Ejeh Ahmodu Adaji: Eclipse of a sun most bright

His Royal Highness, the late Ejeh Ankpa, Alhaji Ahmodu Yakubu Adaji, was a direct descendant of Atiyele, the founder of Ankpa kingdom. He was a younger brother to the late Colonel Hassan Yakubu Adaji (Ejeh ll). Oguchekwo, the only surviving son of Atiyele,was the father of Aba who in turn gave birth to AnawoModo, the […]

His Royal Highness, the late Ejeh Ankpa, Alhaji Ahmodu Yakubu Adaji, was a direct descendant of Atiyele, the founder of Ankpa kingdom.
He was a younger brother to the late Colonel Hassan Yakubu Adaji (Ejeh ll). Oguchekwo, the only surviving son of Atiyele,was the father of Aba who in turn gave birth to AnawoModo, the father of AgenyiEbaju.AgenyiEbaju also had a son called ItodoAkpa, the father of Adaji. Adajiwas the father ofAlhaji Yakubu (the first Ejeh of Ankpa), and AhmoduYakubuAdaji was among the 20 sons of YakubuAdaji.
Born on February 15, 1943,the late AhmoduAdaji was left in the care of his paternal grandmother before his elder brother, Alhaji Suleiman Adaji,asked his stepmother to allow him take care of the little prince.
Though the grandmother initially refused,he persisted because he felt the woman was getting old and would not be able to properly cater to Prince Ahmodu as the only surviving male child from his mother. Later, the stepmother succumbed and Prince Ahmodu was left under the care of his elder brother, Alhaji Suleiman Yakubu Adaji, whowas then a clerk at the Native Court inOgboloko, in the present Bassa Local Government Area of Kogi State.
He moved with his brother to Ugwolawo, the present headquarters of Ofu Local Government Area ofKogi State, from where he trekked weekly to school in Idah. In I955, he became a central figure because of his ability to have memorized the Qur’an at an early age. Subsequently, it became easier for him to memorize long sections of books.
He often played the role of Shylock while performing Shakespeare’s Merchant of Venice, which made him quite popular. Aside his stage and academic performances, he was also a great footballer which earned him the captain of the school team – the Native Authority (NA) Primary School Football Team, Idah. He crowned his eventful academic pursuit at the Native Authority Primary School, ldah with excellent performance in 1960.
In 1961, he went to Kano where he attended the lbo Union Grammar School from 1962 to 1964,graduating with distinction. He then enrolled for the West African School Certificate (General Certificate of Education, Ordinary Level) as an external candidate in 1965. He attended the London School of Accounting from 1970 to 1972 and obtained a Diploma. He also attended a Management and Finance Course at the International Chartered Accountancy in Munich, Western Germany from 1978 to 1979.
The late Ejeh had a successful working career.  He was a teacher at his Alma mater – the Ibo Union Grammar School Kano in 1963, and served as a clerk at the Central Bank of Nigeria, Kano branch, in 1964. He left the Central Bank of Nigeria in 1972 to serve as Assistant Accountant in Bagauda Textile Mills Kano and rose to the position of manager in the company.
He, however, had a brief stint with the Dantata Group of Companies Kano in 1977 and in the same year transferred his services to the construction giant, Dantata and Sawoe Constructions Company, a joint venture between a German company and Dantata Group of Companies, where he served in various capacities before he was appointed the Ejeh of Ankpa in 1993.
The late monarch played pivotal roles in the development of projects in Ankpa, one of which was his facilitation of the completion of the Ankpa Central Mosque. He also got former Kogi State Governors Ibrahim Idris and Idris Wada to resolve the perennial gully erosion that once threatened to dislodge Ankpa. Adaji facilitated the construction of many rural road projects that led to the linking of Ojoku, Amoke, Ojibogo and other villages with Ankpa.
The foresight of the late monarch saved Ankpa from crises as collaboration with security agencies and community leaders instituted far-reaching measures to make sure peace reigned in the entire area. The relative peace that Ankpa local government enjoys was due to his level of discipline and social justice for all. At a time when herdsmen were rampaging in nearby Agatu, the late Ejeh acted proactively to make sure Ankp local Government Area as a whole was not attacked by the herdsmen. He got the Fulani to sign a peace accord which he religiously maintained until his demise.
The late Ejeh personally set up vigilante groups while also enlisting the services of security agencies to curb the menace of cultism in Igalaland. This paid off as cultists were arrested to give Ankparelative peace.
He engaged in advocacies that led to youth and women empowerment within his domain just as he enhanced basic educational schemes such as the rehabilitation of primary and secondary schools with increased enrolment of the girl-child. He was instrumental to the establishment of a private higher institution-the Central and Moonlight PolytechnicAnkpa.
The late monarch, who believed in economic development of his people, saw to the setting up of local coal industries in Ankpa, Okobo and Ojoku.
Glowing tributes were paid to the late Ejeh for his huge contribution to the development of Ankpa and Kogi State. The governor of Kogi State, Alhaji Yahaya Bello, who led a delegation to the third fidau prayers for the late monarch, said he lost “one of the foremost traditional rulers noted for peace and unity among the people of the state.”
The Attah Igala and Chairman, Kogi State Traditional Council of Chiefs, Dr. Michael Ameh Oboni II, who also led traditional rulers to pay their respect to the departed monarch, expressed worry over the calamities of death befalling his kingdom and called on the Igala to intensify their prayers to God.
A legislator at the Kogi State House of Assembly, Hon. Friday Makama, said “the late Ejeh was humble, God-fearing and faithful to the traditional council. He was a leader of the people and that was evident in the calibre of personalities who have been coming to pay their last respects.”
According to the eldest son of the late monarch, Alhaji Yusuf Ahmadu Yakubu, “we have lost a father, who is more of a friend than a father and we thank God for his life. He was a great propagator of Islam until his death. All over the nation and even outside the nation, he was well known for his Islamic propagations.  That is one of the lessons he has left behind for us. We will indeed miss him.”
A devout Muslim, the Ejeh of Ankpa died on August 15, 2016 after attending an Islamic summit in Edo State. May Allah forgive all his mistakes and reserve a place for him in Aljanatul Firdaus,Ameen.
Kpaleko writes from Ankpa, Kogi State.