By Tony Okafor, Awka
The traditional ruler of Nnewi, Anambra State, Igwe Kenneth Onyeneke Orizu III, has attained the age of 101, marking another milestone in a remarkable traditional leadership career spanning 63 years.
The monarch, who ascended the throne on February 6, 1963, and was formally crowned on June 2 of the same year, is widely regarded as one of Nigeria’s longest-serving traditional rulers.
To commemorate the milestone, members of the royal family, the Nnewi Royal Cabinet and other indigenes of the community are expected to converge on his palace on Friday for a church service to thank God for his longevity and continued good health.
A tribute to the monarch by a Lagos-based corporate and investment banker, Chief Anayo Matthew Nwosu, described Igwe Orizu’s physical and mental fitness at 101 as remarkable, noting that his advanced age had not diminished his intellectual sharpness, wisdom and capacity to handle traditional responsibilities.
According to Nwosu, the monarch continues to attend to matters requiring his intervention, including the adjudication of cultural disputes, mediation and the resolution of sensitive community issues.
He attributed the monarch’s longevity and apparent resilience to his temperament, patience and non-confrontational approach to disagreements, as well as his ability to navigate difficult situations without allowing them to undermine his leadership.
The banker noted that Igwe Orizu had presided over a significant period in Nnewi’s history, witnessing the transformation of the community from a traditionally fragmented settlement into one of Nigeria’s leading industrial and commercial centres.
He said the monarch had not only sustained the traditional leadership legacy inherited from his predecessors but had also helped consolidate unity among the constituent communities that make up Nnewi.
Nwosu described the monarch as an embodiment of Nnewi’s historical identity, tracing his ancestry through a succession of traditional rulers dating back to Mazi Nnewi, after whom the community was named.
According to the historical account in the tribute, the Nnewi royal lineage passed through several generations of rulers, including Digbo, Otolo, Enem, Nnofor, Udude, Ezeagha and Ezeoguine, before eventually reaching the Orizu dynasty.
The account also highlighted the exploits of Ezeoguine, described as one of the most influential pre-colonial rulers of Nnewi, whose reign was characterised by military expansion and the consolidation of the community’s influence.
The arrival of British colonial forces subsequently changed the traditional and political landscape of Nnewi, bringing an end to the inter-community wars that had previously characterised the period.
The tribute noted that Ezeugbonyimba, later known as Orizu I, recognised the importance of Western education and ensured that his son, Josiah, subsequently Orizu II, received formal education and embraced Christianity.
Josiah Orizu later became the father of the present monarch, Kenneth Orizu III.
One of the defining moments of the present monarch’s reign, according to Nwosu, was his decision to relinquish the title of Obi Nnewi in favour of a more conciliatory traditional arrangement at a time when disagreements over the title threatened the unity of the community.
The decision, he said, demonstrated the monarch’s willingness to make personal and institutional sacrifices to preserve peace and prevent divisions within Nnewi.
Nwosu maintained that the relative unity enjoyed by the community today was partly a product of the monarch’s steady leadership and commitment to keeping the different sections of Nnewi together.
He observed that Nnewi’s emergence as a major commercial and industrial hub was also made possible by the enterprise and achievements of its people, whose accomplishments across different sectors had given the town national and international recognition.
The banker further described Igwe Orizu as a living link between the historical foundations of Nnewi and its contemporary achievements, noting that the monarch’s long reign had provided continuity through different political, social and economic periods in Nigeria’s history.
At 101, Igwe Orizu’s reign represents an extraordinary chapter in the traditional history of Nnewi, having spanned the colonial era, Nigeria’s independence, the Civil War, successive military administrations and the country’s current democratic dispensation.
Nwosu, who described the monarch as his uncle, concluded his tribute by expressing gratitude for his life and continued service to Nnewi, praying for more years of good health for the traditional ruler.
