102-Year-Old Monarch, Attah Of Igala Dies

Nigeria’s longest serving monarch, the Attah of Igala, His Royal Majesty, Alhaji (Dr.) Aliyu Ocheja Obaje, has died, aged 102.

Until his death on Monday afternoon, he was the president of the Kogi State Traditional Council and as well the Chancellor of the University of Lagos.

Born in 1920 into the famous royal family of Akumabi the second son of Ayegba, he attended Idah Government School, Dekina Elementary School (1932-1934) and Okene Middle School (1934-1938).

He taught briefly at Dekina Elementary School between 1939 and 1940, before proceeding to Ibadan for training from 1940 to 1942. He was also an Accountant with Kabba Native Authority Treasury and also worked as Cost Accounts Clerk under the defunct Igala Native Authority.
   
In November 1956, he was installed as His Royal Majesty, the Attah Igala, on a Second Class Status. The following year, he was promoted to First Class Status by Sir Sharwood Smith, popularly known and called Maiwandon-Karfe, thus becoming the first literate and Muslim scholar ever to be installed as the Attah Igala in the history of Attah Institution in the old and new Igala kingdom.

In 1963, he was honoured by Her Royal Majesty Queen Elizabeth II the Queen of England with the British title of Commander of the Most Distinguished Order of British Empire (CBE).  The Federal Government of Nigeria also honoured him with Commander of the Order of the Niger (CON) in 1964. He was chairman of the Nigeria Red Cross Society, and vice president of Kwara State Council of Chiefs from 1967 to 1976. He was member and vice president, Benue State Council of Chiefs, from 1976 to 1991.

The late monarch was member, Board of Trustees, Cancer Aid Foundation of Nigeria; member, National Council of States; and elected fellow, Institute of Administrative Management of Nigeria. He was also a vice president of the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA).