The traditional ruler of the Elem Kalabari community, Alhaji Mujahid Asari Dokubo, has pledged to restore and develop the long-abandoned ancestral settlement in Degema Local Government Area of Rivers State.
Dokubo made the announcement during a ceremony marking his 61st birthday, held at Elem Kalabari, a historic site believed to be the origin of all Kalabari Kingdom communities, which has remained deserted since 1885.
“We have started; now you can walk freely here. After 140 years of abandonment, the kingdom has come alive,” Dokubo said, promising transformative, people-oriented development for the area. “What we are going to do, nobody has imagined.”
His remarks come months after the Rivers State Government officially recognized him as the traditional ruler of Elem Kalabari, presenting him with a staff of office on December 31, 2024.
Declaring his leadership role, Dokubo emphasized, “Elem Kalabari is an integral part of the Kalabari nation. There cannot be a king in Elem Kalabari; I am the head under the King of Kalabari.”
