The Asagba of Asaba, Professor Epiphany Azinge, presided over the maiden edition of a formal annual celebration of senior citizens in the Asaba Kingdom, gathering more than 400 indigenes aged 80 and above at the Ogwa Ukwu Ahaba in Asaba for a ceremony that the traditional ruler said would be held every May 23 as a permanent fixture in the community’s calendar.

Azinge said the celebration was conceived in sincere appreciation of the elders whose wisdom, commitment, and counsel had guided Asaba on a positive and progressive trajectory across generations. He said the foundation they had laid and the legacies they left could not be ignored or pushed aside, and that the ceremony was designed to ensure the community formally acknowledged that debt.

The event also served as a reunion for many of the elders, with the Asagba expressing particular joy at seeing former community figures reconnect with one another after decades apart. He prayed for the elders’ continued health and assured them that the celebration would be sustained as a permanent annual event.

Among those honored was 104-year-old Ogbueshi Francis Awele, 100-year-old Ogbueshi Anyanti, 98-year-old Madam Regina Odiwe, and 93-year-old Ezinne Mabel Oduah. Several of the honorees expressed gratitude to the Asagba for giving them what they described as a genuine sense of belonging, and offered prayers for his health and the continued progress of Asaba Kingdom.