Kalabari Is Unified In Burying Their Monarch – Prince Tonye Princewill

As preparations to give the Amanyanabo of Kalabari Kingdom His Serene Majesty, King Prof.T.J.T. Princewill, Amachree XI, a befitting burial gather steam, Buguma, the traditional headquarters of Kalabari Kingdom is agog with preparatory festivities including dances, songs and traditional rallies.
Renovation is ongoing at the late king’s palace and King Abbi Memorial Hall. The Kalabari monarch died over 3 years ago.
The month-long passage rites which, have commenced in earnest saw the traditional Sekiapu display of Kalabari on Wednesday 15 November, 2023.
National Point was on ground to interact with the people and capture moments on camera.
The son of the late king. Prince Tonye Princewill, who was seen with some members of the burial committee inspecting the level of renovation work done said “We have a sense of duty, purpose and we are here to see the architectural works that need to be done because we are looking forward to not just hosting Kalabari Kingdom but, Nigeria and security is also a top priority. The burial of the king is a collective responsibility and surprisingly we are unified in Kalabari Kingdom in burying our king”.
‘My late father will be given a traditional burial and the state will be involved in the burial process,’ Princewill hinted.
Also, the co-chairman of the burial committee Chief David Briggs, told this medium that, ‘The burial readiness for Late King Prof. T.J.T. Princewill, has gone up to 70 percent. The remaining is execution but, we are very impressed with the preparations’.
Adding that, ‘ If we have not done very well, there are people who are not just onlookers and are watching our back. For now, we are yet to receive any query and the committee has not received any indictment meaning we are dancing well, working well, and we are keeping to the expectations of those who set up the committee which is the Kalabari Council of Chiefs’.
Chief Briggs, debunked insinuations that human sacrifices will be offered during the burial.
“No!. There won’t be any human sacrifice.Our departed king was a godly man but respect for culture we are having a mixture of Christian and traditional burial rites, the traditional is not fetish.”
On his part, Chief Amachree Flagg Amachree, told this medium that Buguma,the traditional headquarters of Kalabari Kingdom is agog as the burial rites of the Amanyanabo of Kalabari have started.”Everybody is happy. Our king has stayed in the mortuary for over 3 years and at this point we need to give him a befitting burial and proceed on getting a new king that will succeed him”
He eulogized the late king as a peaceful man and a unifier.
Sharing reminiscenses on the noted humility of the late Amanyanabo of Kalabari Kingdom.the late king’s secretary, Chief Tamunoturoko Prince Dateme, said that King Princewill was a man even in the face of provocation to a point where people around him would say,’ Father, what is happening? He would tell them not to act wrongly;he had velvet humility and that is why you see every person in the Kalabari kingdom is out to make sure they give him a befitting burial. The late king of Kalabari was known as a king with velvet humility.He talked about the unity of Kalabari kingdom.he always said he preferred to be the first in a united Kalabari kingdom, than the first in a divided Kalabari kingdom and because of that, he gave a lot of concessions so that, the Kalabari kingdom would come together. But, most of the concessions never received a positive response for the unity of Kalabari kingdom.The hitches the late monarch faced, there a conference that held in 2006, where the Kalabari people sat and agreed that the Amanyanabo is the head of Kalabari Kingdom and they said for them to be united what they want is that all the Kalabari communities their kings should bear Amanyanabo but the Amanyanabo of Kalabari is only referred to him in the meeting. The gathering also said they want Kalabari National Assembly meetings to rotate in all the towns and villages of Kalabari. The Amanyanabo agreed because he wanted to visit all the towns in Kalabari during his reign before he will die. But what caused disagreement was when they said when the meeting is holding out side Buguma, the traditional headquarters of Kalabari the Amanyanabo will not superintend the meeting rather, it should be the king of the host community and that didn’t go down well.When Kalabari people are meeting for a Kalabari cause there should be nobody above the Amanyanabo of Kalabari. If not for that disagreement,we would have gotten the unity of Kalabari he wanted “.
This publication spoke with the Chief Priest of Kalabari land, Kingmate Ibiala, who said, ‘ As you can see I have started the traditional burial rites of King Prof.T.J.T. Princewill, Amachree XI. In Kalabari,we have our ways of burying our kings.We are in Akaso jetty performing the rituals. Akaso is the supreme goddess of Kalabari kingdom. She owns the 32 towns and villages of Kalabari kingdom including Elem-Kalabari. On the day of the burial there will be krimani’.
Speaking on the mode of succession, the Akasolabo of Kalabari kingdom narrates,when the Amachree X died, the Kalabari kingdom came together (sekobri) and gave the royal house three months to produce a king which brought King Prof.T.J.T. Princewill. T he royal house will appoint who will become the king and the final stage will be in Akaso shrine where the chief priest perform his rituals and confirm him the king of Kalabari kingdom ”
In Kalabari,we spread the news of the demise of our king through Kala-oku informing them of his death and when it is time for the burial, we send opu-oku. By this, we are informing them that the burial of the king has been slated’.
Baring his mind on the reign of King Prof.T.J.T Princewill, Amachree XI,the chief priest of Kalabari land said ‘His Serene Majesty was a peaceful man and we experienced education more in Kalabari land. He introduced King Abbe Amachree memorial lecture.He was gathering the whole sons and daughters of Kalabari in King Amachree memorial hall to lecture them and how the Kalabari’s defeated her enemies and would want the next king that will succeed him to follow his foot print and perform more than him’.