By Eseoghene Emuke
Engr. Mike Orugbo, a renowned businessman and Chairman of O-Secul Nigeria Limited, has finally accepted repeated calls from the Okporua Ruling House to ascend the revered throne of Ovie of Udu Kingdom in Delta State following the passage of His Royal Majesty, Barr. Emmanuel Delekpe, Ohworhu I.
The Okporua Ruling of Udu Kingdom is made of five communities of Ogbe-Udu, Oghior, Ukpiovwin, Okolor-Waterside and Okolor-Inland.
The Ovie of Udu Kingdom is the sole traditional ruler of Udu Local Government Area of Delta and the highest mouthpiece of Udu people of Urhobo speaking tribe of Niger Delta region comprising seven ruling houses.
The Ruling House is entitled to produce the next traditional ruler of Udu in line with the traditional and government gazette guiding the enthronement of Ovie of Udu.
The selection of the billionaire oil mogul and ally of powerful businessmen in Nigeria, including General TY Danjuma, Onajite Paul Okoloko, and Aliko Dangot,e came months after the Udu monarch, Ohworhu 1, joined his ancestors.
In line with the traditional guidelines, the Okporua Ruling House will now nominate Engr. Orugbo to the Udu Traditional Ruler Council as Ovie-elect for ratification and coronation.
Upon ratification by the traditional council, Orugbo, with over five decades in the nation’s oil and gas industry and known for his boardroom wizardry, would be presented to Udu people as Ovie-elect and undergo traditional rites and purification before being crowned as Ovie of Udu Kingdom.
Orugbo’s acceptance of the offer followed a visit by the leadership of Okporua Ruling House to his country-home in Ogbe-Udu town last week to officially inform him as the choice of the ancestors and the Ruling House to ascend the Udu throne.
The visit by the Okporua Ruling House, which comprised presidents-general, secretaries, youth leaders, women, and elders of the five communities – Ogbe-Udu, Oghior, Ukpiovwin, Okolor-Waterside, and Okolor-Inland.
The leadership of the ruling house had pleaded with the businessman to accept the offer to lead Udu people, noting that he was the most qualified and chosen by his ancestors and the people of Okporua Ruling House for the revered seat of Udu monarchy.
According to sources, Orugbo had earlier declined the offer to mount the throne of his forebears because he was not prepared for any struggle to be king since he was satisfied with his quiet and business life after retirement from active involvement in key areas of the oil industry for decades.
Speaking during the visit of the Okporua Ruling House, Deacon Nigeria Okorode from Oghior community, pleaded with Orugbo to accept the crown and give Udu people the right leadership and build on the achievements recorded under their departed royal father.
He pleaded further that the time was ripe for Udu to send their first eleven to take leadership positions, stressing that it would be a thing of pride for Engr. Orugbo to be the next Ovie of Udu Kingdom.
President of Oghior community and Chairman of the Forum of community presidents in Okporua Ruling House, Barr. Moses Uchere, said Engr. Orugbo remains the only candidate to be present from the ruling house, adding that the choice of the Ovie-elect was unanimous.
He called on the people of Udu to support the process leading to Orugbo’s coronation as the next royal father of Udu Kingdom.
Moved by the endorsement from the Okporua Ruling House, Orugbo thanked the people for the demonstration of love, stressing that since he was now the choice of the entire Okporua people, he could not turn down the offer.
He noted that, “I do not own myself. I am your own, and you are my own. If my fathers, mothers, children and friends from all five communities in Okporua could mobilise this much to declare their stand on this matter, I will have no choice but to accept the offer.
“I hereby accept to be the next King of Udu Kingdom. Udu shall be greater under my reign with your support and prayers.”
The announcement sparked jubilation among the people, who went into frenzy, singing and dancing to celebrate the emergence of the Ovie-elect.
The choice of Orugbo was also endorsed by the chairman of Udu Local Government Council, Olorogun Vincent Oyibode, and the leadership of the council.
Among those who witness the event were Chief C.C.I Whiliki and Chief Udumarho Segba from Owhorhu Ruling House, Okporua Ruling House had Chief Luke Djebah, Chief Okoro Tagbovwere, the Okpruhiovwin and the man with the authority to crown Kings in Udu, Engr Alex Neyin, Chief Akunuhor Esiso, Hon Jonathan Karo Goru and Engr Nelson Odien.
The Orhuwhorun Ruling House was represented by Chief B.J Egbetamah, father of the House of Assembly member from Udu and Chief Millicent Miller; Adadja Ruling House had Chief Andrew Oyovwiraye in attendance; Owhrode Ruling House had Chief Eddie Ono-Sorhue and Chief Mike Oghenekaro, while the Uloho Ruling House was represented by Elegbete Barr Moses Odibo, Chief Richard Odibo, Chief Austin Emaduku, Chief James Akpowan and Hon Justice Irikefe Iyasere.
Also present were Chief Steve Sokoh, Chief Henry Afure Sakpra and Hon Henry Apunu, leader of the Udu legislative arm from the Ovwian ruling House.
The next stage would be for Okporua Ruling House to recommend Engr Orugbo to the Udu Traditional Council, the body of Kingmakers who would ratify the nomination in line with the 1979 Edict before the coronation is done.
Who Is Engr. Mike Orugbo?
Orugbo studied Electrical/Electronics Engineering at Auchi Polytechnic, Edo State in 1976. He obtained a BSc (Hons) degree in Instrumentation and Control Engineering from Teeside University, Middlesborough in 1983.
Orugbo worked for the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) between 1977-1979 and 1983-1989. He founded O-Secul Engineering Company in 1989, which was later changed to O-Secul Nigeria Limited in 1997.
The Ovie-elect is a member of the Nigerian Society of Engineers and Non-Executive Director from 2010 to 2024 at Notore Chemical Industries Plc.
He also sits on the board of many other companies within and outside Nigeria where he continues to provide leadership and direction.
Popular business newspaper, Nairametrics, in 2018, described Orugbo as a multibillionaire with 34,333,330 shares in Notore Plc, amounting to billions of naira.
Orugbo was also listed alongside Richard Herb, General TY Danjuma (rtd), Michael Osime, Onajite Paul Okoloko, and others as the latest billionaires on the Nigerian Stock Exchange as of 2018.
He celebrated his 70th birthday in January this year.
