ACCEPTANCE SPEECH BY H.R.H OBOL SUNDAY OBONO OKOI

THE OBOL LOPON OF MKPANI, H.R.H OBOL SUNDAY OBONO OKOI. BELOW IS HIS ACCEPTANCE SPEECH.


ACCEPTANCE SPEECH BY THE OBOL LOPON OF MKPANI, H.R.H. OBOL SUNDAY OBONO OKOI ON THE OCCASION OF HIS CORONATION ON THE 18TH DAY OF FEBRUARY, 2012

His Excellency
Senator Liyel Imoke (CON)

His Excellency Chief Clement Ebri (CON)
Former Governor of Cross River State

The Senate Leader
Senator Victor Ndoma Egba (SAN)

The Paramount Ruler
Yakurr Local Government
His Royal Majesty Obol Ubi Ujong Inah

Distinguish Ladies and Gentlemen
All Protocol Observed.
Your Excellency, Distinguish Ladies and Gentlemen, after the passing away of the Obol Lopon of Mkpani, Obol Inyang Ofem Bassey on the 11th day of July 2010, I was approached by the Kingmakers of our respected Leboljimoh Royal Family, the ruling house of Mkpani to ascend to the throne of kingship of this great land in compliance with the Yakurr and Mkpani tradition.

My decision to accept the duties and responsibilities of Obol Lopon is out of love and patriotism for this great community. You will all agree with me that it is not easy for a young man who has struggle independently to carve a niche for himself in the society by single handedly training himself through the University and rearing to go on for a master’s programme to abandon such course and accept to be sequestered within this community.

As the Obol Lopon I will always in good time as well as in trying times advance and protect the interest of my people as well as that of the community in general and shall not allow my personal interest to be a stumbling block from doing justice to all. In the days ahead, this new leadership shall be built on passion and patriotism to match the hopes and aspirations of our great people. We shall demonstrate leadership with vision, capacity and sacrifice to transform the community and the traditional institution to respond to the challenges of the emerging global system. These, it is hope, shall cure the propensity for friction during transitional period in our history. We shall in-council also work to encourage a well regulated and conducive environment to promote commerce and peaceful co-existence among all people in Mkpani. We shall not fail to bring our cultural practices and value to the front burner to encourage and promote morals among our youths.

We must strengthen common ground, develop new areas of understanding and collaboration to seek fresh ideas that will enrich our community consciousness. In every decision, I shall always place the common good before all else. The culture of impunity shall be met with the overwhelming force of our collective determination to rid our community of acts of lawlessness and indiscipline. Mkpani of our dreams must observe due processes and best practices and be committed to the promotion of a community base on ideas in the service of humanity, and be engaged with all forces of good to whom the future happiness and prosperity of our people has a greater appeal. This is because the good of Mkpani is a value above all other considerations and we shall brook all odds and make necessary sacrifices to realize our collective goals.

Your Excellencies, Ladies and gentlemen, the journey towards community development and greatness cannot be a solitary walk of any one person. It is a concerted march of all committed patriots joined by a common aspiration, united by vision all embodying a community of feelings for the good of the people.
Therefore, join me to appeal to my people all gathered here to put their hand on the plough in the interest of future generations. I make no pretences that the journey ahead is an easy one; again, I do not claim to have all the ideas neither do I have the resources required but you can always count on my integrity, honesty and dedicated leadership that will promote open and transparent services.

This new leadership shall liaise with all the necessary government agencies and individuals to maintain law and order in the realm. I want to emphasize here that right from origin the people of Mkpani have always desire to maintain peaceful relations with her neigbours, this we must maintain at all time because any other thing will make nonsense of our famed hospitable and accommodating disposition towards strangers. We will also lift our traditional institution from its primordial and primitive background to a modern institution without altering its distinctiveness and peculiarity. This has become imperative against the backdrop of religious and western influences on our youth today and to enable us compete and canvass attention to ourselves in the wider world.

However, to successfully walk these talk, let me place on notice here that the era of indiscriminate capping of village heads has come to an end. Henceforth, until and unless a person has been presented to the Obol Lopon in-council, who ever arrogate to himself the power to perform such rites will face stiff sanctions and the exercise shall be of no effect whatsoever.

There must also be one centralized traditional leaders gathering (Ebolko) strictly for traditional chiefs, Clan Heads, Village Heads and honourary Chiefs. This is to be able to manage and control the vaulting ambition of some individuals who use such forum to peddle mischief in order to advance their selfish cause. Let it be borne in mind that decision making in the community is very clear, there is the Obol Lopon Advisory Council, the Clan Council and the Town Council. So, whoever sit in conclave with others not in the bodies mentioned above and purport to make or implement decision on behave of the community is embarking on a futile exercise.
Finally, my dear people, I stand in humble gratitude to you, this day, haven just been coronated as the 8th Obol Lopon of Mkpani. I thank you for the trust and confidence you have demonstrated through your wide acceptance and support during the process leading to the coronation. I want to assured you all that I will do my utmost best at all time to continue to deserve your trust and confidence.

I will like to specifically acknowledge in our midst today, of their Royal highnesses who have come to share this joyous moment with us. Your Highnesses, I thank you for your solidarity. I also wish to express my gratitude to all the representatives who are here with us. My appreciation also goes to their Excellencies and special guests for finding the time inspite of their busy schedules to be here with us.

To all the members of Leboljimoh Royal Family and other lineages who have demonstrated faith in our traditional enterprise, I also salute you. I equally extend my gratitude to my wife for her prayer and commitment to the course of Mkpani interest. In the same vein, I owe a debt of gratitude to my mother, step-mother and my late father. I cannot thank them enough. The Ekor of Afaben, the oldest in the traditional realm in Yakurr and repository of our tradition deserves a prominent mention. The Okpebri of Mkpani and Obol Oden Dan Ubi, Clan Head of Aduma I salute you both for your maturity and understanding.

Equally too, the Clan Heads of Afaben and Ajere, Chief Omori Ubi and Chief Emmanuel Bassey Ebri, the members of the palace project committee deserve our commendation. I also want to use this moment to express my deepest appreciation to Hon. Bassey Inah Ibor, Hon. Eteng Jonah Williams, Hon. Uket Obono Eno, Mr Ekor Abam, and S.B Enang (KSM) for their untiring effort that has brought Mkpani together as one close knit community. Also worthy of our thanks are; Chief Bassey Obono Ikoi Obol Nkama 1 of Mkpani, Elder Francis Eni Obeten, Mr. Okpa Edet Ikpi and all other patriots who contributed one way or the other in making the palace project a reality.

I present myself as an instrument to unite and not to divide my people, to reconcile all differences, heal all wounds and once more set Mkpani on the path to sustainable development. And I promise to represent all interest willing to lift Mkpani to greater height. I commit to make God the centre piece of this campaign. It is my fervent prayer that the Almighty God will spur all of us to work together to execute the task ahead.
Thank you and may God Almighty grant you journey mercy.