PRESS BRIEFING ON THE CORONATION CEREMONY OF HIS ROYAL MAJESTY, KING (DR) EBITIMI EMMANUEL BANIGO OFR, OKPO XXI

A TEXT OF PRE-EVENT PRESS BRIEFING ON THE CORONATION CEREMONY OF HIS ROYAL MAJESTY, KING (DR) EBITIMI EMMANUEL BANIGO OFR, OKPO XXI, AMAYANABO OF OKPOAMA KINGDOM, HELD AT OKPO SQUARE, OKPOAMA ON SUNDAY 9th OF SEPTEMBER, 2012.
saint mienpamo reports 12/09/2012
On behalf of the King, Chiefs and good people of Okpoama Kingdom I wish to welcome you gentlemen of the press to Okpoama. We are indeed honoured that you accepted our invitation for this press conference outside Yenagoa that is why we have put together this cultural performances to entertain and relax you after the journey from Ogbia by speed boat.
Okpoama Kingdom is located on coastal Niger Delta region of Nigeria. It is bound in the south by the Atlantic Ocean with a very lengthy golden beach and merges through the mangrove with other Nembe speaking settlements in the north. On the west it is bound by the Brass River and on the east by the St Nicholas River.
Our people had early contacts with the Europeans in pre-colonial times and engage them in trading until the famous Akassa raid which was led by King Obu of this kingdom. The kingdom is blessed with oil and gas, beautiful islands, creeks rivulets and beaches. We are predominantly fishermen and traders. The Kingdom is host to oil giant – Nigerian Agip Oil Company, the Brass LNG project, NPDC/SIPEC and Hyundai project.
On the 12TH of October, 2012 the people of this kingdom came together to democratically elect Dr. Ebitimi Emmanuel Banigo, OFR as the 21st king following the demise of King Justice Kesiye St. Sagbe, Okpo XX. Subsequently, he was handed the staff of office in 2011 by the immediate past governor of Bayelsa State, Chief Timipre Sylva at a colourful ceremony. I could recall vividly that most of you covered that ceremony and we have remained grateful to you.
King Ebitimi Emmanuel Banigo as you may be aware is an international businessman, a reputable banker, a former minister of Science and Technology of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and an awardee of Officer of the Order of Federal Republic (OFR). He is a graduate of the prestigious Harvard university of Massachusetts Bay Colony in the United States of America. A man the kingdom believes can take it to greater height.
King Ebitimi Emmanuel Banigo is the 21ST counting from Okpo’s (founder) dynasty to date. The kingdom had Sikaka, Ibelubelu, Nende, Tia, Kpekiya, Saikiri, Osungu, Onu, Akirigbo, Gboro, Bouyai, Orukari, Gori, Obasi, Obu, Okiringbo, Okparan Tubu, Elei Tamunobere, and Kesiye Sagbe as kings before the election of Ebitimi Emmanuel Banigo as king.
The significance of the coronation is the opportunity to share with the world the proud history, cultural heritage and traditions of this ancient oil and gas rich kingdom at the Southernmost tip of the Niger Delta.
The coronation is the first of its kind in the modern era and as a kingdom in pursuit of global excellence…that is, to attain world-class status in everything it engages in as to be ranked amongst the world-best kingdom, the kingdom will therefore be showcase its potentials as the prime Tourism destination of the Niger Delta, oil and gas and industrial cluster and its vision of a global green community.

Plans are in full gear to conduct a hitch free coronation to accommodate the hordes of visitors and dignitaries that will be joining us to celebrate this grant occasion. We plan to leave them with life long memories of what is shaping up to be the event of the decade.

I as Chairman of the Okpo XXI Coronation Committee look forward to welcoming you to the coronation activities starting from Friday 26th to Sunday 28th with the actual crowning taking place on Saturday 27th October at 11.00 am. I also want to use this opportunity to call on top government functionaries, politicians, captain of industry, community leaders and indeed all Nigerian to join us in this coronation ceremony and experience firsthand the hospitality, the culture and the fresh sea food of our kingdom. Let me also call on investors to come to the kingdom and invest as there are endless investment opportunity in our kingdom.

Thanks, and God bless you

Long live the King of Okpoama Kingdom
Long live Okpoama Kingdom
Long live the Federal Republic of Nigeria

CHIEF EBI-JOHNSON S. BEREBOFA
Chairman, Okpo XXI Coronation Committee