THE SUN SETS FOR ATUWATSE II, RISES FOR OMOBA
IKENWOLI IN WARRI KINGDOM
OLU
ATUWATSE: A REIGN OF TURBULENCE, TRIUMPHS
OMOBA
IKENWOLI: AN INHERITANCE OF A TROUBLED NATION
LIFE
AND TIMES OF OGIAME ATUWATSE II
The process towards the formal proclamation of the
passage of the Olu of Warri, Ogiame Atuwatse II, took place on Saturday, September 19, at
Ode-Itsekiri, also known as Big Warri, in the presence of the entire Itsekiri
nation. It culminated in the symbolic breaking of the pot of native chalk.
The shattering of the white pot, wrapped in the
ceremonial red cotton, was not only the end of rite of the death of the
monarch, but it was also the setting of a sun over one of the most turbulent
reigns in present era in the history of the kingdom.
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| Ogiame Atuwatse II |
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| Ale je efun |
Before the ceremony, which took place at about
11:45am that Saturday, darkness had gripped the land. Shadows of rumours swept
through, but no one acknowledged it. The Itsekiri tradition forbids for anybody
to announce an Olu’s death before the Olu Advisory Council had picked a
successor.
As the chant of Ale
je efun ‘The chalk is eaten by the earth’, rent the air, the crowd waited,
with bated breath, for the revelation of his successor.
At the end of the rite and declaration of Prince
Ikenwoli Godfrey (Abiloye) Emiko as his successor, there was palpable relief
for thousands of the small, compact and educated tribe.
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| OLU ATUWATSE II (in red petticoat) surrounded by Chief O. N.
Rewane (to his right), Chief G Mabiaku, (left) and Chief Isaac Jemide
(behind him in 1987) |
The Itsekiri are spread are beyond Warri metropolis and
communities from the three Warri (North, South and South West) Uvwie, local government
areas of Delta state. They are found in Ologbo and other towns and hamlets in Edo
and Ugbolokposo in Uvwie LGA of Detla state.
There had been subdued mourning of the late monarch before the announcement by the
Ojomo of Warri Kingdom, Chief Yaya Pessu.
Ogiame Atuwatse II ascended the throne on May 2,
1987. His elaborate coronation was the last public appearance of Chief Obafemi
Awolowo, who died seven days later. His reign brought some unprecedented
prosperity and development to the Itsekiri nation.
From one local government area in 1987 when he was
crowned, Warri expanded to three LGAs when he made his royal bow early this
month. His reign also saw the establishment of one of the biggest gas project
in the country , the Escravos Gas to Liquid (EGTL) project, sited in Ugborodo,
Warri South West LGA. The landmark $8.4 billion project, a joint venture
between Sasol Oil and Chevron Nigeria Limited, brought with it prosperity and
employment opportunities to the land. It also brought loads of controversy to
the kingdom.
It was also during his tenure that an Itsekiri man,
against all odds assumed the highest political office in the state. Dr Emmanuel
Uduaghan, an Itsekiri from Abigborodo, Warri North LGA, was inaugurated as
governor in May 29, 2007 and served the constitutionally allowed eight-year two
tenure till May 29, 2015.
Like the fortunes of EGTL, there are divergent views
on the benefits that accrued to the nation during those eight years that
Uduaghan was governor.
But to his credit, the monarch resisted the
temptation of dabbling into the politics. He played the role of father to all
and never publicly supported any candidate, either personally or through
proxies; even when Dr Uduaghan, was in the eye of the political storm, Ogiame
Atuwatse II maintained a dignified silence and never called for a block vote
for him in any of the elections.
There are however those who felt that the management
of the economic boom under his administration were cornered by a few, including
the monarch who continued to run his successful businesses throughout his
reign.
For Mr Amorighoye Mene, the wealth of the nation
remained in the pocket of an insignificant few. “If you see what is going, even
in Ugborodo, people are not developing. Ugborodo is the closest community to
Chevron and EGTL, yet they are undergoing massive demonstration today because
of deprivation. There is no water, no transportation, and no light.
“Opportunities came, but it is in the hands of very
few. We have remained paupers. The Itsekiri people are deprived and poor. The
wealth is in the hands of a few. How has the IRDC impacted on the Itsekiri
people? Ask the same of EGTL and others; there are more outsiders working with
Chevron than itsekiri sons and daughters,” he added.
IN
THE EYE OF THE STORM: WARRI CRISIS, ROYAL EDICT
Beyond the issue of the Itsekiri commonwealth,
political and social prosperity, two very striking issues defined the 28-year
reign of Olu Atuwatse II: the Warri Crisis (1997 to 2004) and the controversial
Royal Edict, signed by the monarch on September 4, 2013. The Warri crisis was sparked off when military
dictator Gen Sani Abacha, ordered the relocation of the headquarters of Warri
Southwest LGA from Ogbe-Ijoh (an Ijaw town) to Ogidgben- Escravos (an Itsekiri
town). The aggrieved Ijaw people took up
arms and unleashed mayhems on their age-long neighbours.
In the face of the crisis, widespread massacre of
Itsekiris and pulverization of their communities, the monarch refused to public
get into the fray or order for reprisal attacks as most of his subject desired.
The response of Itsekiri’s when asked why they are not defending themselves in
those dark days was usually, ‘Baba gin
de’ne maja’ - (Our father (Olu) says we should not fight).
Whereas the Warri crisis was caused by the Federal
Government’s political acrobatics with the council, the second issue that shook
the kingdom to its foundation was the royal edict. The vexatious edict was an
action taken by the Olu; it ripped the Itsekiri nation apart, pitched a section
of the subject against the Olu and brought the nation and monarchy to the
precipice.
The crisis led to a rebellion that almost unseated
the monarch. His close family members and the ruling Emiko (Ginuwa) House were
unanimous in their call for the monarch to abdicate the throne, if he felt that
his religious beliefs contradicted those of his people’s.
The edict titled, ‘The New Order in Iwere (Warri) Kingdom,’ outlawed
the pouring of libation, worship of idols and other forms of traditional
worships hitherto practiced by the Itsekiri people.
In proclamation, the monarch said, “I also repent for the name and title of “Ogiame” that my
ancestors and I have borne, as it connotes our allegiance to Umalokun (goddess
of the river) and other deities of the sea, all of which are false gods."
It was gathered before
he ascended the throne, the monarch had told close and important chiefs in the
kingdom of his Christian faith and his desire to stick to its tenet and was
exempted from the rituals and rites.
After the declaration,
the monarch stopped traditional chiefs and Itsekiri indidgens from performing
the traditional obeisance, insisting that only God is entitled to be worship by
men.
He also outlawed the
singing of the Itsekiri national anthem, the Ara Olorire, because of the exaltation accorded
to the monarch in its lyrics. In response, the
people queried the essence of them having a monarch they cannot extol and
worship.
Opponents of the move insisted that Ogiame, the
traditional title of the monarchy was the pivot around which the Olu stool
revolves. They maintained that without the title, there would be no Olu.
Besides, renowned historians and aged members of the kingdom postulated that,
contrary to the interpretation of the monarch, the title depicts its history.
“Ogiame, in Bini language, does not mean god or
goddess of the sea, but a king that rules over tribes of the rivers. The first
Olu (Ginuwa) was a Bini prince who fled the ancient Benin Kingdom in search of
peace after disobeying his father. Having being made king, he was named Ogiame
(King of the riverine).”
Warning of the consequence of going ahead with the
move, over 30 princes and princesses warned: "We consider the
history/pedigree of the 'Ogiame' title as such that the Itsekiri people hold it
dear and sacrosanct to the extent that it should not be cancelled for whatever
reason(s)".
There was rebellion in the land as chiefs,
women, youths and masquerades publicly, but respectfully defied the Olu. They
laid siege to the palace at Ugbori, singing and chanting the ‘banned’ ‘Ara olorire”.
Protesting youths stormed the palace
on Sunday morning with the traditional Ipi masquerades and prevented the
monarch’s Foursquare Goespel Church, located in the east wing of the palace
ground from holding the Sunday service. Women set up kitchen, slaughtered
animal and cooked for the singing and dancing protesters. Movements in and out
of the palace were not allowed by the protesters.
Several peace meetings led by Chief
Rita Lori-Ogbebor, the Igba of Warri Kingdom and others failed to yield
movement on either sides. Lori-Ogbebor, who addressed the protesters after a
45-minute audience with the monarch, said ‘Baba’ had aggrieved to reconsider
his position.
"We want to let the world know
that he is still Ogiame. Chiefs spoke with him. He didn’t take the decision
suddenly so we don’t expect him to change it suddenly. We have given him to
think about it and what we want is a return to the way he used to be
known."
Governor Uduaghan too met with the
monarch for about 20 and like the chiefs before him, the meeting wasn’t very
productive. The governor said, "I have spoken with the king and there is going
to be a way out by the grace of God.”
However, one
week after the pronouncement, a visibly elated Lori-Ogbebor and other chiefs,
emerged after another meeting with the monarch to inform the protesters that
the Olu had backtracked on the controversial edict.
Shortly afterwards, the monarch
emerged from the inner recess of the palace. It was the first time since the
debacle that he would be meeting directly with the people. His presence brought
wild jubilations and shouts of ‘Ogiameeeeeee suooooo’ .
The monarch acknowledged the
greeting by waving his white horsetail in blessing and acceptance of the homage
paid by his people.
Peace returned to the kingdom, but
at great cost.
The Olu is
‘Afomasin’, a monarch who never
recants. “His words are laws and his pronouncements are written in stone,” one
of the Itsekiri leaders told our reporter.
However,
the aura of invincibility around the monarch somewhat unraveled due to his
recant and this led to questions about whether the title of Afomasin truly remained after the debacle.
Speaking
with our reporter on the issue, Mr Amorighoye Sunny Mene, a member of the
Itsekiri Leaders of Thought, clarified that the monarch remained Afomasin in spite of his refutation. “His
reputation as the infallible king is unshaken.”
Explaining
the processes leading to the Olu making a pronouncement that is Afomasin, Mene said: “Before the Olu
speaks ex-cathedral, making a pronouncement, he would have consulted thoroughly
with his family, Council of Chiefs and then it is absolute, unchangeable.
Continuing,
Mene said, “but the Itsekiri also say, “Da
te fo masin, asin neyin kuro ren”, which means that the matter must have
been concluded by the king’s inner circle.
Despite
Mene’s extenuation, our finding revealed that the fallout of the edict was
costly, as it brought to the surface seething differences between the monarch
and some prominent Itsekiri leaders.
The fiasco
also resulted in suspicion between the monarch and some members of the
traditional council, who were accused of sponsoring the weeklong protest
against the declaration.
The
fallout of the debacle did not help the health of the king, who had prior to
the face-off suffered stroke. The protracted illness created its own problems, as
it resulted in the monarch speaking through intermediaries. There were
unconfirmed rumours that some of those close to him were misrepresenting his decisions
to suit their interests.
There were
crises in several communities, including the oil-rich Ugborodo community, where
the leadership tussle over the lucrative Ugborodo Community Trust had led to
several deaths. The Itsekiri Regional Development Committee setup by Chevron to
develop the oil bearing communities was also embroiled in crisis.
OLU-DESIGNATE AND HIS CHALLENGES
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| Omoba (Olu-Designate) |
It is
under this specter of disunity, poverty and anger in the land that Prince
Ikenwoli Godfrey Emiko is waiting in the wings to succeed his elder brother,
Olu Atuwatse II.
There is
no doubt that the University of Benin trained business administrator is the
overwhelming favourite for the stool. The uproar of joy, jubilation and
thunderous ovation that greeted his announcement last Saturday reverberated
throughout the Itsekiri nation and beyond, despite being the first prince in
over 200 years to succeed his brother as Olu.
Yet, his
ability to mediate on issues surrounding his selection by the Olu Advisory
Council could define the early years of his reign.
It was
widely expected that Prince Tsola Emiko, the first son of Olu Atuwatse II would
succeed his father, in spite of salient flaw in his background. The legal document
on the emergence of an Olu is a 1979 gazette of the defunct Bendel State. The
declaration was made under Section 8 of the Traditional Rulers and Chiefs Edict
of the defunct, but applicable to Delta
Saturday Nation gathered that the proclamation
followed debates over the succession to the title. The debate, it was learnt,
commenced as early as 1930, when a new Olu was to be crowned after the 88-year
interregnum.
The
gazette, publish under No 51, Volume 16 on page B 178 – 179, specified that
there is only one Ruling House, known as Ginuwa I, in Warri. The document, a
copy of which is in our possession, states clearly: “Ordinarily, succession
passes to a son of a demise Olu…”
Howbeit,
in Paragraph 4, it stated: “To qualify, a candidate’s mother must be Itsekiri
or of Edo origin and his father must be an Itsekiri.”
It was
that section of the law that barred Prince Tsola. His mother is a Yoruba from
Southwest.
The
gazette further stated that on failure to produce a suitable son it falls “to
suitable member of the Otolus (descendant of the last three Olus), provided
that brothers are preferred to uncles, and uncles are preferred to grandsons
and grandsons are preferred to other relatives within the Otolus.”
In the
light of the above, Prince Ikenwoli Godfrey Emiko, emerged the hot favourite,
as he was his father’s preferred successor. He was bypassed in favour of his
brother.
Despite
his apparent disqualification, it was learnt that some members of the
traditional council, politicians and other interests lobbied for the emergence
of Prince Tsola.
“The young
man was not unenthusiastic about their push; he met his elders, Otolus and
Olori-Ebi and vowed that he is bound by the decision of his family and the
kingdom, even though people were offering to foot the bill should he take legal
action,” a close source told our reporter.
At the
time of this report on Thursday, normalcy had returned to the kingdom and, as
the Itsekiris are wont to do, all interests have been set aside and ranks are
closed in support of the Omoba.
But there
are pressing that the Olu-in-waiting would have to address. Filling of vacant tradition stools, rebuilding
of the physical, psychological and social fibres of a nation devastated by
years of war and change of values as well as maintaining peace within and with
the various ethnic neighbours remain a challenge.
Reliable
sources told our reporter that but for the abundance of history to guide the
Olu Advisory Council, the selection of the new monarch would have deadlock due
to some missing key members of the council.
A
prominent Itsekiri historian told our reporter that the council usually
comprised of five key members – the Ologbotsere (Prime Minister), Iyatsere
(Minister of Defence), Uwangue, Ojomo and Otsodi – who would add two members of
the traditional council for the process of selecting a new monarch.
Atuwatse
II, for almost his 28-year reign, was without an Ologbotsere, the highest
titleholder in the kingdom. The last holder of the title was Chief Ogbemi Newe
Rewane, who died shortly after crowning the Atuwatse II.
Similarly,
the Uwangue, Chief Bernard Edema Otuedon-Okome, died in June 2014. His death
was followed barely a year later by that of Chief Gabriel Mabiaku, the Iyasere,
who acted as Ologbotsere for a very long time.
The
Olu-designate would be expected to fill these key stools as soon as he is
crowned and he would have to do so with strict adherence to the laid down
procedure.
But for Mr
Edward Ekpoko, Secretary of the Itsekiri Leaders of Thought, there is no cause for
alarm. "The Ologbotsere, like the others, is a family stool; only
Ologbotsere descendants can be appointed. When an Ologbotsere is to be
appointed, the Olu consults with the family and it is from the list that the
family presents that an Olu makes his choice.
"By Itsekiri native law and
custom, the family stool is never vacant. Ologbotsere, family will appoint a
person, preferably a chief from the Ologbotsere family, who was installed by an
Olu. Ologbotsere has three main functions to the Itsekiri.”
Speaking
in the same vein, Mene described the Olu-designate as a capable man who has
been adequately schooled and prepared for the throne. “I have known him for
decades and I can vouch that the Itsekiri nation has chosen the right man for
the job.
“The significance is that
there is no vacuum; giving our experience, having gone through 88-year
interregnum, his peaceful emergence is that of hope, even though we have lost
our great king, we have not lost our history and tradition. The emergence of
Omoba gives a lot of hope.”
Speaking further, Mene conceded that “The Olu
designate has a lot of responsibility, Itsekiri people for a long time passed
through very trying time. Destruction of our towns and villages by our neighbor
during the crisis has really set us back.
“Also too our people have not been faring well
economically. The incoming monarch has to rebuild all that we have lost
psychological, economically, religiously, political and socially. The good news
is that he has the capacity to do excel.”
