The Orodje of Okpe Kingdom in Delta State is set to celebrate his 20th anniversary on the throne with a two-week programme of cultural activities, chieftaincy ceremonies, sporting events, awards, a state banquet and thanksgiving service.
The anniversary programme, scheduled for November 13 to 25, will take place across Orerokpe and Sapele, bringing together traditional institutions, community leaders, indigenes and residents to commemorate two decades of the monarch’s reign.
The celebration will commence on Friday, November 13, with a prayer session organised by the Okpe Christian Assembly at Udogun Hall, Orerokpe. This will be followed by a press briefing by the Unu-Okpe of Okpe Kingdom at Dafinone Hall.
A golf tournament in honour of the monarch will hold on Saturday, November 14, at the Sapele Athletic Club, with prizes and awards presented to participants later in the day.
The programme will continue on Monday, November 16, with a chieftaincy seminar for prospective Ekakuro and Ehowore at Dafinone Hall.
On Tuesday, November 17, a command performance of the drama, The Yoke, will be staged at Udogun Hall, followed by the presentation of awards to distinguished sons and daughters of Okpe Kingdom.
The celebration will assume a strong cultural and sporting dimension on Wednesday, November 18, with the finals of a football competition, as well as float and cultural displays by the kingdom’s 13 districts at Sapele Township Stadium.
A major highlight of the anniversary will be the conferment of chieftaincy titles on Thursday, November 19, and Friday, November 20, at Udogun Hall, Orerokpe.
The activities will continue on Saturday, November 21, with a state banquet in honour of the Orodje at the Palace Pavilion, Orerokpe, alongside a cultural display in Sapele.
The anniversary will culminate in a thanksgiving service at St. William’s Catholic Church on Sunday, November 22, followed by traditional homage ceremonies.
Orodje Leads Kingdom-Wide Familiarisation Tour
Ahead of the anniversary, the monarch has embarked on a kingdom-wide familiarisation tour from his palace in Orerokpe, visiting Amukpe, Aragba, Aghalokpe, Ugborhen, Ozue, Elume, Sapele, Ugolo and Emereje districts.
The tour is aimed at strengthening ties with his subjects, engaging directly with communities and gaining firsthand knowledge of their concerns and challenges.
During the tour, the Orodje reiterated his call for the people of Okpe Kingdom to protect their ancestral lands, urging them to discontinue the indiscriminate sale of family and ancestral property and instead embrace land leasing arrangements.
The monarch also admonished his subjects to shun hard drugs, stressing the need to protect the future of the kingdom and its younger generation.
The newly conferred Ekakuro and Ehowore are scheduled to pay homage to the monarch on Tuesday, November 24, while the Four Ruling Houses and other groups are expected to pay homage on Wednesday, November 25.
The anniversary programme was signed by Chief Michael Affe, JP, and Chief Akpobecha O. Napoleon.