Adams, Dignitaries Storm Calabar For Olumba’s Silver Jubilee

Monarchs, spiritual leaders, and dignitaries from Nigeria and abroad on Monday arrived Calabar for the Silver Jubilee of “Divine Coronation” of Olumba Olumba Obu.

The spiritual leader of the Brotherhood of the Cross and Star is marking 25 years since his coronation with a weeklong series of events.

Among the early arrivals in the Cross River State capital was Ganiyu Adams, the Yoruba leader and head of the Oodua People’s Congress.

He was accompanied by coordinators from Rivers, Akwa Ibom, Enugu, and Ebonyi States. Their presence highlighted what organizers called the “national significance” of the celebration.

The Brotherhood’s World headquarters in Calabar has become a center of activity as adherents and guests from several countries gather ahead of the climax of the jubilee.

The city is hosting a mix of spiritual rites, cultural displays, and formal ceremonies throughout the week.

A central feature of the celebration is the appointment of 24 Elders selected from different parts of the world.

Obu described the appointments as a “fulfilment of scriptural injunctions.” Those named include American Michael Glynn, Liberian technocrat Archbishop Thomas Momoh Pujeh, Ghanaian cleric George Anamuah, and Cameroonian national Ebanda Stephanie.

The new Elders joined their Nigerian counterparts, a group made up of clergymen, professionals, academics, and business figures.

They were inaugurated during a ceremony at the movement’s headquarters that combined spiritual rites with fanfare.

Before the inauguration, the Elders traveled to Biakpan in Biase Local Government Area, the birthplace of the spiritual leader.
Reports said they spent a day and night there and took part in “symbolic rites at a local stream” as part of their preparation.

During the inauguration, the spiritual leader placed crowns on their heads while they chanted worship songs from the “New Testament book of Revelation.”

A large crowd of adherents from around the world witnessed the event.

Patriarch Bassey Imowo, leader of the Elders, told his colleagues to “embrace humility and service to humanity,” stressing the spiritual responsibility of their calling.

Addressing the gathering, Olumba Obu said the inauguration marked “a new era of peace and blessings for humanity” and urged nations and leaders to “embrace forgiveness and unity” as more dignitaries continued to arrive in Calabar.