Okey Maduforo 
He has been on the throne of his Ancestors for 47 Years and is 97 years of age . OKEY MADUFORO reports the celebration of accomplishment of Igwe Felix Ekemezie Ebelendu of Aguluezechukwu kingdom in the service for his people.
The farmlands cut the picture of emptiness and the homes were desolate as the people of Agu- luezechukwu fled their home- stead and not even the pet dogs and local poultry farms were speared. Scores of dead bodies dotted the entire landscape of the community as the air raid by the federal forces had decimated the land marks of the town. It was the Nigerian Civil War and Aguluezechukwu town belonged to the defunct Biafran Republic and one of the major camps of the Biafran forces in the Old Aguata Region now Aguata, Orumba North and South local govern- ment areas. At the makeshift camps of war displaced people the cries and brooding of women and children could be heard from afar occasioned by the deadly marasmus and kwashioko caused by malnutrition and malaria while cholera pandemic had taken over what was left of the victims of the attack by the federal forces.
The camp was indeed just not enough to accommodate the war refugees hence the community searched desperately for an complementary camp without end . Then on that fateful evening two trucks found it’s way to Agulueze- chukwu town taking the bush paths and avoiding the sustained attacks by the federal forces. He got down from one of the trucks to the camp and behold he was a son of the soil working in a distant land and he came with relief materials which included food items, blankets and medicaments for his people. Two day later he was obviously overwhelmed by the surging crowd of displaced villagers who on getting the wind of his assistance relocated from their hiding places in the woods to benefit from his kindness.
Swiftly he converted part of his large compound to yet another camp of dis- placed people hence providing another camp for the war refugees. This lasted until the end of the Civil War and the stories about the civil war in Aguluezechukwu cannot be told without creating chapters for Igwe Felix Ekemezie Ebelendu the Nnanyelugo of Aguluezechukwu in Aguata local gov- ernment area of Anambra state. Shortly after the war he returned back to his work place at Shell BP Port Harcourt now Rivers state as a land Officer Manager in the department of Lands and Legal where he was in charge of lands owned by the oil producing Communities. Seven years after the Civil War the throne of Aguluezechukwu kingdom became vacant and the town was in search of a Monarch and it became a task for the town chosing between Ebelendu and Chief John Okoye who would lead them as Igwe.
It was indeed a pay back period for the people of Aguluezechukwu and they elected him Felix Ekemezie Ebelendu as the Igwe of the town in view of his pivotal roles in providing succour for his kit and kin while his rival was later elected as a member of the then Federal House of Representatives Lagos. Forty seven years on, his subjects chose to hold his median Ofala festival recently while at the age of 97 apparently to put him on song across the Globe . He is the second oldest Monarch in Anambra state after Igwe Kenneth Orizu of Nnewi Kingdom who has been 53 years on the throne. Igwe Ebelendu recalled those days of the Civil War noting that there is nothing one can do in that present circum- stances but to provide whatever that is available for the people.
“First of all I am a son of Agulueze- chukwu and it is my duty to work and help my people and that was what I did then and I am still doing and that is what I call Community service a service to humanity and posterity and tody I am the traditional Ruler of my community and it is not by sudden flight but a product of service to my people” he said He also recalled the statement he made when he was elected the Igwe of the community. “I never dreamt to be the king .it was never in my plan . I was sought for by my people and God made me King . Therefore the most memorable aspect of Kingship is that it must be ordained by God ” “Every experience as a Monarch is memorable as 47 years are not 47 days . My reign has witnessed much turbulence but God navigated me through.
It is not easy to rule over self or family not to talk of people from diverse backgrounds and professionals . But most remarkable is peace and unity of my kingdom. Aguluezechukwu people are the most enlightened sophisticated and intelligent people in the world . They can disagree on any slightest provocation but they easily adopt peaceful resolution ” he said. On that day the Aguluezechukwu stood still as the Igwe and his Royal cabinet made their prestigious dance into the arena while the villagers exchanged cheers and complements. As Igwe made his way to his Royal seat his cabinet members flanked him while the cultural drums took the center stage of activities eulogizing him and saluting his graceful reign on the throne of Aguluezechukwu town .
Among those that received Chieftaincy title was the former Inspector General of Police Mike Okiro who incidentally was a Divisional Police Officer DPO in the Old Aguata Region. According to Igwe Felix Ekemezie Ebelendu”Mike Okiro is like a son of Aguata and indeed the Old Aguata Region and he leaved in our midst and at some point we did not see him as a foreigner but as our kinsman ” “While he was here as DPO he was able to fight crime and criminality not just because he was a policeman but because of his disposition to cases and matters concerning the communities in Aguata, Orumba South and Orumba North and as it were it was one local government area ” he said Also the first female governor of Anambra state Dame Virgy Etiaba was also honored for good governance and Infrastructural development in the area with countless of roads constructed while in office.
President General of Aguluezechukwu Improvement Union Mr Ezejiofor Anthony Obiagwu described the Igwe as one who has never left anyone behind in the discharge of his duties adding that against the belief in several quarters that Town Unions are always at war with Monarch’s , his relationship with the Monarch is a kind of father and adding that this had brought peace to the com- munity. Former Chairman Aguate local government area and an industrialist Chief Titus Anigbogu the Ugwumba of Aguata recalled his relationship with the Monarch noting that Ebelendu has remained a reference point in the area of governing and upholding the traditional institution.
“He brought light of development to this part of Anambra state and in the hospitality business which I am into he was the first person to build a hotel and recreation facilities in this place and it was the flagship of development in the Old Aguata Region” he noted Chairman Ofala planning committee Sir Ikenna Oguejiofor explained that the committee took pains to understudy the profiles of the recipients of the Chieftaincy titles adding that the template was based on service to humanity and contributions to the socioeconomic development of the town. Oguejiofor noted that Igwe Felix Ekemezie Ebelendu deserves a grand Ofala festival as part of commendation for his fatherly role in putting the town in the Community hall of Fame.
Head of Publicity for the Ofala festival and staff of the Arise Television Mr Ozi Okoli noted that it has become expedient for a people the celebrate their own while they are alive adding that the society has come short of celebrating their leaders while alive but chose to do so when they gone . “For us in Aguluezechukwu Community it is a moment of stuck checking an Igwe Felix Ekemezie Ebelendu is the first and his Ofala festival should be a point of departure for sons and daughters of our community to always remember home at all times ” he noted.
