It was a celebration of life well spent though a sad one as the Traditional Ruler of Okoroduru- Ekwe Autonomous Community in Isu LGA of Imo state, HRH Eze Igwe Fortunatus Awubenne Nwoke, Igwe Ohazurumee 1 of Okoroduru-Ekwe Autonomous Community was laid to rest on Wednesday 22 with a requiem mass at St Ann’s Catholic parish Ebenator – Ekwe by his lordship Bishop A.T Ukwuoma.
According to the biography written by the family, Eze Ohazurumee was born on 8th August 1942 to late Chief Nwokenochie Ohakosim Duruoha and his wife Mrs. Nwaelesikem Nwokenochie of Umuduruugo Umuduruewuru Okoroduru-Ekwe in Isu local government Area. He was the only surviving son of the mother and was named Igwe from birth after the demise of his siblings in appreciation to God for spearing his life.
While growing up, his father and his uncle who were major palm oil dealers introduced him in the business and he established his own oil palm produce business. He prospered both financially and socially.
He was into grassroot politics before he became the king and as an active politician he contested for councillorship election in 1978.
Igwe played a huge role in the struggle and quest for autonomy of Okoroduru-Ekwe in order to gain economic, financial emancipation and community development.
The community saw the need for an astute administrator to lead the embattled and traumatized people to an administrative bliss, he accepted to fill the gap as the community was abandoned for years without a standard leadership.
The Traditional Ruler was nominated and elected to rule by the Ohakosim Duruoha Royal Family because of his commitment and wealth of experience. He became the first traditional ruler of the autonomous community as the Ohazurumee 1.
He was a devout Christian and exhibited the fear of God in his leadership as his reign was peaceful and experienced lots of development.
In his funeral oration, the eldest son of the traditional ruler, Chief Chidi Nwoke disclosed that the late father “lived and left full memorable legacies of humility, integrity and kindness”. He further disclosed that the father will be remembered for his love and care for his family as well as the entire community.
He disclosed that the crowd that gathered to pay their last respect to him indicated that the father made lots of impacts in the lives of people. The last son and the Eze-elect, HRH Engr. Ezeugo Marksaviour Nwoke noted that the late father was a great father with virtue and expressed thanks to God for a life well spent. He promised to uphold the legacy and never to allow his empire to fall as the mantle of leadership has fallen on him.
An illustrious son of the community, Chief Chuba Ohams, (Onwa Okoroduru) while speaking to newsmen maintained that the traditional ruler has a high profile of being a community leader, a successful businessman, an astute administrator and urged those alive to emulate his good deeds and reflect over their ways of life in order to adopt a proper lifestyle in the society to achieve greatness.
He noted that despite the vacuum in leadership that has been created, the community will still forge ahead to maintain the peace that is already being experienced.
In his words, the chairman of the Traditional council of Ndieze, Isu local government, Eze B.C. Osuala stated that the traditional ruler was a man of peace and prayed that the community will continue to experience peace even after the demise of the king.
The member Representing Isu in the Imo state house of Assembly, Hon. Mrs. Ngozi Obiefule urged the family to take solace and prayed God to fill the vacuum created by the death of the ruler. The Traditional Ruler is survived by his wife Ugoeze Veronica Nwoke, nine children, two sisters, twenty three grandchildren and a host of other relations.
