By Austin Ogwuda
THE 13th Asagba of Asaba, Obi (Professor) Chike Edozien said in Asaba on Sunday that “I am very happy to be alive and healthy to celebrate my 100-birthday”.
The Royal Monarch stated in a message kick starting his Centenary Birthday celebration as well as his New year message to the nation.
According to him, “My New Year message to our leaders is that they need to fight corruption and review the Constitution.
“I believe that Nigeria can be a very great nation. We need peace and development in Nigeria. And one of the major problems and setbacks in Nigeria is corruption. We need to fight corruption squarely.
“The economy is so bad, making people suffer. We have to fight poverty in Nigeria. At the time of independence, what we had was $2 to N1, but today, we have $1 to over a thousand naira. How can you survive in this economy?
“Again, the traditional ruler is completely out of the system; therefore, the Federal Government should review the Constitution to bring in the traditional rulers if they desire development, especially at the grassroots level.
“Nigeria should create like 10 different nations and cooperate like the European Union to reduce the tension of ethnicity in the country.
’”From my own observations and watching the interplay of personalities at the Federal Government level”, he went on, “I think the ethnic issue is stronger today than it was 40 years ago.
“One of the things I suggested was that Universities should create a Faculty or Department of nation-building because we have over 250 ethnic groups in one nation.
“I think nation-building is something to study in the University to reduce the problem of ethnicity in the country,” the monarch added.
Recall that last year, the Delta State Governor, Sheriff Oborevwori in congratulating him on his 99th birthday had said “as we look forward to the centenary celebration, we pray that the Almighty God will continue to grant you more wisdom and divine health to continue serving mankind”.
The statement conveyed by his Chief Press Secretary, Sir Festus Ahon said that ”Obi Chike Edozien is a distinguished medical scholar and Nigeria’s first Professor of Physiology”.
He remarked that since his ascension to the throne in 1991 as the 13th Asagba of Asaba, Obi Edozien had continued to provide purposeful leadership for his people and residents of Asaba, the State capital.
Oborevwori said that under the monarch’s reign, Asaba has since become one of the fastest growing cities in the country in terms of population and development in infrastructure.
The governor lauded the respected monarch for his astute contributions to making Asaba comfortable and hospitable for Nigerians, who troop into the Delta State capital for one business or the other.
He stated that the Asagba remained an “iconic scholar per excellence, bridge-builder and oldest living Professor in any discipline”.
