21/08/2026
The Call of the Gods: The Story of High the Priest of Ozubou.
This is the story of High Priest of Ozubou, Ayepereotubo Collins Tam, a man whose spiritual journey began with a call he initially refused to accept.
According to his account, Ayepereotubo Collins Tam was living his life as an assistant pastor when, according to the traditions of his ancestors, the call of the Gods came upon him. The call was to take up the responsibility of serving the ancestral deity of Ozubou in Ayakoromo in Burutu Local Government Area of Delta State and becoming a custodian of a spiritual heritage handed down through generations.
But he resisted.
He refused to accept what he understood to be the call of the Gods of his ancestors. Yet, according to his testimony, the spiritual encounter did not end with his refusal. Events unfolded that he interpreted as a response from the Gods—a response that compelled him to reconsider his decision as the Amadua of Ayakoromo.
Eventually, he returned and accepted the call.
His journey from an assistant pastor to a high priest therefore raises important questions about faith, identity, ancestry, spirituality and the continuing relationship between the living and the traditional institutions of the Ijaw people.
In many Ijaw communities, priests have historically been regarded as important representatives and intermediaries of deities and ancestors.
In this interview, High Priest Ayepereotubo Collins Tam of Ayakoromo of Ngbilebiri Mein Kingdom tells his story in his own words: how the call came, why he initially rejected it, what happened afterward, and what finally compelled him to return and accept the responsibility.
This is not simply a story about becoming a priest. It is a story about a man confronted by ancestry, confronted by spirituality, and ultimately compelled to answer what he believed was a call from the Gods.
Interview with Asiayei Enaibo
The Cultural Journalist
