Behold youngest first class king in Ijaw land

His Royal Majesty Peremobowei Shedrack Erebulu Aduo III

The year the new king was born was the year his late father, His Royal Majesty Major Lucky Meshack Erebulu Aduo II (Rtd) of Pere Kabowei Kingdom, ascended the throne of his forefathers. His late father reigned for 28 years, but he was barely 28 years old, when his late father joined his ancestors.

Sometime in August this year, after a rigorous screening, Kabowei Council of Chiefs, selected His Royal Majesty Peremobowei Shedrack Erebulu Aduo III to succeed his father on the throne. He is barely 30 years trained as a lawyer.

On October 23, 2017, the entire Kabowei kingdom in Patani Local Government Area of Delta State was thrown into a carnival, as Delta State government officially presented the new king with staff of office.

One thing that might not be known to many is the intelligence and unassuming nature of the young king, who has just been crowned Peremobowei of Kabowei Kingdom. With his meek and disarming looks, he makes it difficult to know whether he is the modern day King Saul or David.

The people of Kabo tribe (Kabowei, Kabu-Owei) of Ijaw live in the vicinity of Patani in Delta State, Nigeria. The tribe got its name from its founder, Kabo, about 300 years ago. Two Kabo towns (Kolowari and Aven) are located along the creek. Other Kabo settlements include: Patani, Elemebiri (Ofonibeigbha), Asambairi, and Ekperiwari. And because of their close contact with neighbouring peoples, most Kabo are bilingual, as they speak their own Ijaw dialect, as well as Urhobo or Isoko language.

The Pere of Kabu-Owei is paramount ruler of Kabu-Owei Kingdom. One interesting thing about this particular kingdom is that it is located in two states of Delta and Bayelsa. The parts of the kingdom in Delta State are: Koloware, Aven. (Taware, Akowre, Ogemware, Ekise, Osou-ware, Okruware, Ajfenaware, Okruware). The ones known as Patani (Opu-Kabu) Asedeni and Pereware) are found in Abare, all in Patani Local Government areas of Delta State, while Asamabiri, Ekperi-ware, Elemebiri, Trofani Aduku, New Patani and Adagbabiri are all located in Sagbama Local Government Area of Bayelsa State.

It was, therefore, no surprise when almost all the kings in Ijaw land gathered on October 23, in Kabowei in Patani Local Government Council headquarters to witness the coronation ceremony of His Majesty Peremobowei Shedrack Erebulu Aduo III.

At that event, the Deputy Governor of Delta State, Barrister Kingsley Burutu Otuaro, who represented Governor Ifeanyi Okowa, expressed government’s satisfaction with the peaceful selection process and subsequent ascension of Peremobowei Shadrack Erebulu, Aduo III as the new king of Kabowei Kingdom.

The Deputy Governor used the occasion to appeal to the new king to ensure sustenance of peace in his kingdom, and requested the new monarch to do all within his powers to drive security, for which the areas are known. He also asked the Peremobowei to hit the ground running in the area of security, by working with relevant security agencies in the kingdom.

The Deputy Governor said: “I am appealing to you to revive the democratic issues of dialogue and convocation, just as you also ensure a sustainable peace under your watch. Government expects you to give priority to matters of security in the kingdom and beyond, as your kingdom is known for its hospitality, excellence in fishing and farming.”

The Deputy Governor asked the new king to reciprocate the kind gesture of his people by promoting their interest and projecting the rich cultural values and heritage of Kabowei Kingdom.

In his response, Pere of Kabowei Kingdom, a law graduate from Delta State University, Abraka, said he is well aware of the enormous responsibilities the position bestows on him, but quickly added that with his faith in God and support of the people of his kingdom, he will succeed in not only upholding the legacy of his forefathers, but will also do all within his powers to uplift his people’s wellbeing.

Erebulu Aduo III said as the seventh Pere of Kabowei Kingdom, he is humbled by the great show of love and support he has received from both the Delta State government and the people.

He said: “This is a time for mutual respect. In the coming months and years, I shall faithfully carry out the responsibilities of my office, in accordance with our tradition and the will of our people. My Council of chiefs and I will pay attention to all matters of custom and tradition, focusing on the security of our community, education of our youths, both Western and vocational training, empowerment of our market women and the welfare and development of our people generally.”

On the policy direction of his administration, the new king said he will carry out reforms in palace administration, and the reforms will include use of cultural diplomacy for promotion of harmonious relationship with neighbours, and that he will do his utmost best to ensure that the customs and tradition of Kabowei people and kingdom are revived.

Speaking with Palace Watch after his coronation, the new king said he has a clear vision of what he wants to achieve during his reign.

He said: “I am going to do everything to ensure that we revert to the effective use of our local dialects in all our dealings. Our children and people must know how to communicate in our local languages. This should be the norm, no matter the level of our educational attainments in life. I am, therefore, seizing this opportunity to appeal to our people to promote their cultural heritage, most especially their language, by always using it to communicate with their children.

“To survive in today’s world, it is imperative we maintain our culture, which is the only unifying force for our people. A situation where it takes months and years for our people to attain justice in very little matters or disputes can no longer continue. I will immediately put in place structures that will help our people attain justice in the quickest possible time. Thank God I trained as a lawyer; I will bring this to bear in all that I do. The structures that I will be putting in place will allow our chiefs to handle matters at their own levels, while my council of chiefs and I will serve as the appellant body. We will take our time to hear and adjudicates in matters that come before us, so that justice will have been seen to have been done, no matter who is involved. I will also strive to work with all relevant government agencies and the private sector to ensure that our people, especially market women, get soft loans that will enable them grow their trade. I am also going to do all within my powers to ensure our youths are given access to quality education and vocational training. I intend to leave this kingdom a better place than I met it.”