The Triumphant Exit of Eze Samuel Anyanwoke.
4 min read
The ancient town of Nsukwe Ubakala in Umuahia South LGA of Abia State opened her hands last week Thursday being 18 April 2024 to receive visitors from far and near. The event was the celebration of life and the home coming of the royal father of the community, the late HRH Eze Samuel Iheukwumere Anyanwoke, the Isiala 1 of Nsukwe Ubakala in Abia State. Although the date in question was the second day of events marked for the celebration of the life of the royal father, still the event recorded a highly sizable number of persons who attended the ceremony in preparation for the burial event which has been planned to come up the following day in his palace being Friday 19 April 2024.
First, as early as 10 am on the eventful day, the kinsmen and women of the community, their friends, neighbours well-wishers extended family relations, Nsukwe elders, youths and Council of Chiefs had gathered at the palace of the royal sage to pay their last respect to the fallen champion of truth and justice in the community.
About an hour later, more than 70 percent of the people were on their way to the mortuary of Federal Medical Centre Umuahia where the remains of the highly distinguished monarch were kept. The motorcade included dancers and other forms of entertainment gurus who came to spice up the final journey of the man who lived for 101 years. In fact, the event completely wore the color of a carnival where the people had come to be part of. At the mortuary, some chieftaincy title holders of Nsukwe were already waiting for the family, ambulance and other stakeholders to issue their directive on what to do. Soon, the motorcade arrived with some members of Eze Anyanwoke’s family. In few minutes time, the remains of the royal father were brought out and wheeled into the waiting ambulance after some top men and elders of Nsukwe had performed their normal funeral rituals.
As the motorcade hit the road, the youths of the community who brought several masquerade dances blocked the road against any form of traffic. As they blocked the road, they were war songs to signify that a great warrior has gone. When Umuaka Times inquired to know why, the newspaper was informed that it was the tradition of the youths to accord their Eze the last respect. This caused a heavy traffic logjam as vehicular movements became highly restricted along the road. For close to an hour, the traffic was almost immovable as the youths and the dance groups took over the electrifying atmosphere to sing and dance for the last time for their Eze.
When the road was finally cleared for traffic, the journey of the late monarch began again. The first place the motorcade visited was the headquarters of Umuahia South LGA where traditional rulers in the local council were already waiting to receive their royal colleague. Soon, the motorcade arrived at the local council headquarters and both the officials of the local council and the staff joined the royal fathers in receiving the remains of the late Eze. The royal fathers came out of the mini hall where they were waiting and made some prayers and the corpse of the late Eze was wheeled into the hall for more rituals as the culture and tradition of the people demanded.
Turn by turn the royal fathers and other top officials of the council took time to talk about the life and times of the royal sage, HRH Eze Samuel Iheukwumere Anyanwoke. By the end of their speeches came the presentation of kola nuts to the guests who attended the ceremony. After sharing the kola nuts and announcing a final goodbye to the late monarch, the journey again kicked off and this time around, to Ubakala Town Hall which was a stone throw from the LGA headquarters. At the town hall, the repeat of the events that took place at the local council took place and at the end of it, the remains of the royal father again hit the road to Nsukwe Town Hall for his people to witness and accord him their own respect. It was at this place that a little rain began to drop after the casket containing the royal father was wheeled into the hall. Many saw the rain as a good omen which symbolized that the heavens and the gods of the land were happy over the soul of their beloved son.
The ceremonies at the Nsukwe Town Hall came to an end after about an hour and the journey began again to Umuezike community, the late royal father’s maternal home. This was the last place the royal body of HRH Eze Samuel Iheukwumere Anyanwoke was taken to before he was finally taken to his palace. By the time his remains arrived home, another rain fell and signalized the triumphant home coming of the monarch who lived for 101 eventful years. By the end of the little rain drops, the body of the Eze was then taken into his palace for the night. When this was done, people then went to their different homes to prepare for the royal wake keep.
