•The Story Of OHINOYI Of Ebiraland
The Ohinoyi of Ebiraland is the traditional ruler of the Ebira people. His Royal Majesty, Alhaji Dr. Ado Ibrahim is one of the oldest ruling kings in Nigeria. He is 95 years old and has reigned as the King for 25 years. His Palace is rated as one of the most beautiful palaces in West Africa. It serves as a political, historic, traditional and religious power house for the Ebira people. There is no specific time to visit the Palace because it is always open to everybody.
He was born on 7th February 1929 obtained a Bsc in Economics from London School of Economics and MBA from Havard Business school in 1959. He has been the ruler of Ebiraland since 2nd of June 1979 and he rules Ebiraland from his marvelous, magnificient and world class palace “AZAD PALACE” named after his son and it is considered one of the most beautiful palaces in Nigeria and West Africa as a whole.
There are some certain things which stand Ohinoyin of Ebiraland out of many Kings most especially in Nigeria. He maintains a very cordial relationship with his people. He operates an open door policy, where his subjects freely walk into his palace to see him and discuss issues with him without going through unecessary protocols.
This very energetic and reliable king, ever since he became the King never waits for politicians before getting for his people what they need from government. Despite his age, he stands up on his feet and visits the necessary government agency to get results for his people.
Take for example, before he ascended the throne. Ajaokuta was part of Ebiraland during his father’s reign. But somehow, the late Attah of Igala pleaded with the Sardauna and appointed some people into offices in the area and those offices were never available in Ebiraland. Eventually part of Ajaokuta land was ceded to the Igala by some Ebira politicians who did that to compensate Attah Igala for helping them gain some offices with Sardauna. But when Ado Ibrahim ascended the throne, he got all the papers ready, met with the then governor Alhaji Audu and the Igala king Attah of Igala land. He practically fought and with the right documents to back up his claims, he was able to get Ajaokuta back for Ebira people.
Most people have often described the Ohinoyi of Ebiraland as the wisest and most courageous of all and a pride of all the indigenes of Ebiraland. This explains why his subjects practically worship him and hold him in high esteem.
He once vowed that during his time, no part of Ebiraland would be coded to anybody, and this promise, he has kept till date. Severally the ownership of Ajaokuta steel has been contested in court and some other parts of Ebiraland and the King has always directed lawyers to appeal the judgement and several cases instituted against the Ebira people were decided in the Ebira people’s favour.
His majesty has also vowed that during his reign as the leader of the Ebira people, one of his subjects would be sworn in as the substantive governor. Many people had made similar vow in the past, but they didn’t live to witness the event. But it eventually came to pass and he witnessed it as the present governor of Kogi State is an Ebira man, and that is the first ever Ebira man to ever rule the state, though he eventually disappointed the king, as he is not living up to expectation.
Also during his reign, the first state owned reference hospital and first state owned University of Technology in the North Central came at the same time in Ebiraland. Recall in 2012, some soldiers were killed in Okere town, and the military authorities had concluded plans to invade and de-establish the entire land like they did in Odi, Bayelsa State and Zaki Bram in Benue State. But his Royal Majesty ran to the then commander in Chief Dr. Goodluck Jonathan to prevail on the military to save his people from the calamity that would have befallen Ebira land.
His Royal Majesty severally has proven to his people that he is not just a king that sits at his palace and enjoy all the benefits that comes along with his office, but rather, he has always fought and stood in for his people to make sure, there is peace in the land.
He also got involved actively in politics to see that his subjects emerge winner during the election. He has remained a father figure to all his subjects and doing the needful, when his attention is required.
–BIODUN ALAO
