The Amanyanabo of Opobo Kingdom, His Majesty King Charles Douglas Jaja, has inaugurated 21 sub-committees to commence preparations for the coronation of the sixth King and Amanyanabo of Opobo Kingdom, while warning the public against misinformation surrounding the event.
Speaking during the inauguration ceremony held on Tuesday in Port Harcourt, King Jaja dismissed social media reports claiming that dates had already been fixed for the coronation, describing the publications as false and misleading.
He urged members of the public to disregard the fake reports and await official communication from the appropriate authorities.
“The kingdom has not announced any date for the coronation. I urge everyone to ignore the false information circulating on social media and wait for the proper authority to make the proclamation,” the monarch said.
Charging members of the newly inaugurated committees, King Jaja stressed that the coronation would attract global attention and, therefore, must be organised to the highest international standards.
“The membership of the committees was deliberately and carefully selected by the Alapu Council of Opobo Kingdom. The council therefore expects nothing but the best from you all,” he said.
Describing the assignment as a historic responsibility, the monarch reminded the committee members that the success of the coronation would shape the kingdom’s legacy for generations.
“The coronation is a global affair. History will not forgive us if we do not surpass the standards already set in this direction,” he stated, adding that the appointments should be seen as a call to uphold the rich traditions and enduring heritage of the Opobo Kingdom.
King Jaja directed the various committees to begin work immediately and submit their programmes of activities and budgets to the Alapu Council and the Central Planning Committee within two weeks for consideration and approval.
The committees inaugurated include the Central Planning Committee, Finance Committee, Fundraising/Sponsorship Committee, Cultural and Traditional Rites Committee, Contact Protocol, Diplomacy and Government Relations Committee, Media, Publicity and Digital Archives Committee, Literary, Documentation and Digital Archive Committee, Special Committee for Opobo Women Welfare, Church Committee, Sanitation Committee, and the Medical and Emergency Response Committee, among others.
Responding on behalf of the committee members, Professor Kennedy Wariso of the Medical and Emergency Response Committee expressed appreciation to the monarch and the Alapu Council for the confidence reposed in them.
He assured the king of the committees’ commitment to delivering a coronation ceremony that would set a new benchmark for excellence.
“We appreciate this confidence and assure His Majesty and the Alapu Council that we will work diligently to ensure that this coronation becomes the best ever in the history of the kingdom,” Wariso said.
