The month long funeral rites for His Serene Majesty, King Prof. T.J.T Princewill, Amachree XI. the Amanyanabo and Natural Ruler of Kalabari kingdom of Rivers State came to its crest on Wednesday 29 and Thursday 30th November, 2023.
The corpse of the revered king took off from Abonnema Wharf with lavishly furnished boats, multitude of people, cultural dances and regattas enroute Abonnema Wharf to Buguma City the traditional headquarters of Kalabari kingdom.
The burial had a lecture in honour of the late king on Saturday November 25th 2023 at the King Amachree Memorial Hall Buguma with the topic “Identity Constructs and Formation: Their implications for unity in the evolution of Kalabari History” by Prof. Waibinte Wariboko. Due to the enormous insight given by the lecturer, the chief mourner prince Tonye Princewill promised to devote twenty million naira yearly to organise the “Kalabari Lecture”.
In his address at the funeral, Gov. Siminalayi Joseph Fubara, said, “Kings don’t die, but what they do, they transit to become ancestors. So, we are here to lead our great monarch to join his ancestors”.
The Rivers State governor told the tumultuous crowd Buguma City that it has been a very difficult period, and that the government cannot achieve in an environment of chaos. We cannot grow our state to our aspiration when there is trouble but only advance to that our dream State in a peaceful environment. “It’s important I say this, peace is the only instrument that can bring development. Be peaceful, not after the full transition of our monarch you start fighting. Please, ensure peace, even in the process that is going to commence after this moment.”
The Rivers State governor used the carnival-like occasion to charge Rivers people not to lose hope in the face of challenges. “Let me also say here, our people should not lose hope. The only thing that keeps a man moving is when you have hope and by the special grace of God, we have a system presently from the federal government that is giving us hope- Renewed Hope Agenda; we will continue to key in to it. We will give you every reason to believe that tomorrow is going to be better for everyone of us.”
Governor Fubara, assured the people that he shall cooperate with and support the Kalabari people “If there is anything, they should feel very free to call me as a person or as a government.”
Sir Fubara, thanked the family for working together with the Kalabari Kingdom to see that this burial after so many years of waiting finally came to fulfilment. “I want to thank the people of Kalabari for all the cooperation given to all the units to ensure that this event is holding today against every prediction. For me as the governor representing you, the governor of our dear state, I won’t disappoint you but want to urge you to be peaceful.
The burial had notable personalities in attendance, National Point secured a moment with some despite their very tight schedule.
The leader of the Niger Delta Peoples Volunteer Force NDPVF, Alhaji Mujaheed Asari Dokubo, criticized the church service held for the burial of the king.
” I don’t want to talk about tradition and custom because tradition and custom can be misinterpreted. What we do here is our way of life; when the people forget who they are they are lost and close to extinction. All over the world global organizations are fighting for the preservation of languages and other forms of interactions; but if you come back home now, you find out that a lot of people have departed from the ways of our fathers. For instance, now they are holding church service; it is wrong, we ought not to hold church service as there is no basis for it, this is disrupting the traditional process we ought to carry out.”
Asari Dokubo, while baring his mind on the crisis that rocked Buguma reiterated the fact that society is dynamic. “The change that came was not good for our people; cultism and gangsterism took center stage in our day- to- day lives; Buguma and Kalabari was the epicentre of these cult activities. “Society is very dynamic on our people, the changes was not good for our people. Cultism and gangsterism took center stage in our day-to- day lives. Buguma and Kalabari were among the epicentres of these cult activities and a lot of valuables where destroyed, people stopped coming home and we are now struggling to make sure that people start coming home.
“Most recently our roads became insecure, but that has been put to a stop. “Our roads are now secured. Before it was difficult for people to ply the Emohua-Degema- Kalabari road as people were been kidnapped, raped and killed but for the past one year this is no longer happening because the people resolved that this must stop”.
The co-Chairman of the central working committee and a prominent Kalabari son Chief (Dr.) David Briggs said the king’s death has opened the way in Kalabari history for the beginning of another era. The joyous David Briggs, said the people have not been unified in this manner. Kalabari sons and daughters all over the globe proudly came together to bury their monarch in an extraordinary manner.
On his part, the founder and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Belema Oil Tein Jackrich (CON) said, “The most important point is to take advantage of this celebration to further unite our dear Kalabari people, Rivers State, Niger Delta and Nigeria at large because the king we are all here to celebrate represented the unity of the people.
“He wasn’t just the custodian of the culture and custom of the people but he was a father to all of us. He encouraged the youths in diversity and gave them the platform to showcase all they represent and his exit serves as a clarion call to every Kalabari son, daughter and Nigerians to think of this great man’s effort in ensuring the peace and unity of the people be it politics, socials and economy.”
The business mogul, eulogized King Princewill, saying he represented love, unity, understanding and capacity which is the most important instrument of societal recreation, that is why people from all over the world are here to pay their last respects”.
Explaining the relationship that existed between him and the monarch, the presidential aspirant in the 2023 general election on the platform of All Progressive Congress ( APC) said the late king took him as one of his sons and also took him like one that should be encouraged as well as others and prayed that the king that will come after him, will lean on his legacies to ensure the unity of the Kalabari people, unity of Rivers people and also the political sustainability of the ancient landmark built by the forebears of Kalabari land.
Comrade Edward Asiki Tams, Chairman Ijaw Youth Council Kalabari Se-kpangi who could not contain his excitement as the carnival continued said: “Today is a very historic day because I’m over three decades and this is the first time I am participating in the funeral of the Amanyanabo of Kalabari. As Chairman of Ijaw Youth Council Kalabari Se-kpangi it is important we join other Ijaw Illustrious sons and daughters to mark the funeral of our very erudite and outstanding monarch who in his life time as the traditional head of Kalabari Kingdom, brought peace and has given so much respect and honour to the Kalabari stool.”
He has always in his lifetime stood for the common interest of the Kalabari people, respecting and honouring our tradition. We therefore, ask all other traditional rulers in Ijaw Nation especially in Kalabari land to emulate the outstanding leadership style of the late monarch.
“I recall, in the time past, the various Amanyanabo in Kalabari were called Amadapu but because of his magnanimity, liberal life style, he gave them the opportunity to bear Amanyanabo. So, he was addressed as His Serene Majesty to differentiate the Kalabari stool from the other stools in our Kalabari kingdom.
The burial had in attendance Gov. Siminalayi Fubara, Deputy Gov. Prof. Ngozi Mma Odu, Dame Patience Jonathan wife of the former president Federal Republic of Nigeria, Tonye Patrick Cole, Engr Tele Ikuru, Sen. Ben Murray-Bruce, Sen. Lee Maeba, Prof. Benjamin Okaba, Ijaw Nation Congress INC, Traditional Rulers, Bishops, Clergies, politicians, Captains of industry, cultural groups, tourists, all graced the funeral rites of His Serene Majesty King Prof. T.J.T. Princewill. Amachree XI.
