message is because I called you and your PA severally in order to inform you of the latest development but no response. I’m very conscious of insecurity because of my old age & for the safety of my people.”

Declaring Abalama a non-partisan community, the king stated, “I and my people disassociate ourselves from the said event because we are not aware of the recent update. I think I was deceived with the letter I received earlier from Dr. D. A. Kelly, FNIQS, not knowing it was a different event that is upcoming.”

He urged the Commissioner of Police to take immediate action, warning that the organisers had no right to proceed without his approval.

“Abalama is an autonomous Community with a King and nobody has the right to organize such an event without my knowledge and the consent of my council of chiefs,” he emphasised.

The monarch concluded by reaffirming the community’s stance. “I and my people have resolved that the organisers of the event should take the event to anywhere of their choice,” he said, making it clear that Abalama would not be part of it.

The US has averted a government shutdown after the Senate passed a Republican-led measure to keep the government funded for the next six months.

The stopgap funding bill passed in the Senate 54-46, as two Democrats joined all but one Republican senator in voting yes. President Donald Trump must now sign it into law before the Friday midnight deadline.

The key vote came earlier when some Senate Democrats, after fierce debate, allowed the measure to pass a procedural hurdle.

The Senate minority leader, Democrat Chuck Schumer, and nine others broke with their colleagues to vote to advance the bill to its final Friday evening vote.

Two Democrats – Senator Jeanne Shaheen and Independent Senator Angus King of Maine – voted in favour of its final passage. Schumer voted “no”.

On Thursday, he announced he would vote to allow the measure to move forward, saying although it wasn’t a bill he liked, he believed triggering a shutdown would be a worse result.

Representative Alexandria Ocasio Cortez called Schumer’s willingness to let the spending bill proceed a “huge slap in the face”, adding that there is a “wide sense of betrayal” among the party, according to the BBC’s US partner CBS News.

She said supporting the bill “codifies the chaos and the reckless cuts that Elon Musk has been pursuing”, and that Senate Democrats who voted yes would be empowering “the robbing of our federal government in order to finance tax cuts for billionaires”.

The Democrats had agonised over whether to support the measure, and eventually pushed for a 30-day continuing resolution that was unlikely to earn enough support to pass.

Senator Ted Cruz accused the Democrats of conducting “political theater” and praised the bill’s passage.

“The government is funded, let’s get back to work,” he said in a statement.

The passage is a victory for Trump and congressional Republicans.

On Friday morning, Trump offered rare bipartisan praise of Schumer’s decision to let the bill advance, writing that “a non pass would be a Country destroyer, approval will lead us to new heights”.

The legislation would keep much of the federal funding levels from the Biden Administration in place, with some key changes.

It increases military spending by $6bn (£4.6bn), for items like border security, veterans healthcare, and military spending. But would cut non-defence funding by about $13bn.

Local officials in Washington DC had feared the bill would result in a $1bn cut in federal funds for the city over the next six months. However, the Senate approved a separate bill that kept its current operating budget intact, the New York Times reported.

The Imo State Council of Traditional Rulers has elected a new Deputy Chairman, Eze Fredric Nwachukwu, following the demise of Eze David Osuagwu, the former occupant of the position.

Leading other traditional rulers to the event, the Imo State Chairman of the Council, Eze C. Okeke, prayed for Nwachukwu’s peaceful and successful reign, maintaining that nature abhors a vacuum; hence, the emergence of the new Deputy Chairman.

The event, which took place at the Owerri Zone Council of Traditional Rulers’ office apartment at the Council Headquarters of the Imo State Council of Traditional Rulers, Ezeimo Palace, Mbari, Owerri, was witnessed by traditional rulers who came in their traditional attires to observe the ritual of the formal opening of the Deputy Chairman’s office.

Until his emergence, Eze Nwachukwu was the traditional custodian of Ngor Ancient Kingdom, Chairman of the Ngor Okpala LGA Council of Traditional Rulers, and the acting Chairman of the Owerri Zone Council of Traditional Rulers.

Earlier, in his remarks while officially declaring the office open, Eze Okeke, who is also the Chairman of the South East Council of Traditional Rulers, requested a minute of silence to honor and pray for the repose of the soul of the departed occupant of the office, Eze Osuagwu.

He informed the Royal Fathers that the ceremony was necessary, considering the fact that nature abhors a vacuum and that the Owerri Zone Traditional Rulers’ office needed to be occupied to move their activities and programs forward.

Eze Okeke explained that Eze Nwachukwu was enthroned to act in the capacity of Deputy Chairman of the State Council, who will be in charge of the Traditional Rulers of Owerri Zone, pending his official recognition by the Governor of the State.

He urged the new Deputy Chairman to remain committed to his duties and to avoid anything that would run contrary to the high expectations of the Council and the State Government.

He enjoined other Royal Fathers to ensure adequate security in their respective domains and to always uphold the culture and tradition of the land.

Nwachukwu thanked Ezeimo for his support and blessings and assured that he would seek God’s guidance and counsel in the discharge of his duties.

He performed his first official duty in the office with the ritual of the royal breaking of the kola nut and pledged to galvanize the Traditional Rulers of Owerri Zone to support the Chairman of the State Council.