The Franklin Reporter & Advocate Eight Villages, One Community
A Nigerian king spent a few hours in the township July 20, touring Franklin High School and visiting the library’s main branch during his time here.
The monarch, His Royal Highness Apollos Chu, King of Eleme in Nigeria’s Rivers State, traded gifts with Mayor Phil Kramer and others in the township – from the king, books he authored and from the mayor, a brass key to the township – during his visit.
The king was given a tour of the high school by principal Frank Chmiel, who called it a “once in a lifetime experience.”
“I can’t wait to share this with the students, faculty and staff of Franklin High School,” he said. “I’m a man of faith, and I believe that these great opportunities are things that increase that faith, you’re kind of moving with the calling on your life.”
While at the high school Chu, who is also a spiritual leader in his country, gave blessings to Chmiel, Kramer, Deputy Mayor Shanel Robinson and Foday Manasary, chairman of the West African Community Foundation. Mansaray, a human rights delegate to the United Nations, was responsible for the king’s visit.
The king also surprised some children and their mothers who were at the school as part of a summer program.
“You’re a real king?” one of the children asked, wide-eyed.
“Yes,” the king replied.
That prompted a round of photos taken with the children and their parents with the king.
The king said he was impressed with the high school and the library.
The school, he said, represents economic empowerment because of its mission.
“I encourage all parents that they bring their children to public school, or government school or a school where they will properly be educated and (learn) what life is all about,” Chu said.
When parents send their children to school, he said, “they are building a better family for themselves, and they are also building a better nation and better community for tomorrow.”
The library, the king said, “is fantastic.”
“It shows the commitment of the government to provide the basic infrastructure, basic amenities, basic facility that will promote the better life of the people in the locality,” he said.
The king said he hoped that the relationship between the township and Nigeria would grow, adn said he also hoped that Mayor Kramer would visit him in Nigeria.
In, fact, he told Kramer, the key that he was gifted would hang on a wall in his palace with a picture of the mayor.
The visit by Chu was the third visit to the township by an African king in the past two years. In 2016, Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, King of the Yourba people in Nigeria, led a delegation of Nigerian kings and dignitaries on an economic tour of the United States, with Franklin being one of the stops.
In April, Nana Amoatia Ofori Panin II, King of Akyem Abuakwa in the Eastern Region of Ghana, visited First Baptist Church of Lincoln Gardens, at which he was a parishioner before being called back to his home country to become king.
The Franklin Reporter & Advocate live-streamed part of the latest king’s visit:
Part 1
https://www.facebook.com/franklinreporter/videos/1605598482885191/
Part 2
https://www.facebook.com/franklinreporter/videos/1605603179551388/
Here are some scenes from the visit:
