Robinson O. Robinson (13 March 1940 – 29 January 2019) was the second Eze Ekpeye Logbo (grand paramount ruler) of the Ekpeye Kingdom in

Ahoada East Ahoada East (also spelt Ehuda East) is a Local Government Area of Rivers State, Nigeria, located northwest of Port Harcourt. Its seat is in the city of Ahoada Ahoada (Ehuda) is a city in Orashi Region of Rivers State, Nigeria, located northwest ...

and parts of

Ahoada West Ahoada West (also spelt Ehuda West) is a Local Government Area of Rivers State, Nigeria, located Northwest of Port Harcourt. It was extracted in 1996 in the General Sani Abacha military regime from the old Ahoada Local Government that makes up th ...

Rivers State Rivers is a states of Nigeria, state in the Niger Delta region of southern Nigeria (Old Eastern Region). Formed on 27 May 1967, when it was split from the former Eastern Region, Nigeria, Eastern Region, Rivers State borders include Imo State, Im ...

Nigeria Nigeria, officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a country in West Africa. It is situated between the Sahel to the north and the Gulf of Guinea in the Atlantic Ocean to the south. It covers an area of . With Demographics of Nigeria, ...

. He was the first chairman of the Rivers State Council of Chiefs. After his demise, he was succeeded by Eze Kevin N. Anugwo as Eze Ekpeye Logbo III in May 2022.

Life and career

Robinson was born on 13 March 1940 at Odiereke-Ubie, Southern Region,

Colonial Nigeria Colonial Nigeria was ruled by the British Empire from the mid-nineteenth century until 1st of October 1960 when Nigeria achieved independence. Britain Lagos Treaty of Cession, annexed Lagos Colony, Lagos in 1861 and established the Oil River ...

(now in

) into a Christian home. He joined the

Nigerian Army The Nigerian Army (NA) is the land force of the Nigerian Armed Forces. It is the largest component of the Nigerian Armed Forces. The President of Nigeria is the Commander-in-Chief of the Nigerian Army, and its professional head is the Chie ...

aged 16. In the army he served in the Reconnaissance Squadron,

Kaduna Kaduna is the capital city of Kaduna State, and the former political capital of Northern Nigeria. It is located in north-western Nigeria, on the Kaduna River. It is a trade center and a major transportation hub as the gateway to northern state ...

Lagos Lagos ( ; ), or Lagos City, is a large metropolitan city in southwestern Nigeria. With an upper population estimated above 21 million dwellers, it is the largest city in Nigeria, the most populous urban area on the African continent, and on ...

Garrison Organisation and Nigerian Army Ordinance Depot, Lagos. In 1966, he was transferred to the

Nigerian Air Force The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) is the air branch of the Nigerian Armed Forces. It is the youngest branch of the Nigerian Armed Forces, established four years after the nation became independent. As at 2021, the air force is one of the largest in A ...

, just two years after its formation. There, he served as the personal assistant to

George T. Kurubo George Tamunoiyowuna Kurubo (27 July 1934 – 2000) was Nigerian Air Force's Chief of the Air Staff from 1966 to 1967. Brigadier George T Kurubo was the third Commander of the Nigerian Air Force (NAF), the first indigenous to hold the post. He ...

, the first indigenous Chief of Air Staff of Nigeria. He then became aide-de-camp to the

Plateau State Plateau is a northern states of Nigeria, Nigerian state. It is located in the north-central geopolitical zone of Nigeria and includes a range of hills surrounding the Jos Plateau. Plateau State is described as "The Home of Peace and Tourism". Th ...

military governor,

Dan Suleiman Dan Suleiman (30 July 1942 – 1 February 2023) was a Nigerian Air Force officer and politician. He was a member of General Murtala Muhammed's supreme military council in Nigeria between July 1975 and March 1976, and was military governor of P ...

. He again served in the Nigerian Air Force Administrative School in

Port Harcourt Port Harcourt (Pidgin: ''Po-ta-kot or Pi-ta-kwa)'' is the capital and largest city of Rivers State in Nigeria. It is the fifth most populous city in Nigeria after Lagos, Kano, Ibadan and Benin. It lies along the Bonny River and is locate ...

as a training instructor. In November 1979, he voluntarily retired from the Nigerian Air Force as a flight lieutenant.

Personal life

In 1970, Robinson married Felicia Funmilayo, a 19-year-old Lagos-born Ekpeye lady while he was still in military service.

Kingship

After the demise of the Eze Ekpeye Logbo I, Eze Edmund Unoshi Ashirim of Ihuaba in Upata kingdom (the Ekpeye kingdom consists of three constituent kingdoms) in 1977, a five-man committee was created to select the next king of Ekpeye from Ubie kingdom. The mantle fell on Robinson. In 1979, he accepted the call to ascend the throne of Ekpeye Kingdom as its paramount ruler, voluntarily retiring from active military service in the process and was enthroned as Eze Ekpeye Logbo II. In 1983, he was elected as the first chairman of the Rivers State Council of Traditional Rulers and Chiefs. In 2013, he, alongside his council of chiefs laid curses on corrupt indigenes of Ekpeyeland who abuse the public trust invested on them.

Awards

During his lifetime, Robinson was awarded by the Nigerian government with the

Commander of the Order of the Niger Commander (commonly abbreviated as Cmdr.) is a common naval officer rank as well as a job title in many armies. Commander is also used as a rank or title in other formal organizations, including several police forces. In several countries, ...

(CON) honour.

Demise

He passed away on 29 January 2019, after an ailment. He was buried at his palace in Obiereke-Ubie on 13 May 2019.

References

External links

Nigerian traditional rulers Nigerian Air Force officers People from Rivers State 1940 births 2019 deaths {{Africa-royal-stub