Idoma Voice Editorial: Needless noise over Abuja venue of Och’Idoma’s Royal Banquet

Since ascending the throne, His Royal Majesty, Agabaidu Elaigwu Odogbo, the Och’Idoma, has consistently shown that he is not a king who hides behind palace walls or raises his shoulders as a First-Class monarch.

He has remained accessible, approachable, and deeply committed to the unity and progress of the Idoma nation. His latest initiative, a royal banquet themed “Shaping the Future of the Idoma Nation: One Kingdom, One Destiny”, is a continuation of these efforts and deserves nothing short of commendation.

Unfortunately, what should have been widely welcomed as a landmark step in nation-building has been mired in unnecessary noise and hullabaloo over the choice of venue, the Armed Forces Conference Centre in Asokoro, Abuja, rather than the Och’Idoma’s Palace in Otukpo.

We must be honest with ourselves. In today’s reality, if such an event were to hold in Otukpo, many elites would readily cite excuses ranging from insecurity on the roads to tight schedules in Abuja.
The king’s decision to bring the event to their doorstep is an act of wisdom and pragmatism. Like the famous saying goes, “If the mountain will not come to Mohammed, then Mohammed will go to the mountain.” In this case, the king stooped to conquer.

This is not the first time Abuja has been used to galvanize the Idoma spirit. We recall the Agatu protest that shut down the Federal Capital Territory years ago, drawing national and international attention to the killings in Agatu.

The protest was followed by a peace concert in Abuja which helped channel relief to displaced persons and restore relative calm to the troubled community. If a protest in Abuja could change the trajectory of Agatu, surely a royal banquet in Abuja can chart a better path for the entire Idoma nation.

Critics must also remember that this is the first-of-its-kind gathering in Idoma history, a royal banquet bringing together elites, leaders and sons and daughters of Idoma extraction under one roof to deliberate on the future.

The emphasis should not be on where it holds but on what it produces. If reconciliation is achieved among leaders who have been on a cold warpath, if a clearer direction is set for Idoma unity and development, then the venue has already served its purpose.

Our monarch needs our support at this critical time, not vilification. He has shown courage by taking bold steps to unite his people, just as he has shown humility by bringing the palace to the people instead of waiting for them to troop to Otukpo. His vision is clear, a stronger, united and prosperous Idoma nation.

Rather than dissipate energy arguing about location, let us rally around the Och’Idoma and pray that the outcome of this banquet will mark a turning point for Idoma history.
What matters is not the walls within which the meeting is held, but the bridges of unity and progress that emerge from it.

Long live the Och’Idoma. Long live the Idoma nation.

By Idoma Voice editorial team