesty is a leader who motivates from the front. He connects with his subjects, socially and emotionally through, among others, constant identification with and practical support for their personal, family, professional and career celebrations, aspirations and progress. This progressive fatherly attitude endears him to his subjects and inspires love and support for him. His motivational, advocacy and mobilising skill is clearly reflected in several speeches and public presentations at Owa conferences, assemblies and meetings.
AS A DEVELOPMENT CHAMPION, CHANGE AGENT AND FATHER OF TRANSFORMED OWA KINGDOM:
Obi Emmanuel Efeizomor 11 has transformed Owa kingship into a vibrant, nationally acknowledged, highly influential traditional monarchy in Delta State and Nigeria. Under his 65-year reign, Owa kingdom has witnessed historic transformation from a predominantly rural agrarian society to a cosmopolitan, mixed-economy and semi-urban society.
AS A PROFUSE READER, AUTHOR, SCHOLAR AND ORATOR:
HRM is gifted with a rare combination of reading, writing and public speaking skills. His intellectual zeal is evidence in his several works, including conference papers, public lectures, historical anecdotes, published commentaries, books and book chapters.A spectacular manifest of his intellectual trait is the ever-growing royal multidisciplinary library, otherwise known as “The Owa Palace Library,” which is a brand legacy for Owa kingdom.
