Nigerian socialite and businessman Obi Iyiegbu, widely known as Obi Cubana, has urged Oba indigenes worldwide to rally behind the new monarch, Igwe Augustine Chinedu Emelobe, Eze Okpoko II, in a bid to elevate the Oba community to greater heights.
Cubana also appealed to aggrieved members of the community to set aside differences for the overall development of the Oba Kingdom.
He made this plea during a New Year homage to the monarch, accompanied by his brother, politician Ikenna Iyiegbu, alongside Tochukwu Adimora and Hon. Uche Mmaduekwe.
Obi Cubana joined numerous individuals, groups, and organizations that have visited Igwe Emelobe’s residence to pay homage and extend their congratulations.
Igwe Emelobe, who was elected as the new monarch in December 2024 and crowned by Oba elders later that month, has continued to receive goodwill messages and support from various quarters.
He said: “We have gathered in the name of God and selected an Igwe. God has approved of him, and we stand behind him. If anyone is aggrieved, he should forgive. Oba has to move forward, Oba must move forward, anyone feeling aggrieved should forgive, let’s move on. Oba is greater than these pockets of fights that have been ongoing, and Oba needs to develop.
“By this time next year, Oba will be a rallying point and others will come here to admire our community, our people, our traditions and culture, our food, our carnivals, our Ifejioku, our hotels. Oba is going to be great again,” he enthused.
Earlier, the business mogul, who is a son of Oba, had told the monarch that he came to show unbridled and unflinching support for his emergence so that Oba may take its place and pride in the affairs of Anambra communities.
He noted: “But the special grace of God, every son and daughter of Oba are proud of this land. Our brothers and sisters chose you to bring back some certain values of our land. This is a land that one shows pride in.
“I was in Ozubulu yesterday and there were some things that young people like us were instituting in the community, and I said to myself, this should be Oba. We should be tied to certain kinds of developments. There were roads, lock-up shops, and competition for development. Our neighbouring towns are competing to outdo one another on developments; we can’t let ourselves be held down. Let the young people of good parenting be part of what you are doing. Let whatever is tied to you be good in terms of truthfulness, let them be people who speak and whose opinions are respected, and let them be role models.
“We need to measure with some of these towns. When I went to one town’s convention in Houston, no one was trying to show off their doctorate and level in life but donned their traditional regalia. It’s only our place that it seems only old men are ichies and chiefs.
“Let the young ones get these titles and let them get it based on character, and let the world know the terms that were used to attain it.
“I trust you in terms of capacity to bring the kind of development worthy of emulation to our people, if you could do it in the oil sector, then you can do it for us.
“Oba has everything that can be galvanized to make it the envy of every other town in not just Anambra, but in all of Igboland. We have the manpower, we have the raw materials, men who think positively. The important thing is that, in the selection of these things, character is number one, before any other thing.
Also in his speech, Ikenna Iyiegbu told the monarch that although the town was an object of mockery in the past, the story has changed now, after his election into office as Igwe.
“People used to mock Oba, that we don’t have an Igwe, but the other day, it came up at a meeting where I met the governor and I told them that the situation has changed, that today, we have an Igwe. For the past six years, Oba has had no representation in terms of Igwe, and when other monarchs are invited to Awka, we are ashamed because Oba has no representation. It’s a thing of joy today that it has changed.
“I have not been too happy about what I have seen in the media. Let’s reconcile. The losers or winners, we are all brothers and we should inculcate everyone. What can we do for our Oba that will attract the great and mighty across Anambra State? What admirable action can we take that the whole state will hear and be in awe?
In his response, the monarch thanked the visitors for their support and pledged to give the community the best in terms of quality service as a leader.
