The Eze Aro-designate, Pastor Eberechukwu Eni Kanu Oji and his wife.

A new Eze-designate has been chosen by the people of Aro Ancient Kingdom in Arochukwu, Abia State. This is sequel to a rigorous and meticulous process.

Pastor Eberechukwu Eni Kanu Oji, a grandson of the late Mazi Kanu Orji who led the Aros for 73 years on the throne, emerged on October 18, 2023, at a selection event in the kingdom, according to information reaching our news desk.

It was further gathered that a selection process by a committee of seven elders culminated in the emergence of the new Eze-designate. The development now ensures that the gap created by the passing of Mazi Vincent Okoro, the immediate past Eze Aro, has now been filled as the Eze Aro-designate succeeds him.

Checks by our correspondent also showed that one of the candidates had stepped down in favour of Pastor Eberechukwu Eni, a Chartered Engineer and Fellow of the Nigerian Society of Engineers, before the voting process. It was further gathered that after screening of all interested candidates, two persons, including Mazi Godwin Kanu Idei and Pastor Eberechukwu Eni emerged for election.

During the final voting process, Pastor Eberechukwu Eni received more votes, while Mr. Godwin Kanu Idei got only two votes. Guided by the result, Pastor Eberechukwu Eni was declared the new Eze- designate of the Aro Kingdom.

The new Eze Aro-designate, Pastor Eberechukwu Eni has also invited members of the Oror community, Arochukwu who are solely responsible for choosing new Ezes to a meeting. One of the highlights of the meeting was to secure the necessary buy-in ofthe prole and appeal to all and sundry to give him the needed support during the days before he is formally presented to the entire Aro Kingdom as the new Eze Aro.

The essence of it will also involve their accompanying him to Utughugwu, the Royal Community of Arochukwu, for formal presentation of him to them, before he is taken round to Eze EzeAgwu’s palace ahead of the final crowning at Ibom Isii.

The emergence of the Eze Aro-designate has thrown up concerns since Pastor Eberechukwu Eni’s father, Pastor Joshua Kanu Orji is still alive. This has led to debates about what to call Pastor Eberechukwu Eni –  “Nwamazi” or “Mazi?”

The last Eze Aro, Late Eze Aro, Mazi Vincent Ogbonnaya Okoro, CFR, ascended the famous ancient throne of Aro Kingdom in 1995. He was, in 1988, chosen to ascend the throne of his forefathers but was not officially crowned the Eze Aro until 31st May, 1995, about seven years in waiting. He died 25 years after at the age of 89 in 2021.

Eze Okoro was preceded by Eze Mazi Kanu Orji who was born in 1900 and died in 1987.

He reigned from 1914 – 1987, ruled for 73 years continuously, and remains Nigeria’s longest monarch to ever reign in history. Late Mazi Kanu Oji was crowned Eze Aro in 1914 at age of 14, but he could not take full control of the throne until he attained a full age of 21. That was in 1921, exactly 7 years after his coronation. It was then that he performed his first important public function as Eze Aro as he chaired, for the first time, a vital meeting of Aro Traditional Leaders Council.

The emergence of Eberechukwu Eni Kanu Oji, 102 years later surely marks a major turning point in the history of the foremost ancient Igbo Kingdom.

Apart from being a Pastor and an Engineer, the Eze Aro-designate is also the Chief Executive Officer of ND Western Limited, a frontline oil and gas industry player.

A peep into his professional profile shows that he is a high profile corporate chief executive officer with high level strategic leadership capabilities and a high-performing, high-capacity strategic business executive with more than 25years deep technical, leadership and broad functional expertise in Upstream & Midstream Asset management, Operations management, major project commissioning with a track record of transformational business improvement and delivery in Nigeria, Netherlands, Kazakhstan, United Kingdom, United States, Singapore, Australia, Continental Europe and other Shell Operating Units across the World.

He is a Business Executive with hands-on and effective experience with running Oil and Gas business and Operations in the Niger Delta, with strong relationships, network and experience with managing all government regulatory agencies in the Oil & Gas industry and demonstrable capability in managing local communities to ensure smooth operations.

The Eze Aro-designate is a skilled strategist who develops compelling visions and translates business strategic goals to workable tactical plans and solutions to improve safety performance and maximize production, availability, reliability and utilization to consistently deliver stretch business delivery goals.

He is also a technical Authority in Global Production Excellence as TA1 and Regional Discipline Lead (RDL) for Maintenance, Reliability and Turnaround (MRTA) and Operations and highly respected globally with extensive experience in the Front-end of Projects through to Operate phase and proven track record of consistently developing high performing teams aligned to deliver above expectations and producing solid bottom-line results.

His areas of expertise include Chief executive and Strategic leadership, end-to-end from concept to delivery of multi billion dollars projects in the Oil & Gas industry, Health Safety & Environment and Process Safety management, assessed HSSE “Competent” by Shell Group HSE, Strategic Planning, Business planning& Leadership, Community Relations Management, Regulatory Compliance Management, Asset Management, leadership& Improvement delivery, Liquefied Natural Gas Operations, Cash-flow, Funding and Financing Strategy development  Others include:

 Lending Partners Management and Incorporated Joint Venture (IJV) strategy development

 Oil & Gas Project Conception, development, funding, execution and operation

 Multi-disciplinary team integration, leadership and worksite execution management

 Organisational Design & Development

 Production Operations & Operating Integrity Management

 Maintenance, Reliability & Turnaround functional discipline leadership and management

 Operations Readiness & Assurance

 Offshore Operations, Logistics and Marine Operations management

 Production Excellence & Efficiency Reviews (OE, OI, ORIP, MIE etc.)implementation and

Improvements delivery

 Project Execution (Brownfields & Major projects) and SIMOPS/Concurrent Operations

 Project Design, Engineering and Procurement management

 Managing Emergencies, Investigating Incidents & Risk management

 Integrated Safe System of Work(ISSOW), Permit to Work(PTW), managing HSE Critical Activities

including Manual of Permitted Operations (MOPO) etc.

 Front-line Barrier Management (FLBM) implementation and management.

 External focus: JV Partners, Regulators, Communities and External Stakeholders proactive relationship

management.

 People Development: Technical Competence Development, Talent Management, Mentoring &Coaching.

EDUCATION & PROFESSIONALAFFILIATIONS

 2008 – 2011. Warwick University, United Kingdom

Master’s in Business Administration (MBA)

 2006 – 2009. Curtin University, Australia

Masters in Technology (M.Tech) in Petroleum Technology (Distinction)

 1999 – 2002 University of Benin Nigeria.

Masters in Engineering (M.Eng) in Electrical and Electronics Engineering.

 1988 – 1994 Federal University of Technology, Owerri Imo State, Nigeria

Bachelors of Engineering (B.Eng) in Electrical and Electronics Engineering

 Professional Affiliations:

– Chartered Engineer (Electrical Engineering) COREN, Nigeria

– Fellow Nigerian Society of Engineers FNSE.