A strong tale was told on Monday, July 8, 2024, at Egbu in Owerri North, Imo State. It was at the award of N1m to each of 50 entrepreneurial youths and N500,000 to nine others, of the three local councils that make Owerri in Imo State, making N54.m by the family of the late Eze, the creative and imaginative monarch of Egbu, Mitchel Egbukole. His son and present monarch, Uchenna, told the tale sitting on the throne of his fathers.
It was at the 25th remembrance of his demise marked with the cash awards to the youths to pursue a life of financial freedom and wealth creation. In one sweep in one day, the late Eze, through his highly articulate and intelligent successors, pulled 59 youths out of poverty and into employment, ready and capable to redeem others very soon.
Eze Ochoromma (king that seek nothing but good for his people) revealed that greatest secret of the kingdom, which stems from the deepest secret of the royal family, is unity in his homestead which radiates out and unites the kingdom.
How did this come about that the many children of the late king look like twins at all times, something that manifested at the event? The son (now king) revealed this. His Royal highness, the knight, and Eze, Mitchell Ezesomaga Egbukole, the Ochoronma IV of Egbu Autonomous Community, was a strong graduate of the famous UNN of those days.
According to one of his in-laws, Lawal Baje, a retired real-admiral, the late monarch worked in the Ministry of Commerce and Industry where he retired as the Chief Industrial Promotions Officer, after acting as the Permanent Secretary and as the Director- General. As a traditional ruler, he was a visionary and unifier of the good people of Egbu community. He was a man of courage, character, commitment and compassion.”
The tale is that his late father called his children one day and gave them each a broomstick and asked them to break them. Easily, they did. Then he gave them a bunch each to break. Tried as they did, they could not. He told them; “So shall nobody be able to break you people, if you stick together along your paths of life.”
The Eze told the audience that he and his siblings kept to that injunction, and the result is the great feats in the family and kingdom.
Egbu is reputed to be the place Christianity spread in that part of Igboland. They have records of first graduates, first wedded couples, first secondary schools, first abroadians, exotic houses, government appointees, etc. They stink in wealth and civilisation firmed in education and ethical virtues, though virus may also set in. This is the secret of the Egbu monarch.
