The Many Feathers in Ata Igala's Okebe

The Many Feathers in the New Ata Gala’s Okebe (Crown)

Igala kingdom was founded in the 9th century, the founder Abutu Eje came down from Kwararafa, Abutu Eje meaning Abutu the leopard,was a prince of Kwararafa kingdom who was denied the right to ascend his father’s throne left his father’s kingdom out of anger from the injustice done him to settled first in Otutubatu-Amagade along River Benue in where is known today as Ife-Abejukolo before moving to Idah with some of his children and followers to establish what is known today as ATA’GALA throne (the seat of power).

The kingdom stretches from Idah in present Kogi State to the North,Bida in Niger state and to the south Onitsha, Oko all in Anambra State, Asaba in Delta State and some part of Edo State. Okene,Lokoja,Koton-Karfe and Toto, Nasarawa, Karshi, Abaji in the present Federal Capital Territory including the entire Idoma land and Agatu and beyond.

The feathers here represent the number of challenges awaiting the new Ata to address very quickly and treated as urgent matters.

The new ATA, His Royal Majesty Idakwo Ameh Oboni was born in 1949;he was barely seven (7) years of age when his own father Ata Ameh Oboni died in 1956,Ata Dr. Aliyu Obaje succeeded Ameh Oboni as Ata from 1956 to 2012 spending more than half a century on throne.

During the reign of the immediate past Ata Dr. Aliyu Obaje, the predecessor of Ata Idakwo Ameh Oboni, Igala nation witnessed tremendous developments; peace, no war in Igala land,no epidemic, no natural disasters as such and no serious clashes between Igala and the neighbouring ethnic groups. Igala got many educational institutions established and located on her lands, federal polytechnic Idah, College of education Ankpa, University at Anyigba and a federal unity school at Ugwolawo, St.Charles College at Ankpa and many other secondary schools. Igala sons and daughters excelled in their various field of human endeavours, Hashim Adaji the first federal minister of Air force, Dr....