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Pulse Opinion: My dad just became a chief. Here’s what I learnt from the experience

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King and chiefs (Illustration)

Every Nollywood movie that had to do with battles involving thrones were never just fictions of the writer’s imaginations.

Have you ever wondered what the big deal was about being a king in the modern day world?

What their place was and what the hassle was all about?

Why blood brothers turned to enemies, why families fought and killed each other for a throne, in the 21 century no less?

Every Nollywood movie that had to do with battles involving thrones were never just fictions of the writer’s imaginations, but inspired by the reality that Kings are richer than your wildest imaginations.

 

Allow me to explain.

I travelled home for my dad’s coronation as the “Erhon Ovie of Ughelli Kingdom and the Unu Ovie of Ughrovie kingdom. He will be the first chief in 64 years in my village.

Don’t get me started on Chieftaincy titles and their financial implications.

Driving past the palace that thronged with people from all works of life as the king celebrated the 25 anniversary of his coronation, and seeing the gigantic billboard for the week long event, I remember thinking to myself and wondering how kings stay afloat financially.

How ignorant of me.

As soon as I got home, I brought up the subject and at the end of my education, I was already considering becoming the king’s fourth wife.

 

The King of Ughelli kingdom, HRM Ajuvwe Dr. Wilson Ojakovo Oharisi, the 3rd, is 64-years-old.

The king allegedly raked in roughly N10 million on the chieftaincy fee alone.

To become a chief in Ughelli kingdom, the following were required:

  1. N350, 000 cash

  2. 10 cartons of assorted drinks

  3. 9 Kolanut

  4. 9 Alligator pepper

  5. 3 bottles of wine

  6. 9 bitter kola

  7. 2 cans of powder

  8. 2 Gordon’s dry gin

  9. 3 Gordon’s dry gin (this isn’t a typo)

  10. 3 Brandy

  11. White textile material

 

It should be noted that the initial number of men to be coroneted for various titles during the coronation was 35, but as of Wednesday, April 26,it  had risen to 50.

Of the N350, 000 paid by these chief-to-bes, N200, 000 goes to the kings account, adding up to a whooping  N10 million  while N100, 000 goes to the planning committee, (all of whom are chiefs) and the balance 50, 000 paid for the coronation material.

Speaking with my dad about this, he had this to say:

“N350, 000 is paid by each awardee. N50, 000 covers four pieces of the coronation wrapper, six yards each.

“Of the N300, 000, N200, 000 goes to Ajuwe while 100, 000 goes to the coronation planning committee for part of their expenses.

“The awardees are then screened, first by the Chieftaincy awarding sub-committee. At that point, each awardee produces, one bottle of Gordon Dry gin, Kolanut, Bitter kola, and supports the Kola with N5000.

“After that screening, successful, potential awardees are now presented to Ajuwe. During the presentation, Ajuwe will entertain the awardees collectively, after which the awardees will now present a payback entertainment to the king, which must be double whatever the king gave.

“Besides that, every awardee is called up to meet one on one with the king for introduction, stating his actual names, his community of origin, his alliance aka name. Then he is required to present a bottle of dry gin to the king, supported with cash ranging from N1000 to N10, 000 each depending on the individual.

“That marks the end of the screening and confirmation.”

 

He adds, “On the day of awarding the chieftaincy title, individual awardees come into the presence of the king with his supporters and community folks. The king will then entertain them with a bottle of dry gin, cartons of beer and water, kolanut, bitter kola, and support it with N10, 000.

“The chiefs present will now support the cash entertainment of the king for the awardees. In return, the awardee will present to the king drinks, kolanut and support the kolanut with N20, 000, which is double what the king gave.

“And then his community folks who followed him to the palace will all support. After that, the king will now award the awardee the insignia of a chief which is called in Uhrobo language, “Aghighor” and pronounces him an Olorogun of Ughelli kingdom, carrying with it all privileges and responsibilities to the king, to the palace, to the kingdom and to all.”

Of the recorded amount, this does not include the gifts the king will be receiving from every single community in the town which are about 22 in number.

These gifts vary in size but must include cash.

Apart from these, there is the part of “supporting” which is done with cash by every single individual present at the occasion, an occasion that runs for seven days.

If you are fairly good with maths, by now, you must have an idea of just how rich the king must be.

Still wondering why that hot, young girl, got married to  a 60+  old king, as his fifth wife no less?

Now you know.



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