The Ovie of Uvwie Kingdom. HRM Dr. Emmanuel Ekemejewa Sideso Abe I, JP. OON\u00a0 \u00a0Monarch has called for “a workable constitution” that will give every Nigerian a sense of belonging and pride, guaranteeing justice and fairness saying this is crucial and has acquired a sense of urgency<\/p>\n
The Uvwie Monarch who spoke on Saturday(14\/2\/2026) during the unveiling of his autobiography, the “ODYSSEY OF ROYALTY: THE REIGN OF ABE 1, OVIE OF UVWIE KINGDOM at his palace, Effurun GRA in Uvwie local government area of Delta State on the occasion of his 18th coronation anniversary said Nigeria, was a country blessed with abundant natural resources, talented and resilient people, anxiously anticipating when the light shall shine on the land.<\/p>\n
The book launch took\u00a0 was attended by dignitaries including representatives of President Bola Tinubu and Governor Sheriff Oborevwori of Delta State, members of the National and state Assemblies, array of Traditional Rulers across the country, amongst others.<\/p>\n
President Tinubu was represented by the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Chief Festus Keyamo, who also chaired the occasion acknowledged the positive contributions of the Uvwie Monarch in fostering peace and development, highlighting his collaboration with federal authorities to enhance local governance.<\/p>\n
He expressed pride in the Ovie\u2019s leadership and wished him continued health and longevity.<\/p>\n
Also speaking Delta State Governor,Rt Hon.Sheriff Oborevwori highlighted the occasion as a celebration of legacy and the Uvwie monarch\u2019s enlightened leadership, which has promoted stability and development.<\/p>\n
He described the biography as a source of inspiration for future leaders, aligning his administration\u2019s M.O.R.E. Agenda with the values of the Uvwie\u2019s leadership.<\/p>\n
The governor represented by his Chief of staff Prince Johnson Eridjo stated that the biography was presented as a gift to Uvwie Kingdom, Delta State, and Nigeria, underscoring the message that true royalty is characterized by service and integrity.<\/p>\n
The Chief Launcher, Chief Government Oweizide Ekpemupolo popularly known as Tompolo who was represented by Hon Silver Ofugara urged support for the Ovie\u2019s reign, as his 18 years have significantly transformed the kingdom.<\/p>\n
Chairman, National Mega Summit of Traditional Rulers of Nigeria , Dr Umaru Mohamed Atiku ,Emir of Akko in Gombe State commended the Ovie of Uvwie for attracting development to his Kingdom and for his leadership qualities during his tenure as chairman of the group.<\/p>\n
Chairman of Uvwie local government council, Chief Anthony Ofoni, the book reviewer, Professor Joe Cbugu, SAN a veteran journalist Chief Omafume Amurun and others also praised the Ovie\u2019s commitment to education, noting the scholarships he had provided to over two thousand students in Uvwie.<\/p>\n
They encouraged the people of Uvwie and friends of the kingdom to get a copy of the book\u201d Odyssey of Royalty\u201d: the reign of Abe 1, Ovie of Uvwie Kingdom that reveals the life of the monarch,his family and his reign .<\/p>\n
Below is the full speech by HRM (Dr) Emmanuel Ekemejewa Sideso JP. OON, the Ovie of Uvwie Kingdom<\/p>\n
“It is with heart full of humility and gratitude to the Almighty God, the giver
\nof life and wisdom, that I stand before you today. I am particularly
\ngladdened that at 83 years, I welcome you all to this milestone moment.
\nThe unveiling of ODYSSEY OF ROYALTY: THE REIGN OF ABE 1, OVIE OF
\nUVWIE KINGDOM.<\/p>\n
THE PURPOSE OF THE ODYSSEY<\/strong><\/p>\n Why write an AUTOBIOGRAPHY? The Elders would say that until the lion I have been highly favoured by Providence to have had a successful Time and space will not permit me to enumerate my achievements and As an experienced public administrator, I know the importance of agility in The conception and translation to reality of the Ovie of Uvwie multi-million naira My profound gratitude goes to every Uvwie citizen, our friends and Nigeria, is a country blessed with abundant natural resources, talented and I know that a larger audience of friends and associates would have been here Let me also say that the government alone cannot solve the problems of<\/strong> I say to Nigerians, be strong and persevere. This challenging time shall pass I will not fail to use this opportunity to thank the Executive Governor of HRM Dr. Emmanuel E. Sideso, Abe I, JP, OON, The Ovie of Uvwie Kingdom. HRM Dr. Emmanuel Ekemejewa Sideso Abe I, JP. OON\u00a0 \u00a0Monarch has called for “a workable constitution” that will give every Nigerian a sense of belonging and pride, guaranteeing justice and fairness saying this is crucial and has acquired a sense of urgency The Uvwie Monarch who spoke on Saturday(14\/2\/2026) during […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":32643,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_exactmetrics_skip_tracking":false,"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"spay_email":"","footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_is_tweetstorm":false},"categories":[4,2],"tags":[6323,2036],"class_list":["post-32642","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-national","category-state","tag-odyssey-of-royalty","tag-ovie-of-uvwie-kingdom"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"http:\/\/newsroom247.com.ng\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/akko-e1771119751588.jpg","jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p4oswh-8uu","_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/newsroom247.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/32642","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/newsroom247.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/newsroom247.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/newsroom247.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/6"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/newsroom247.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=32642"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"http:\/\/newsroom247.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/32642\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":32646,"href":"http:\/\/newsroom247.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/32642\/revisions\/32646"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/newsroom247.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/32643"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/newsroom247.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=32642"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/newsroom247.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=32642"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/newsroom247.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=32642"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\ntells his side of the story, the tale of the hunt will always glorify the hunter.
\nThis book, Odyssey of Royalty, is my attempt to document the truth of our
\nera. It is a record of the paths we have trodden, the storms we have
\nweathered, and the triumphs we have celebrated together. It captures the
\ntransition from a life of private service to the sacred responsibility of the
\nthrone.
\nWe are here today not just to celebrate the chronicle of my adventures and
\nventures but more significantly, to commemorate the terrific milestones of
\nour collective efforts as a kingdom that is inspired and invigorated by great
\ndreams.
\nWhen the idea of this book was mooted by the Center for Traditional Rulers
\nAdvancement lately, I was initially hesitant but later yielded, being mindful of the
\nimportance of genuine history, especially, when we tell our stories by ourselves,
\ndevoid of prejudice, fear or favour. Perhaps, there could be no better ways to
\npreserve our core values, cultural identity, build critical thinking about our
\ntransformative experiences and inspire posterity towards greatness, than
\nthrough such relevant, nonfictional and authentic publications.
\nThe truth is that the potency of providence can never be underestimated, when it
\ncomes to longevity and prosperity. Right from the womb, God has a plan and
\ndestiny for every individual created. Divine favour, the extent of our willingness
\nand submission to the divine guidance are consequential to achievable
\noutcomes.<\/p>\n
\nprofessional career at the MINT, spanning 30 years of dedicated and
\nuninterrupted service. My wife has also been equally favoured by God. She
\nworked and retired from First Bank of Nigeria as the first female Deputy
\nGeneral Manager of the Bank. My youngest son, Ediri, is the first black head
\nof surgeons at the Oxford University Teaching Hospital in the United
\nKingdom.<\/p>\n
\nchallenges as the Ovie of Uvwie in the past 18 years but suffice it to say that
\nit has been worthwhile. Whatever I have been able to accomplish as a
\nmonarch is a reflection of our robust socio-economic inclusivity approach,
\nthe organic solidarity and manifold resilience of Uvwie people in the pursuit
\nof our shared goals.<\/p>\n
\nleadership and I understand the profound strength in empowering every
\nteam member to maximize their potentials.
\nMy administration as Ovie started with almost a blank page. The terrain was
\ntough to navigate. The task seemed daunting and cynics were at their best
\nbut we trusted in God with whom all things are possible. There were pivotal
\nmoments of prolonged debates and brainstorming for crucial decisions.
\nFrom the onset, I chose to go by the road that was less traveled, mindful of
\nthe implications but I knew that taking risks and charting new paths, were
\nvery significant to justifying my election as a community leader. I opted to
\nbe a purposeful monarch, with laudable targets, unfeigned transparency,
\ncompassion, effective communication and courage for bold actions in the
\nright direction.<\/p>\n
\nMagnificent Palace, in a record time, under my watch, stands out as a noble feat
\nof our collective energy.
\nIn the past 18 years, Uvwie has witnessed rapid economic growth, enhanced
\nfunctionality and aesthetics of public spaces and facilities. We have incredible
\nevidence of uncommon synergy, shared dreams and relative peace, in Uvwie,
\ndespite the threat of vicious miscreants and ruthless abductors in many parts of
\nthe country.<\/p>\n
\nassociates. You are the architects of this success. I earnestly imagine that
\nour future is boundless, judging from what you have proven all the way.
\nThank you for being who you are \u2013 good people.
\nToday, I want to take a moment just say thank you to Uvwie people for the
\nconfidence reposed in me and for your unflagging loyalty and extraordinary
\ncommitment to the pursuit of Uvwie dream.
\nI had a multicultural upbringing, which has helped me to see the beauty of
\ndiversity, from my birth place in Uvwie, Delta State, to schooling in Ishan,
\nEdo state and working for decades in Lagos and Abuja.
\nPermit me to digress a little to discuss our national wellbeing. I sincerely
\ncommend the breathtaking efforts of the present administration in the
\ncountry at evolving pragmatic policies to reposition the nation for
\ngreatness.<\/p>\n
\nresilient people, anxiously anticipating when the light shall shine on the land.
\nMay the good Lord make his light to shine upon our belove country Nigeria and
\nput to flight the brutal forces of darkness, endemic corruption, religious
\nanimosity, political inertia and tribalism, wherever they are situated.
\nWe have come to a point in our national advancement that we must resolve to
\nunite and produce a workable constitution that will give every Nigerian a sense
\nof belonging and pride, guaranteeing justice and fairness. This is crucial and has
\nacquired a sense of urgency.<\/p>\n
\ntoday, from all around, to felicitate with us, but for the sudden overpriced
\ntransport fares, particularly by some airlines operating in the country.
\nWith the fearful trend of insecurity in the country, flying is now presumed safer
\nthan all other means of transport but the sky-high cost of flying seems even
\nscarier than skydiving. I earnestly appeal to the airlines operating in the country
\nto consider a downward review of airfares in the best interest of national
\ndevelopment. However, some people said it was still cheaper to pay expensive
\nairfares than to negotiate with kidnappers on the roads for payment of
\ngargantuan ransom. That\u2019s not funny.<\/p>\n
\nNigeria. More than ever, traditional rulers and religious leaders need to join<\/strong>
\nforces with the government to propagate the core message of unity and<\/strong>
\ncompassion, economic empowerment and upliftment of the masses. As<\/strong>
\nleaders, we are expected to be exemplary, shun self-aggrandizement,<\/strong>
\ndepravities and profligacy.<\/strong><\/p>\n
\nsooner than we imagine. Every cloud has a silver lining, and it is always
\ndarkest at the hour before the dawn. We shall overcome all these problems
\nand Nigeria shall triumph.<\/p>\n
\nDelta State, Rt. Hon. Chief (Elder) Sheriff Francis Oborevwori for his
\ninfrastructural upgrade in Uvwie Kingdom. I must also appreciate you for
\nthe yearly support for the Uvwie Education\/Scholarship Scheme, a project
\nthat was started by His Excellency, Senator Dr. Arthur Ifeanyi Okowa, CON,
\nthe immediate past Governor of Delta State. The support of the former
\nGovernors of Delta State, His Excellency, Chief James Onanefe Ibori and Dr.
\nEmmanuel Ewetan Uduaghan to Uvwie Kingdom remain eternal in my heart.
\nThank you for listening.
\nLONG LIVE UVWIE KINGDOM !
\nLONG LIVE DELTA STATE !!
\nLONG LIVE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF NIGERIA !!!<\/p>\n
\nOvie of Uvwie Kingdom<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"