Sabastine Offorji confirms father’s chieftaincy title.
3 min read
Isiozi Akah born top community leader and a diasporan Akalite Chief Sabastine Offorji has confirmed and reactivated his father chieftaincy title otherwise known as “igbukwa agada” in local parlance. By the tradition of Umuaka, every first son whose dad is a chieftaincy title holder automatically inherits the title after the demise of his father, although with terms and conditions that seriously apply.
Date was January Friday 3, 2025 and the venue was at the Offorji ancestral home in Obiato Isiozi Akah. The event regrettably started very late as HRH Eze Victor Obioma Ijeoma of Isiozi Akah Autonomous Community arrived late at the due to some issues he was handling elsewhere, he rendered a royal apology for coming late and the people accepted his apologies. Without wasting any time, the event started immediately as the members of Isiozi Akah Council of Chiefs and the Offorjis were already waiting.
After welcoming the eze to the occasion, he was greeted in the customary way as Isiudo 1 of Isiozi Akah by his people. Another thing that followed was the presentation of kola nuts. The royal father blessed the kola nuts and went straight to business.
After making an opening speech, Chief Sabastine Offorji was called upon for the chieftaincy decoration. HRH Eze Victor Ijeoma bestowed the couple with Omeiheoma 1 and Ikuku Oma Diya of Umunwankwo Obiato Isiozi Akah Autonomous Community respectively.
The moment the chieftaincy title installation was over, the people moved to the country home of Chief Sabastine Offorji where he organized a well-attended reception to welcome the big show home.
Umuaka Times reporters observed that most of the people who attended the event were Diasporan Akalites mainly from Europe and America.
Around some minutes after 4 pm, the master of the ceremony after he had welcomed all the individuals and groups in attendance, called for an opening prayer. The secondary school classmates of Chief Offorji officially known as “Awo 79” (they left High School Umuaka in 1979) were specially given a canopy. The canopy somehow became the powerhouse of the event as they cracked senior jokes and remembered the memories of yesteryears. A look at Awo 79 canopy by Umuaka Times reporters showed that Chief Chris Nwachukwu, Dr Albert Okunwa, Chief Keonye Ahamefule, Mr Basil Onyewueke, Chief Ike Okpara and many others were in the group as well as some royal fathers.
A clergyman member of Awo 79 was called to do an opening prayer and after the prayers, the celebrater and his wife were told to get ready to join their guests. In few minutes time, they could be sighted dancing their way to join their guests. The appearance of Chief Sabastine Offorji and his wife absolutely changed the atmosphere of the event; glamour, money and pageantry spoke in diverse ways as they approached the audience dancing fantastically. Their twin daughters who came out with them were like show openers as they were in front of their parents dancing.
While getting close to the corner designated for them, a red carpet was rolled out for them to march on! That was the biggest highlight of the event.
The fun and razzmatazz continued to gather electrifying momentum until the MC announced that it was time for the “chieftaincy couple” to cut their “chieftaincy installation cake”. When this was done, Chief Offorji and his wife then took time to dance and thrill their guests to the admiration of many. The whole phase was indeed a beauty to behold!
As all the activities were seriously going on as originally planned, Chief Leo Offorji, a UK based legal practitioner and a younger brother of the host, was conspicuously busy making sure that their guests would receive the best reception they deserved. The people who attended the chieftaincy installation party of Chief and Chief Mrs Sabastine Offorji indeed got their time’s worth as every guest present at the event got the ultimate satisfaction the event could offer.
Umuaka Times local affairs correspondents who covered the event can satisfactorily ascertain that the chieftaincy installation ceremony of the Offorjis was indeed one of the best events of New Year celebration in Umuaka.
