Conferment Of Title – “Oduma Of Auchi” On Prince Clem Agba, Minister Of State For Budget & National Planning

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REMARKS BY HIS EXCELLENCY, PROF YEMI OSINBAJO, SAN, GCON, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF NIGERIA AT THE CONFERMENT OF MINISTER OF STATE FOR BUDGET AND NATIONAL PLANNING, PRINCE CLEM AGBA, AS THE ODUMA OF AUCHI, IN EDO STATE ON THE 29^TH OF JANUARY, 2022

PROTOCOLS

It is my pleasure to be here with your Royal Majesties and distinguished guests to celebrate this special occasion, and participate in the activities to mark the conferment of the customary title of the Oduma-of Auchi Sacred Kingdom on one of your illustrious sons and a man of outstanding achievements in both the private and public sectors,  my dear brother, Prince Clem Agba, the Honourable Minister of State, for Budget and National Planning and the new Oduma of the Auchi Kingdom.

I also bring the warm greetings of President Muhammadu Buhari to the people of the Auchi Kingdom, and the entire  Etsako West Local Government, and to the great people of Edo State. The Auchi Kingdom has a very rich history, and the celebrated innovation and the enterprise of its sons and daughters, has brought development and prominence to this kingdom and Edo State.

It is also remarkable and worthy of praise that in the great Auchi Kingdom, adherents of both Islam and Christianity, have lived and continue to live harmoniously together for centuries, sharing a common bond as members of this community and even of the same biological families. Auchi is therefore in a real sense, not just a microcosm of Nigeria but an exemplification of our finest values of mutuality and community.

Your Highness, I have a special tie to Auchi. In 1979, I served my National Youth Corp here in Auchi and it was a very enjoyable period of my life. My return to Auchi now, as the Deputy Governor, Comrade Philip Shaibu, pointed out, makes me not just a citizen of Edo State but a very special son of this Kingdom under Your Royal Highness.

Auchi certainly represents an enduring truth – it does not matter whether we are of different political persuasions, ethnic origins or religious allegiances; we are all connected in one way or the other. What matters most is our common human bond; a shared brotherhood of all people. Indeed, it is a testament to the welcoming and accommodating nature of the Auchi Kingdom that it has adopted the Honourable Minister who very much regards this community which nurtured him as home.

He is as I am told actually from Uzannu in Etsako East,  but given his zeal for his community and his dedication to its progress, it is no surprise that he has been named the Lion of the Auchi Kingdom.

There are few honours more fulfilling than being accorded recognition by one’s own. It is said that “a prophet is without honour in his home town.” I am happy to note that this will not be said in the case of my brother, Prince Clem Agba. In this case, he is very much a prophet with honour in his hometown.

Our country needs men and women who see and understand that our ethnic diversity is not a point of difference but a fountain of strength; men and women who understand that all people regardless of race and faith deserve to be treated equally, fairly and justly. This is where the significance of traditional institutions come into being because they are regarded, and rightly so, as the custodians of these values, and embody the highest and noblest ideals of our people.

To my dear friend and brother, now the Oduma of Auchi, Prince Clem Agba, this conferment is, without doubt, an endorsement of your consistent service to the Auchi community and to the nation at large. With remarkable diligence and an innovative approach to governance, you have made a difference in your role as Economic Planner and one of the prime movers of the nation’s wheel of progress. This is, of course, in addition to your lifelong dedication to the betterment of humanity, both within and outside your community.

Today, with your conferment, you have been appointed a steward of your community’s destiny. I believe that you will serve faithfully and meritoriously, exercise your morals and all resources for the good of the people and bring further development to your domain and the nation at large.

Once again I offer my warmest congratulations to the Oduma, your lovely wife and to everyone here who has witnessed this wonderful occasion. Once again, I express our sincere gratitude to His Royal Highness, the Otaru of Auchi and I pray that you will reign long and you will be more distinguished than your all forebears before. I pray that this Kingdom will be peaceful and prosperous and the great people of Auchi and Edo State will be forever blessed.

God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria, God bless Edo State.

Thank you very much.