It is inadequate to grumble about Nigeria; every person needs to make a favorable contribution– Ogbu

His Royal Majesty, Eze Kalu Ogbu IV, the 17th Enachoken of Abiriba Kingdom and Paramount Ruler of the Abiriba individuals, was just recently identified by the Nigerian Association of Christian Journalists (NACJ) with one of the most Outstanding Integrity Royal Father of the Year Award 2026. An attorney, standard ruler, conciliator and neighborhood leader, Eze as he is widely called, has actually invested 26 years on the throne. In this unique discussion with LYDIA ENYIDIYA EKE, he assesses stability, standard management, peace-building, patriotism, neighborhood advancement and the duty of leaders to individuals. Excerpts:

Your Majesty, how do you feel getting one of the most Outstanding Integrity Royal Father of the Year Award?

I get the award with thankfulness to God and with a deep sense of obligation. An award for stability is especially significant since stability is not something one ought to pursue simply for acknowledgment. It is a way of living.

How do you see this honour?

I see the honour as a motivation to continue serving my individuals with sincerity, fairness, justice and humbleness. I likewise see it as an honour to the Abiriba individuals, since every conventional ruler is a reflection of individuals he represents.

What does stability imply to you?

Stability suggests doing what is right even when no one is viewing. It suggests staying honest, reasonable and constant in one’s negotiations with individuals.

A leader should have the ability to look individuals in the face and safeguard the choices he has actually taken. Stability develops trust, and once individuals trust their leader, management ends up being more significant. I have actually constantly thought that stability takes a trip further than any other quality.

You have actually invested 26 years on the throne. What has the journey taught you about management?

Management has actually taught me persistence, sacrifice and the value of listening. When you end up being a standard ruler, you are no longer living just on your own. Your choices impact households, neighborhoods and future generations.

What do you then think about?

You for that reason need to think about the larger interest of individuals, due to the fact that management likewise needs humbleness and this has actually taught me how to be going to listen to individuals, even when you do not concur with them.

As an attorney and conventional ruler, how have these 2 functions affected your method to management?

The legal occupation teaches discipline, proof, fairness and regard for justice. Standard management, on the other hand, puts fantastic focus on culture, neighborhood, reconciliation and the conservation of relationships.

I think both experiences match each other. A standard ruler needs to comprehend justice, however he should likewise comprehend the human measurement of conflicts.

You have actually been associated with mediation and dispute resolution. What is the trick to solving common conflicts?

The very first requirement is the determination to listen to all sides. Lots of disputes end up being made complex due to the fact that individuals are more thinking about being heard than in listening to one another. An arbitrator needs to stay reasonable and should not approach a conflict with a fixed judgment.

The goal must be peace and justice, not success for one side over another.

What function should conventional rulers play in resolving Nigeria’s difficulties?

Nigeria comes from everybody. I highly think that conventional rulers are implied to stay really near to individuals. This will allow us to comprehend our neighborhoods, our histories and much of the obstacles challenging our individuals.

How complimentary are these roes?

Conventional organizations can match federal government efforts in locations such as peace-building, cultural conservation, neighborhood mobilisation and ethical management. Conventional management needs to likewise progress with the times while maintaining the worths that provide our neighborhoods their identity.

The NACJ award is constructed around stability and patriotism. What does patriotism imply to you?

Patriotism implies caring one’s nation and wanting to add to its development.

It is inadequate to grumble about Nigeria. Every resident has an obligation to make a favorable contribution, whether in federal government, organization, the occupations, standard organizations or the neighborhood. We need to teach our kids to value the nation and comprehend that nation-building is everyone’s duty.

What is your message to young Nigerians as the next generation who wish to prosper?

I would motivate them to pursue quality without compromising their worths.

Success without character can end up being an issue. Education, expert proficiency and aspiration are essential, however they should be accompanied by sincerity, discipline and regard for others.

Youths need to likewise comprehend that there is self-respect in effort. They ought to not permit the desire for fast success to press them into jeopardizing their worths.

Your reign has actually been related to neighborhood advancement. What does advancement indicate to you?

Advancement has to do with enhancing the lifestyle of individuals.

Facilities is very important, however advancement likewise consists of education, peace, security, culture, health care, financial chances and the conservation of our identity.

A neighborhood can not really establish if its individuals lose their sense of belonging and duty to one another.

How crucial is culture to the future of Abiriba and Nigeria?

Culture is our identity. An individuals who lose their culture threat losing a vital part of their identity.

Our customs need to be maintained and sent to more youthful generations. At the exact same time, we should guarantee that our cultural heritage is appropriately recorded and provided to the broader world.

There is absolutely nothing incorrect with accepting modernity while protecting the worths and customs that specify us.

What would you like your tradition as Enachoken of Abiriba to be?

I would like my tradition to be among peace, justice, stability and service. I wish to be kept in mind as a ruler who positioned the interest of his individuals above individual factors to consider, promoted unity and added to the advancement of Abiriba.

Eventually, management is short-term. The most crucial thing is what you leave and how individuals remember your service.

What is your message to Nigerians on the topic of stability?

Nigerians need to comprehend that stability starts with the person.

We need to do what is right even when it is tough. We ought to be sincere in our homes, work environments, organizations and public obligations. If people start to practice stability, organizations will end up being more powerful, trust will increase, and the nation will slowly progress.

Stability might in some cases appear expensive in the short-term, however in the long run, it pays.