Ezeolisa Allagoa

His Majesty Ambrose Ezeolisa Allagoa (1914–2003) was King of Nembe Kingdom from 1980 until his death. He is also by birth related to the Ossomari royal family through his grandmother Omu Okwei (the merchant queen of Onitsha). He succeeded his father His Royal Majesty Francis Ossomade Joseph Allagoa (Mingi X) Amanyanabo of Nembe in April 12, 1980, being styled His Royal Majesty Ambrose Ezeolisa Allagoa Mingi XI Amanyanabo of Nembe-Ibe Kingdom

His Royal Majesty Justice Ambrose Ezeolisa Allagoa MINGI XI was born on 24 August 1914 to the family of His Royal Majesty King Francis Ossomade Joseph Allagoa MINGI X and Madam Nwaokiri Rose Onyeka. He was the second son of his father. His father Francis Ossomade Joseph Allagoa (Amanyanabo of Nembe Kingdom, MINGI X) was the son of the rich influential merchant Queen – Okwei of Osomari Kingdom (in present-day Delta state) and Chief Joseph Alagoa, grandson of KingBoy Amain MINGI V Amanyanabo of Nembe Kingdom (in present-day Bayelsa State). His Majesty was educated at the Government School Owerri in 1927; the St. Mary’s Primary School Port Harcourt from 1927-1932; a pioneer student of Christ the King College (CKC) Onitsha 1933-1936; He was recognized for his exemplary behavior and came off with the senior Cambridge certificate at the enviable age of 22 in 1936.

His Majesty Ambrose E. Allagoa joined the Lincoln’s Inn in November 1944 and was subsequently called to the English bar on 26 January 1950.

After successfully being called to the English Bar in 1950, he returned to the city of Port Harcourt in the old eastern Region of Nigeria where the independence movement was growing. He served as Deputy Mayor of Port Harcourt Municipal Council between 1951 and 1959. In 1959, He was elected as the2nd Mayor of Port Harcourt Municipal Council taking over from Mayor Richard Okwosha Nzimiro in 1959. He served in this capacity for three years, giving the city of Port Harcourt the name Garden City.

He served his tenure as mayor of Port Harcourt where he invited the Prime Minister of Nigeria Sir Alhaji Tafawa Balewa and the Premier of the Eastern Region, Chief Michael Okpara to the city of Port Harcourt.

Upon completion of his secondary school education at Christ the King College, Onitsha, young Ambrose successfully sat for and made distinctions in his senior Cambridge Certificate exam and was subsequently employed in the Civil Service of the then Eastern Region of Nigeria where he worked as a clerk in the judiciary of the Eastern Region government for a few years. He gained a lot of exposure and experience which were vital in his life. His working career took him to Lagos, Enugu and Port Harcourt where he served diligently as a clerk of court before proceeding to the Lincoln’s Inn for his qualification as a lawyer.

On his return from England as a lawyer, he commenced his legal practice, setting up his Law firm in the oil rich city of Port Harcourt, Nigeria. He had a successful career in the legal profession and this won him the respect and admiration of many lawyers. He was elevated to the bench as a High Court Judge in 1962 by the then Eastern Region of Nigeria Government where he served as a Judge of the Eastern Region in cities like Abakaliki, Nsukka, Ikot Ekpene, Umuahia, and Port Harcourt. So dignified and diligent was his service that in 1976, he was appointed the first indigenous Chief Judge of Old Rivers State in 1976. And the second Chief Judge of Rivers state. He retired three years later on the 24th day of September 1979 having attained the requisite retirement age of 65 years.

His Lordship (late) H.R.M. Justice Ambrose Ezeolisa Allagoa is mostly remembered for the celebrated judgment in the famous Amakiri v. Iwowari case where he exhibited rare courage in the award of damages in favor of the injured journalist Amakiri. Not minding the fact that the military government of Rivers State had deep interest in the case and its agents were the adversary in the case. His rare courage towards seeing that justice triumphed in the case was recognized and applauded all over the Nation.

His maternal great grandfather (King Atamanya- Nzedegwu of Ossomari) invited Roman Catholic priests into his Ossomari Kingdom and the young Ambrose growing up in Ossomari became an adherent catholic faithful. His Majesty Ambrose Ezeolisa Allagoa was a devout Catholic; he fully identified with the objectives of the Roman Catholic Church and was a worthy knight of the Roman Catholic Church.

According to an oration presented by The Order Of the Knights of Saint Mulumba, KSM, Port Harcourt in honor of His Majesty the King:

“We recall the crucial role he played as a Catholic in post-war Rivers state. At the end of the civil war, Catholics generally were haunted in Rivers state. In spite of this unwholesome phenomenon, he not only stood firm in the Catholic Church, but also participated and supported the persecuted clergy. He assisted the Catholic Church immensely in identifying and recovering some of her properties at the end of the war in Rivers state. His full participation during Corpus Christi procession, in spite of acute challenges of age, epitomized his commitment to the Catholic faith.”

His Majesty was among the founders of Order of the Knight of St. Mulumba in Owerri. As a Knight, he introduced the Order of the Knight of St. Mulumba Nigeria KSM in Rivers State in 1985, and eventually saw to its charter and subsequent inauguration on 26 September 1987 of the Port Harcourt Sub Council of the Order of the Catholic Institute of West Africa (CIWA) Port Harcourt.

It is on record that His Majesty also checked the bid by Protestants to marginalize the Catholics during the 1959 elections in the defunct Eastern Nigeria. His commitment and astuteness came to the fore and led to the appointment of six Catholics from Port Harcourt province as ministers in the Michael Okpara led cabinet. "As the first Grand Knight of the Knight of the Order of Saint Mulumba, Port Harcourt Sub Council, he piloted the affairs of the sub council admirably and with dignity."

His Majesty sat on the throne for 23 years. He extended hands of friendship to all neighboring kingdoms around such as Ogbia, Kalabari Kingdom, Abua, Benin Kingdom to mention a few. Through His Majesty’s out stretched arms of friendship and networking, the Oba of Benin Oba Erediauwa made a historic visit to Nembe during His Majesty’s reign as Amanyanabo of Nembe. His Majesty fostered unity and cooperation among all who came across him. He also called on the Federal and state governments to work in peaceful cooperation to build the long proposed road to Nembe and through it to other parts of the area.

Upon the creation of Bayelsa state out of the old River state in 1996, he contributed immensely to the success of the newly created state. His Majesty was the Chairman of the Traditional Rulers Council both in Rivers State and in Bayelsa State where he moved to restore peace among the coastal communities.

Titles

Monarchical style of King Ambrose Allagoa Amanyanabo of Nembe, Mingi the 11th

• Reference style: His Majesty
• Spoken style: Your Majesty
• Alternative style: Mingi XI

His Majesty Justice Ambrose Allagoa loved the game of golf and he showed this by supporting the Golf Section of the Port Harcourt Club 1928. He was a member of Rotary International. He travelled to various cities for International Conferences along with his wife. He was among the founders of Leonard Cheshire International in Nigeria owing to the fact that Sir Leonard Cheshire was his close friend. In line with the vision of Sir Leonard Cheshire, he established the Leonard Cheshire home for the physically challenged in the city of Port Harcourt.

His Majesty Justice Ambrose Allagoa had children and lots of grandchildren.

• Commander of the Order of the Niger, CON in 1978
• Grand Knight of Saint Sylvester conferred on him by Pope Paul VI in 1977
• Knight of St. Gregory conferred on him by Pope John XXIII in 1978
• Honorary Citizen of Maryland, USA conferred on him by Governor Preston Smith in 1972
• Pro-Chancellor, University of Ilorin 1978
• Pro-Chancellor, University of Sokoto 1982-83,
• Chancellor, Federal University of Technology, Owerri 1985-2000.