Robinson O. Robinson

Life and career Robinson was born on 13 March 1940 at Odiereke-Ubie, Southern Region, Colonial Nigeria (now in Ahoada West, Rivers State, Nigeria) into a Christian home. He joined the Nigerian Army aged 16. In the army he served in the Reconnaissance Squadron, Kaduna, Lagos Garrison Organisation and Nigerian Army Ordinance Depot, Lagos. In 1966, he was transferred to the Nigerian Air Force, just two years after its formation. There, he served as the personal assistant to George T. Kurubo, the first indigenous Chief of Air Staff of Nigeria. He then became aide-de-camp to the Plateau State military governor, Dan Suleiman. He again served in the Nigerian Air Force Administrative School in Port Harcourt as a training instructor. In November 1979, he voluntarily retired from the Nigerian Air Force as a flight lieutenant.

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.

Awards During his lifetime, Robinson was awarded by the Nigerian government with the Commander of the Order of the Niger (CON) honour. He was buried at his palace in Obiereke-Ubie on 13 May 2019.