The immediate past Traditional Ruler of Aro Kingdom and custodian of its heritage, His Majesty, Mazi Ogbonnaya Okoro, also known as Eze Aro of Arochukwu, is to be buried on April 5, 2021.
The chairman of Aro National Rites of Passage Committee, Prof. Okoro Ijoma, who disclosed this in a virtual media briefing, Friday, said the burial rites of the late Monarch would be an opportunity to celebrate him.
According to Prof Ijoma, “We are mourning in one form, and in another form, we are celebrating him and Arochukwu, which he represented and still represents. During the reign of 25 years, he was a shining light in many ways and Arochukwu has a lot to show for it.”
While commending the late Monarch for using his influence positively for the betterment of Arochukwu during his reign, the committee chairman described the late Monarch as a leader who used every opportunity to lobby for the welfare of his immediate community.
“Throughout his reign, he made contacts to reach Abuja and all government officials that he came across, on how to improve the quality of road network of Aro.
“Under him, an imposing civic centre was completed for you to know that Mazi was a great ruler and the event of next week is to celebrate him and to celebrate Aro and to celebrate what monarchy in Aro stands for,” he said.
Before ascending the throne, Mazi Ogbonnaya Okoro, who trained in the United Kingdom as a Medical Laboratory Scientist, was pioneer head of Department of Laboratory Technology at the University of Nigeria Teaching hospital, Enugu.
He retired as the Chief Medical Laboratory Scientist at the UNN in 1988 to ascend the throne and ascended the famous Eze Aro throne in 1995 and his reign witnessed tremendous transformation of the Kingdom and growth in inter-communal relations.
Among other positions, Eze Ogbonnaya Okoro was a first-class traditional ruler and occupied one of the ancient traditional stools in Nigeria and was the custodian of the Aro heritage worldwide.
His burial at the Arochukwu Civic and Cultural Center, Oror, Arochukwu, would climax the week-long passage rites for the late Monarch.
