Asaba Rolls Out Seven-Day Programme For Asagba Azinge’s 2nd Coronation Anniversary
By NWAFOR AZINGE
Six Days of Tradition, Development & Remembrance
ASABA is preparing for a week-long celebration of the second coronation anniversary of its 14th Asagba, Prof. Epiphany Azinge, SAN, OON, with the programme bringing together infrastructure projects, cultural displays, religious activities and historical remembrance.
The anniversary begins on the 2nd of October and ends on the 7th of October.
The planning committee says the programme has been carefully structured to combine celebration with community development and reflection on Asaba’s history.
At the centre of the programme are the projects scheduled for commissioning at the permanent palace ground and other locations across the city.
New Facilities to Mark the Opening
The first day will feature the commissioning of several projects.
A major highlight is the new 1,000-capacity event centre at the permanent palace ground.
The Ogbeke Square and Kainebisi roundabout beautification projects will also be commissioned.
Other projects include a smart school in the Akwuose area and a cemetery.
The Secretary of the Anniversary Committee and Private Secretary to the Asagba, Ogbueshi Engr. Dr. Jude Mgbeze, said the projects would form part of the opening activities.
Their inclusion gives the anniversary a developmental component, linking the traditional institution’s ceremonial milestone with facilities intended for community use.
A Traditional Honour for the Desert Warrior
The second day of the programme will bring another important traditional event.
On the 3rd of October, Chief Dr. Newton Jibunoh, the Desert Warrior and Nna Obodo of Akwukwu-Igbo, is expected to receive an Olinzele title.
The committee said the honour recognises Jibunoh’s contributions to the development of Asaba.
The conferment will therefore serve both as a celebration of an individual and as an expression of the community’s traditional system of recognising service and contribution.
Faith & Celebration
On the 4th of October, attention will shift to the religious aspect of the anniversary.
A Thanksgiving Mass will be held at St. Patrick’s Catholic Church, West End, Asaba.
The following day, 5th October, will feature the official coronation anniversary reception at the newly completed event centre within the permanent palace premises.
The reception is expected to draw residents, traditional leaders, public officials and guests from Asaba and beyond.
A Cultural Showcase at the Palace
The permanent palace ground will again take centre stage on the 6th of October.
A cultural parade is scheduled for the day as part of activities marking the official opening and continued operational use of the palace site.
The event is expected to provide a public display of Asaba’s traditions and cultural identity.
For the organisers, the anniversary is consequently an opportunity not only to honour the monarch but also to reinforce the cultural institutions surrounding the Asagba stool.
Remembering Asaba’s Past
The final day, 7th October, will be dedicated to the Asaba Memorial Remembrance Day.
Obasanjo, a former Head of State and two-term President of Nigeria, is expected to chair the occasion.
Governor Sheriff Oborevwori is listed as the Chief Host.
The memorial event gives the anniversary a solemn dimension.
While the preceding days focus heavily on celebration, culture and development, the final day turns the community’s attention towards historical memory and remembrance.
That balance is significant for Asaba, where historical memory remains closely connected to community identity.
The Committee’s Case for the Celebration
The Chairman of the Anniversary Committee and Ikukuoma of Asaba, Chief Amb. Charles Onianwa, said the people decided to honour the Asagba because of what they consider his significant achievements during his first two years on the throne.
According to him, the monarch had taken bold steps for the benefit of Asaba and its people.
The anniversary is therefore intended as an expression of appreciation.
The committee’s position is that the occasion provides the community with an opportunity to acknowledge the monarch’s efforts while encouraging continued service.
Women & the Asaba-in-Council
Another issue emerging from the anniversary preparations is the place of women within the traditional institution.
Mgbeze said the Asagba had promoted greater participation of women in the Asaba-in-Council.
He also said women were being recognised as chiefs in their own right.
His explanation was that a woman could receive a chieftaincy title based on her own qualifications and contributions, regardless of whether her husband was a chief.
If sustained, such an approach represents an important development in the participation of women in traditional governance and community affairs.
The committee has consequently identified it as one of the changes associated with the monarch’s reign.
Palace Opens Its Doors to the Community
The Palace Secretary and Ihonor of Asaba, Chief P.N.C. Ndili, said the organisers were expecting a large turnout.
He said the anniversary activities were open to members of the Asaba community and visitors from outside the city.
Chief Victor Nwosa, the Anwulika of Asaba, also called on residents to support the monarch.
He said the Asagba had achieved much within two years and encouraged him to continue working for the development of Asaba.
A Celebration With Several Meanings
The structure of the anniversary programme reflects the multiple responsibilities carried by the traditional institution.
There is development in the projects being commissioned.
There is culture in the traditional title and cultural parade.
There is faith in the Thanksgiving Mass.
There is community participation in the grand reception.
And there is historical memory in the Asaba Memorial Remembrance Day.
That combination makes the anniversary more than a single ceremonial event.
It is also an occasion for the community to assess, at least symbolically, the first two years of the current reign.
Looking Beyond the Celebration
Asaba’s second coronation anniversary will ultimately last only a few days, but the projects and institutional developments being highlighted by the organisers are intended to extend beyond the celebrations.
The new event centre is expected to serve the community after the anniversary.
The smart school is another facility with a longer-term purpose.
The beautification projects will remain part of the city’s physical environment, while the palace ground is expected to become an active centre of traditional and community activities.
Similarly, the reported expansion of women’s participation in traditional affairs raises questions about how such changes will develop over time.
For the people of Asaba, therefore, the October programme is both a celebration of where the Asagba stool has been over the past two years and an opportunity to consider where the institution is heading.
The anniversary may be ceremonial, but its underlying themes—development, cultural identity, inclusion and remembrance—speak to the continuing role of the Asagba institution in the life of Asaba.
