The Och’Idoma Palace in Otukpo became a chamber of history at the weekend as His Royal Majesty, Agaba’Idu Elaigwu Odogbo John, Och’Idoma and President of the Idoma Area Traditional Council, inaugurated the Elders Advisory Board and the Board of Trustees for the Idoma Division Centenary Plus Celebration 2026, formally activating the institutional framework that will drive one of the most consequential milestones in the collective life of the Idoma people.
The ceremony came 103 years after the establishment of the Idoma Division in 1923, a defining moment that unified Idoma, Igede, Ufia and Akweya communities under a shared administrative and cultural identity.
Addressing an audience drawn from royal fathers, elders, jurists, scholars, political leaders, professionals, youths and women leaders, the monarch framed the Centenary as a moment of reckoning and responsibility.
“This Centenary,” the Och’Idoma declared, “is a sacred national assignment, a time to remember our past, examine our present, and deliberately prepare our future.”
Recalling the historical roots of the Idoma collective journey, His Royal Majesty traced the foundations of present day unity to the 1923 unification that shaped a common identity and destiny. He stressed that the Centenary demands depth, discipline and moral clarity, capable of translating memory into direction and purpose.
Unveiling the theme, Honouring Our Idoma Century, Advancing Benue South, the monarch said the year long celebration is structured to document and preserve heritage, strengthen cohesion among communities, confront contemporary challenges and articulate a shared vision for the next hundred years.
Beyond the formalities, the Centenary is envisioned as an inclusive, people driven programme spanning generations and sectors. Planned activities range from women focused conversations on leadership and enterprise, youth oriented platforms on innovation and skills, and faith based engagements bringing together clergy for reflection, to investment dialogues aimed at projecting the economic potential of Benue South. Cultural exhibitions, academic conferences, sports and creative showcases, diaspora homecoming events and community based programmes across the zone are also lined up, giving the Centenary a broad civic and generational character.
To anchor this vision, the Och’Idoma inaugurated the Elders Advisory Board, appointing HRH Engr. Edeh George Ado as Chairman and Hon. Justice Ejembi Eko, JSC (Rtd), as Co Chairman, with Mr. Uloko Adegbe as Secretary. The Board comprises fourteen members drawn from across the Idoma landscape. The monarch charged it to serve as the moral compass of the Centenary process, offering farsighted counsel, safeguarding cultural integrity and acting as a stabilising force whenever disagreements arise.
Responding, HRH Engr. Edeh George Ado assured the throne and the Idoma Nation of the Board’s commitment to its assignment, noting that the elders fully appreciate the weight of the responsibility placed upon them. He said the Board would approach its duty with sincerity, discipline and fidelity to truth, standing as custodians of conscience and tradition in the long term interest of the people.
In a separate assurance, Hon. Justice Ejembi Eko, JSC (Rtd), said the Board would discharge its mandate with fairness, independence and courage, guided by principle and respect for Idoma history and values. He stressed that the elders remain conscious of the trust reposed in them and determined to deliver on their responsibility to both history and future generations.
The Board of Trustees was subsequently inaugurated as the supreme policy, oversight and fiduciary authority of the Centenary Celebration. Professor Yakubu Aboki Ochefu was confirmed as Chairman, with Chief Ogbile Emmanuel as Co Chairman, while Chief Dr. Paul Samuel Edeh was named Secretary. The Board comprises twenty seven members representing traditional institutions, government, professional bodies, youth, women, sports, academia and the Idoma diaspora.
Entrusting the Trustees with strategic leadership, transparency and resource mobilisation, the monarch warned that their stewardship would be measured by what endures beyond 2026. “You are entrusted with legacy, credibility and history,” he said.
His Royal Majesty directed the Board of Trustees to give priority attention to strengthening and elevating the Och’Idoma Square as the enduring centre of Idoma cultural life and collective pride. He also charged the Board to ensure the successful delivery of the grand Idoma Cultural Festival scheduled for December 23, 2026, including the articulation of an authentic Idoma name or phrase that reflects the soul of the people.
Both Boards were directed to work in close collaboration with Ochetoha K’Idoma, which the monarch noted had already been formally mandated on the Centenary initiative, stressing unity of purpose, continuity of vision and institutional harmony as the pillars of success.
Throughout his address, the Och’Idoma returned to the weight of history. “History is watching,” he cautioned, reminding the Boards that generations yet unborn will judge the choices made during the Centenary process.
Responding on behalf of the newly inaugurated bodies, Professor Ochefu accepted the royal charge with solemn resolve, describing the assignment as generational and irreversible. He pledged that the Centenary Plus Celebration would deliver concrete outcomes, including preserved historical records, a Centenary Conference, a professionally produced documentary and legacy initiatives designed to endure.
As His Royal Majesty formally declared the Elders Advisory Board and the Board of Trustees inaugurated and invoked divine wisdom upon their work, the atmosphere at the Palace reflected sober resolve rather than ceremony. The monarch expressed a clear hope for how the Centenary should be remembered.
“Let this Centenary be remembered,” he said, “as a time when the Idoma people rose above division, rediscovered purpose, and spoke with one voice.”
From the throne in Otukpo, the message resonated far beyond the Palace walls. The road to the Idoma Division Centenary Plus Celebration 2026 has been deliberately charted, anchored in memory, guided by unity and driven by a resolve to shape a future worthy of the past.
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