THE DEMISE OF THE IROKO (OGIN) TREE SYMBOLICALLY SIGNALS THE END OF THE ROGUE IRENUMA DYNASTY. As someone who was born and raised in the ancient Abavo Royal Palace, I weep at all that Ajeh Irenuma and his criminal son Mr. Uche Irenuma have done to denigrate the cultural heritage of Abavo. It started with Ajeh Irenuma when he felled the ENYI tree that was not found anywhere in the whole of Nigeria. Native Doctors used to come from far and wide to collect the bark or the leaf for medicinal purposes. This tree had provided healing for different ailments to millions of people in Nigeria for hundreds of years before and even after the advent of modern medicine until Ajeh Irenuma cut it down. Then there was the UGHEGHE tree next to the Enyi tree and of course, one of the two OGIN trees that he felled and sold for cash. My father, His Royal Highness Obi Simeon Ekhator Jegbefume II used to explain the existence of the two gigantic ogin trees that tower over 500ft in the air as one being the male and the other female. The taller and larger one was male. After Aje Irenuma Okunbor felled the male tree for timber, the female tree stopped producing the annual aromatic flowers that permeated the air within the vicinity of the Palace during the dry season, the aroma that we looked forward to annually. That the remaining Ogin tree met its demise three days ago is no surprise. She had lost the source of her replenishment and nourishment for nearly two decades. That she lived this long after the demise of her partner at the hands and chain saw of James Ajeh Irenuma Okunbor was remarkable. I know there is some ignoramus out there who might question the significance of a tree. My answer to you is this, just as the maple leaf adorns the National flag of Canada that is how significant the maple tree is to Canada, the Oak tree is to America and the Olive tree is to the countries in the Middle East. So for Abavo, the Enyi, Ugheghe and the Iroko (Ogin) trees that stood guard for more than a thousand years at the gates of The Abavo Royal Palace were very significant in the cultural beliefs of the people of Abavo. The ancestors of the Abavo people knew why they planted those trees as strategic as they were situated. Symbolically, the demise of this Iroko tree connotes the end of the illegitimate Irenuma rogue dynasty. What the Kingdom of Abavo has lost under the rule of Mr. James Ajeh Irenuma Okunbor and his criminal son Uche Irenuma is immesurable. Like my good friend Smart Ajaja correctly stated, Ajeh Irenuma and his criminal son Uche Irenuma systematically sold all of Abavo Artifacts worth millions of dollars. Uche Irenuma sold the ceremonial ADAN and EBEREN that are made of solid gold worth millions of dollars. These were rarely seen only during ceremonial IGWE festivals when the King uses them to dance. These are synonymous to the crown jewel of the British Crown. All the ancient art work detailing our history, crafted by Abavo bronze smiths, black smiths, carvers, gold smiths, the elephant tusks that were carved hundreds of years ago that were displayed in the Palace museum during Igwe festivals are no more because Uche Irenuma has sold all of them for cash to support his crack cocaine addiction. A few months ago, I received a phone call from one of the Palace Chiefs who wanted to remain anonymous and what he had to say was alarming. He narrated how Uche Irenuma systematically ferried the artifacts a few at a time out of the Palace and that when they tried to caution him that what he was doing was an abomination, he threatened them with violence. This chief has since resigned and separated from Uche Irenuma’s infamy. The people of Abavo shall moan the loss of these treasures forever but they should resolve to rebuild and regain the glory that was lost and vow never to allow a bunch of mischievous so called elites and royals hand over the Abavo ancient throne to a commoner who knows nothing about preserving and protecting the culture, customs and traditions of Abavo Kingdom. God bless you and God bless Abavo. Prince Emmanuel Ekhator
Posted on: Mon, 17 Mar 2014 10:16:47 +0000
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