The traditional ruler of Asaba kingdom, Asagba Prof Epiphany Azinge, SAN, OON, FNIALS, has declared annual celebration of Asaba as the capital of Delta State.
He made the declaration on Wednesday at Ogwa Ukwu Ahaba while addressing a cross section of the community shortly after attending the thanksgiving service to commemorate the 34th anniversary of the creation of Delta State at Government House.
The Asagba said Asaba was constitutionally synanimous with Delta and deserved to be celebrated by the indigenes along with the state on the 27th August anniversary day.
His Royal Majesty maintained that it would take a tall order to take away the state capital from Asaba, stressing that not even the creation of a new state from Delta would change anything.
Asagba Prof Azinge called on sons and daughters of Asaba at home and in the diaspora to be prepared to keep a date with history every August 27 — the commemorative date the entire community was engulfed in excitement and celebration following the creation of Delta State and the announcement of Asaba as the capital.
The Monarch said besides being the state capital, Asaba had served as the headquarters of Nigeria in the days of the Royal Niger Company, and made waves in the days of the Lander Brothers and Mongo Park, which explained why the Indigenes should always be proud of their town and proclaim its importance to the world.
He paid glowing tribute to General Ibrahim Babangida (rtd), who created Delta State and made Asaba the capital, as well as prominent sons of the land, including the first Premier of the defunct Midwestern region, Chief Dennis Osadebay, among others, who contributed to pushing Asaba to prominence, even before the creation of Delta State.
According to him, “Testimonies of people, especially the non indigenes in our midst, counting their blessing from our land abound, and more and more people from all parts of the country are coming in on a daily basis because Asaba is peaceful and safe. This shows that our ancestors are at work; so why shouldn’t we celebrate ourselves?
The Asagba disclosed that henceforth the anniversary celebration of the choice of Asaba as the state capital would be built into the community’s traditional calendar, coinciding with the 60-day period of positive ethnic cleansing, self introspection and internal purification of the land.
New Hands on Deck as Delta Targets Durable Roads under Oborevwori