Former finance minister, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, has lost her father, Chukwuka Okonjo, the Obi of Ogwashi Uku, Aniocha South Local Government Area of Delta State.
Prof. Okonjo died at the age of 91 in the United States.
Secretary to the Obi of Ogwashi-Uku palace, Lawrence Okolobi, announced the monarch’s demise in a statement on Friday.
Third son of the late professor of Mathematics, Ifechukwude Okonjo, has been appointed to take the throne which the late monarch ascended in 2007.
The coronation rites began early Friday and would continue for the next 21 days, with the next seven days being the most critical, according to the statement.
Ifechukwude is a financial management expert and chief executive of Chevy Chase Consulting.
The new monarch obtained his A’ levels as an external student of the University of London before proceeding to the US where he bagged two degrees in Economics and History from the University of Maryland, College Park and an MBA from University of Edinburgh, Scotland.
He is currently said to be pursuing a doctorate in Business Administration from the University of Paris, in France.