Southsouth Regional Editor SHOLA O’NEIL and Warri Correspondent BOLAJI OGUNDELE examine the controversy over the planned installation of the Ologbotsere of Warri and other titles
Olu of Warri Ogiame Ikenwoli received some angry visitors on Tuesday. Their grouse: Billionaire businessman Chief Ayiri Emami must not be made the Ologbotsere (Prime Minister) of Warri Kingdom. They were also against the installation of two others.
They came in their hundreds. The Itsekiri citizens laid siege on the palace (Aghofen) of the Olu of Warri, protesting alleged untraditional approach of the monarch to some issues, including the appointment of some persons to fill three prime chieftaincy positions.
The protesters took over all the accesses into and out of the palace, which is situated on Ajamimogha Road, preventing even the chiefs to gain access in and the Olu trapped within the walls of his palace.
The siege on the palace assumed a dire dimension, after the aggrieved protesters cut off electricity and power supply to the palace premises, at Ekurede-Itsekiri, Warri late Tuesday morning.
“Public power and water supplies to the Aghofen (Palace) have now been cut off and the palace is in darkness. The people are really very angry,” a source at the scene said.
By the evening of that day, signs of ease emerged when some chiefs and representatives of the protesters, who had gone in to consult with the monarch, came out after about hours and announced his decision to suspend plans to install Emami and others with the key offices.
A source, who was at the palace when the decision of the Olu was communicated, said: “The Olu of Warri, His Majesty, Ogiame Ikenwoli, has graciously listened to the voice of the Itsekiri people. He has suspended the issue of conferment of the Chieftaincy titles of Ologbotsere to Chief Ayiri Emami, Iyatsere to Chief Johnson Atserunleghe and Uwangue to Mr. Gabriel Awala.
“Ogiame said he has already sent words to the concerned families that the Itsekiri people do not want the three men, and as such, fresh names should be submitted. Ogiame however advised all protesters to work within the concerned families with a view to ensuring that the right names are submitted this time around.”
One of the leaders of the protesters, Weyinmi Agbateyinero, said aside Emami’s issue, the Olu was also meddling in the affairs of Itsekiri Regional Development Council (IRDC), HOSTCOM, and the Itsekiri National Youth Council among others.
Agbateyinero, who said the action of the protesters had the blessings of key Itsekiri actors from various walks of life, called on all Itsekiri people to join in the call on the monarch to heed the call on him to save the image of the traditional stool.
Agbateyinero said: “Persons so nominated in the selection and nomination of Ologbotsere fall short of all known traditional standards and requirements paraded by previous occupants of such chieftaincies in terms of age, integrity, intellectual capability, status, etc.
“The issues surrounding the selection of Iyasere and Uwangue titles did not follow all known traditional procedures and processes. Nominees for the Iyasere and Uwangue titles also lack the requirements for such exalted chieftaincy titles.
“Since 2015 that Ikenwole was installed as the 20th Olu of Warri, the reverence, respect and regard attached to the throne has been intentionally diminished through his actions and inactions. He has brought us as a people to the lowest point of our history.
“We make this clarion call to all Itsekiri sons and daughters to join hands to stop this desecration, demystification, destruction and degradation of our collective traditional heritage that we hold so dear to our soul. History beckons on us to rise up to this occasion to stop forthwith, the callous, humiliating, embarrassing, disgraceful and shameful acts of Ogiame Ikenwole and Yemi Emiko. The time to act is now”, he said.
Prince Yemi Emiko, who is a sibling of the Olu, attributed the action of the protesters and their organisers to mere partisan politicking, noting that the state government had a hand in the offensive against the palace.
“There are not so many issues to confuse anybody. Some titles in the land that are family titles. Even the Olu has no power as such as to who will be holders of such titles. The Ologbotsere title happens to be one of such. The head of the Ologbotsere family as of today is Pa Okporoku who crowned the Olu December 12th 2015.
“It is not true that the Olu wants to impose anyone, that’s why it is so annoying. In the last one year, the title family has been engaged in meetings almost every other week in the last one year, trying to agree on who to present. Finally, about three months ago, they came in large numbers to the palace, let by Pa Okporoku and all the seniors.
“It is a large family with about twelve gates. All came to present a letter to the Olu, nominating two persons, Chief Ayiri Emami and Chief Eyewoma. Two weeks ago, the Olu called the families leaders again and said I am getting ready to give out this title. Of the two nominees you presented in a letter to me, I give you seven days to go back, pick one and bring me a result.
“The family went outside the sitting room in the palace, came back to the Olu and said they don’t need seven days, that Chief Eyewoma does not qualify for the office because he is born of a woman in the family. Unanimously they said their end decision was Chief Ayiri.
“That’s the story. The haters of Ayiri are the one doing protest, the same people who have been fighting the Olu since he came on the throne. The Olu says it’s not me, go to the Ologbotsere family and let them bring any name of their choice. So the protest is out there is not the Olu’s matter.
“Now, they are just like oh, it is going to be Ayiri. The same way the Iyatsere family has nominated one Chief Johnson for that title. Uwangue family has chosen one Gabriel Awala, all nominations in letters signed to the monarch. The fifth of August has been set aside for presentation of the Iyatsere title.
“What I see there is partisan struggle. Ayiri is APC. They have reduced it to politics and we see the hands of Asaba in all these,” Emiko said.
Ologbotsere (Prime Minister) of Warri is the second highest rank in the land and the decision to bestow it on Emami, who was only made a chief five years ago has not gone down well with a section of the kingdom.
The stool of Ologbotsere has been vacant since the demise of Chief O. N Rewane, the last occupant in 1987.
Olu Ogiame Atuwatse II did not install an Ologbotsere during his 28year reign until his demise in 2015. However, his older half-brother and successor, Ogiame Ikenwoli was said to have bestowed the stool on Chief Emami, much to the consternation of other members of the traditional council, women and youths of the ethnic nation.
The search for new individuals to fill the three vacant seats has begun. Who will the caps fit? Time will tell.
