Monday, 12 October 2015

THE CRYPTIC IJALA, OGIAMES’ RESTING PLACE

THE JOURNEY TO THE CRYPTIC IJALA, OGIAMES’ RESTING PLACE
 
 
Mysterious 

Like the past17 or so Olus before him, Ogiame Atuwatse II’s final resting place is likely to be the eerie Royal Cemetery sited in Ijala, a sleepy town entrenched between creeks in Warri South LGA. The rustic community can be accessed through the Ubeji/Ifie road or by boat through the Warri river and snaky creeks.
During out visit in search of the resting place of the Olus, were were told by various sources that although there is a road leading to the site, the remains of the late monarch would most likely be brought in through the Ginuwa Creek, which flows into the Warri River.
The murky creek is covered by water hyacinth and other sea weeds and at the time of our visit, there was no sign of any major event taking place in the area. Residents of the area went about their businesses as if oblivious of the significant role Ijaw would play in the days ahead.
“Nobody can tell you exactly when the Olu would be buried, how or if he has already being buried. The last Olu was brought in by canoe, maybe because there was no good road back then.  I think it is the tradition for our monarchs to come to their final resting place by boat.
“Again, cars coming into the area at night might arouse suspicion but doing so by canoe is stealthier and less likely to raise attention,” one of the aged inhabitants of Ifie-Kporo told our reporter on condition of anonymity.
 
 The first impression of the Olus’ resting place was that of an abandonment natural treasure. There is an organized disorderliness around the thick forest surrounding the royal cemetery; the forest is dense and fertile, but it untilled. The multi-acre expanse of land is covered by verdure vegetation, very tall palm trees and other ageless trees, which accentuate the aura of mystery around it.
Two guides who accompanied our reporter and two others on the mission boasted that the groove is guarded by spirits and ghosts of past ancestors. There are paths around the wide expanse of land, but there is no visible path into its interior.
Residential houses on the east north and west boundaries were demolished by the state government. Rather than fence and beautify the cemetery as was planned, the site has been abandoned, much to the chagrin of the aggrieved landlords, who lost multimillion naira property to the demolition.
While warning that our reporter that he would be entering the sacred groove at his own risk, the two young men warned that they would not be part of any action that desecrates the sacred land.
Pointing to a very old, very big tree (Egungun in Itsekiri) with several hunches, one of the guides remarked: “That is the grave of the first Olu (Ginuwa I), who left the ancient Benin Kingdom in the 1950s.”
He said the graves of past Olus are bit unmarked by any remarkable objects, but trees are planted over them. “The sizes and age of the trees can tell you how old the grave is, but if you go by boat, you can actually see names etched on the trees.”
The guides would not allow our reporter to get close enough to ascertain the various monarchs, because “You have to perform some sacrifices, before you can pass through the uton (creek). If you don’t perform them, anything you see make you take (accept your fate).”
On the way out after, over one hour traipse round the forest, the myth of a supernatural power was reinforced when a swarm of bees suddenly swooped on the team.
The two guides muttering supplications in Itsekiri swiftly fell on their faces; this reporter, working on information picked up years ago that bees would not sting if they don’t see your faces, did the same thing with two other friends in the company.
The bees flew lower, lingered for about a minute that seemed like eternity, and then went away.
“That was just a warning,” Thomas (not his real name), one of the local escort, said in a voice that brooded no argument.
“If not because we are indigenes of this place and because you came here with good intention, it would have been disastrous,” his counterpart added emphatically.
 

THE LIFE AND TIMES OF OGIAME ATUWATSE II: HIS LEGACIES, TRAVAILS, TRIUMPHS

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.
Ogiame Atuwatse II
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.
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
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.”

HOW TRADITION DELAYED THE ‘DEATH’ OF OLU OF WARRI

HOW TRADITION DELAYED THE ‘DEATH’ OF OLU OF WARRI




OGIAME ATUWATSE II
OMOBA IKENWOLI
It was one of those times when tradition muzzled a people and prevented from expressing their emotions and grief, at least publicly. An overcast of gloom had pervaded Iwere (Warri) Kingdom in Delta State, as the rumour gathered momentum that the Olu of Warri, Ogiame Atuwatse II had joined his ancestors. It started in the early week of September, but the people could not mourn one of the gravest tragedies of the last three decades because their tradition forbids them from acknowledging the news until the whole hog of rites had been completed.
Olu Ogiame Atuwatse II was the centripetal force that move and the glue that binds the Itsekiri nation. He was the pride of the Itsekiri, a group that prides itself as ‘one people under one monarch’. They occupy, but are not restricted, to the three Warri local government areas of Delta State. The Itsekiri tribes are found in communities such as Ugbolokposo in Uvwie LGA, in Ologbo and other villages and hamlets in Edo state and they all revere their Olu as a deity that is second only to God.
But the death of Atuwatse II remained a rumour until last Saturday, when the Ojomo of Warri Kingdom, Chief Yaya Pessu, who acted the role of Ologbotsere, symbolically broke the pot of white chalk to announce his death. The rite freed the people from the burden of secrecy and era of topsy-turvydom.
The much revered monarch was last sighted by this reporter at his palace, when the state governor, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa, consulted with him before the constitution of the board of the Delta State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission.  Three Itsekiri indigenes – Mr Godwin Ebosa, Chief Thomas Ereyitomi and Mr Victor Woods – made the board.
Days later, Niger Delta Report learnt that the monarch had joined his ancestors after a domestic accident. His death took place at a private hospital in Lagos where he was flown to for medical attention. Prior to the sad event, the monarch had been slowed for years by a protracted ailment.
Despite the report, prominent Itsekiri leaders, traditional titleholders and members of the royal family in of the kingdom (Otolus) kept mum. Some of the palace chiefs who are close to this reporter suddenly stopped taking his call, ostensibly to wade off inquiries about the monarch’s death.
The Iwere Integrity Group, in a terse statement denied the report but left open many possible interpretations.  The statement was signed by over 30 members and the chairman and secretary, Mr Moses Fregene and Robinson Ariyo respectively.
Barely a day before the Ode-Itsekiri announcement, this reporter spoke with Prince Ebiyemi Emiko, one of those considered as possible successor. The trained journalist also feigned ignorance. Prince ‘Yemi said he wasn’t aware of the death of his brother or that one of the most exalted traditional stool in the land was vacant.
By that time, Chief Yaya Pessu, the highest ranking and oldest member of the Olu Advisory Council, had sent out invitation for a National Assembly of the Itsekiri people.  There was anxiety and uneasy calm in the kingdom. Telephone lines of prominent Itsekiri leaders and members of the JOS Ayomike-led  Itsekiri Leaders of Thought, rang incessantly as people called for information and news on latest developments.
It was under this specter of tradition-induced silence and tension that the Itsekiri nation gathered at their ancestral home of Ode-Itsekiri (Big Warri) in Warri South Local Government Area on Saturday. The atmosphere at the Aghofen (Palace) in Ode-Itsekiri was tense. About all the Ojoyes (noble titleholders) were present; they were led by the Chief Pessu and Chief Isaac Jemide, the Otsodi of Warri Kingdom – the duo are the only surviving members of the Olu Advisory Council.
The only dignitary missing was Chief Gabriel Mabiaku, the Iyasere, who died weeks earlier and  the most important personage in the kingdom. Olu Atuwatse II was visibly missing and his shadow loomed over the overcrowded galleria; it spread through the roads and walkway from his palace to the waterside and darkened the horizon.
Those who went to the arena hoping, against hope, that the man whose numerous titles include Ogbowuru Afomasin would somehow materialize, had their hopes dashed when Chief Pessu and other chiefs trudge in their traditional white chiefly robes and red cummerbunds. But this time, they also had the symbolic black sash over the red and the usual spring in their gaits was missing.
They came from far and wide, from various clans and lineage of the famous tribe. Chief Rita Lori-Ogbebor, led Igba and there were chiefs Hayman, Walter Omadeli, Mene Brown, Nelson Utienyinone, Emmanuel Jones, Edward Olley and E A Tetseola, among others.
At the dais where Pessu and Jemide other chiefs sat, an immaculate white chair stood empty; its void symbolized the absence of the highest authority in Iwere (Itsekiri) land.
Even younger men like Mr Temi Kingsway-Eyoyibo and Oregbemi Onamoren- Beecroft, who besieged Ode-Itsekiri decked in his kemeje (traditional male attire), knew that something was amiss. The reality that they were about to hear a bad news about the monarch they loved and respected began to dawn.
“I felt proud being an Itsekiri and in my ancestral home, but at the same time, I dreaded what was coming. Ogiame Atuwatse II was our father, he was our baba and the one whose pronouncement settles all arguments,” Onamoren-Beecroft told our reporter; his voice was laden with emotion.
A few minutes later, after singing the Ara Olorire (Itsekiri National Anthem) and other formalities, the Chief Priest, Chief Pessu, who bore earthen pots of efun (native chalk) raised one over his head and smashed it unto the ground. The poignant rite was accompanied by cries of Ale je efun, which literarily means ‘the ground has eaten the native chalk’, and ‘Ata tse’ (the anchor is broken) signifying that Olu was no more.
The rite was followed by murmurs of ‘eh oooh’, gnashing of teeth and shaking of heads as the import of the ceremony seeped through the sea of people. Some cried, others were too dazed to react.  The time was 11:50am. Canon shots rent the air, the boom reaching as far as neighbouring communities like Ubeji, Ugbuwangue and the others communities in the kingdom and the Oil City of Warri metropolis.
But barely 25 minutes later – at 12:15pm, the crowd was animated and in jubilant mood.
Chief Pessu, after consulting with Jemide and other Ojoyes, announced that the late monarch would be succeed by his younger brother, Prince Ikenwoli Godfrey Gbesimi Emiki (aka Abiloye).  And the ‘eh oooh’ and sorrow swiftly turned to shouts of joy.  There was no doubt that the choice was a very popular one.
 It was reminiscent of a similar rite nearly three decades ago, when Chief Ogbeyiwa Newe Rewane, announced the death of Olu Erejuwa II, who reigned from 1936 to 1987. But the euphoria and rapturous response that greeted Saturday’s announcement of Prince Ikenwoli contrasted with the announcement of then Prince Toritseju Emiko as Olu-designate in 1987, because a section, perhaps the large slice, of the kingdom preferred Prince Ikenwoli, who was  also his late father’s choice.
The response that greeted the emergence of Prince Ikenwoli, indicated that 28 years after missing out on the throne, he was still a very popular choice. His emergence was the first time in centuries that an Itsekiri monarch would be succeeded by his brother, but there was no dissent.
Prince Tsola Emiko, the first son of the late monarch, as was earlier reported by The Nation, was disqualified on the account of his maternal lineage. The 1979 gazette on the monarchy was unambiquous: only princes born of Itsekiri or Edo mothers can ascend the throne. Prince Tsola’s mother is a Yoruba.
The announcement brought consolation to the grief-stricken nation.  Men, women and youths erupted in singing and dancing as their new monarch surfaced to take the vacant white chair surrounded by regally dressed chiefs.
Shouts of ‘eeeeeeeeee iwoooooooo, eeeeeeeeeee iwoooooooo’, rented the air as the 60-year-old University of Benin graduate was led before thousands of singing and dancing Itsekiri men and women.
Decked in a sky blue damask kemeje and a matching wrapper, the Olu-designate emerged. He carried himself with the same grace and dignity that he had maintained nearly 30 years after he missed the stool.
Edged on all sides by younger Ojoyes including chiefs Ayirimi Emami, Thomas Ereyitomi and Francis Omatseye, among others, the man who would be addressed as Olu of Warri in a few months, was sat on the white chair at the centre of the room.
The day’s job was done and Olu-designate had completed the first stage of a long walk to the throne of his father.
But the rite is far from finished; he still has to participate in the burial rites and ceremonies of his older brother and predecessor. The final rite of passage will culminate in the ‘Iken Rites’, at the Royal Cemetery in Ijala, one of the five most important communities in the Warri Kingdom.
The 1979 Gazette of the defunct Bendel State, which is the law regulating succession to the title of the Olu of Warri, states that the Omoba’s failure to perform and complete the burial rites and ceremonies is bar to his installation, irrespective of the event of last Saturday.
The gazette, made under Section 8 of the Traditional Rulers and Chiefs Edict, 1979, also specified that after interring the late Olu, Omoba Ikenwoli would proceed on “Ideniken” where he remains for a period of three lunar months.
The period is used to complete the burial rites and ceremonies for Atuwatse II. A very knowledgeable members of the kingdom also informed NDR, that the Ideniken is also an orientation and induction course for the next Olu.
“Prince Ikenwoli has been prepared for the role he is to assume a very long time ago; he is an Abiloye, the Itsekiri’s crown prince of sort. Apart from his formal education, he was schooled in the Itsekiri culture and tradition and that is why there were murmurs when he was overlooked in 1979. But that is not enough; he hasmerely passed a stage and there is now the last and final stage that will put him head and shoulder above his subjects – the Ideniken,” our source added.
CULLED FROM: www.thenationonlineng.net

Sunday, 23 August 2015

DELTA: Residents Groan under the Yoke of Bad Roads, Flood



Delta state residents groan under the yoke of bad roads, floods

Government: Blame it on the rain; help is near

Orogun/Ughelli road
 Anybody who has lived or is living in the Oil City of Warri, the economic hub of Delta State, knows that the rainy season is not a good time. Inhabitants of the city and its twin, Effurun in Uvwie Local Government Area of the state, dread that time of the year when the heavens opened up incessantly, pouring oodles of water into the haphazardly laid city. The fear of the season also stems from the anguish, suffering, dirt and diseases that come with human from overflowing septic pits pouring into the streets and living rooms.
The rain seasons of the past of years have been mostly unwholesome and inhospitable for the cities’ dwellers that battle unyielding floods, revolting nature and bad roads. The headaches of denizens of the area, like most parts of the state, are worsened by lack of drainages and blockade of natural water channels; the mosquitos that come with stagnant pools of water and the damages that bad roads do to cars and other means of transportations. The state of roads, not only in Warri, but across parts of the state, has worsened over the past few months. 


Extensive check on condition of roads in the areas showed that over 95 per cent of roads in Warri metropolis and adjoining suburbs are in dire need of repairs. Except for the recently dualised Refinery Road and network of roads in the Odogun (New) Layout in Uvwie, built by the Direct Labour Agency (DLA) and Okumagba Avenue in Warri among others, there is hardly a road in the area that is not fraught with fissures. The situation is worse in Abraka and not much better in Ughelli, Agbarho, Sapele and other parts of the state.
EFFURUN/SAPELE ROAD AFTER BRT PROJECT
The Airport Road (dualised by Ibori and inaugurated by former President Olusegun Obasanjo in April 2004) is punctuated by dozens of potholes of varying sizes from Effurun-Warri junction to Court 4 and various sections are washed away by water. A pitiable attempt to resurface the road left residents and motorists seething from poor job done by the construction companies, which is reportedly owned by PDP stalwarts in the state.
“Why would a government leave roads that are badly in need of repairs and come to scatter the one that is good in the name of resurfacing? That tells you that the government is not focused and is only interested in settling a few persons,” a resident, who simply identified himself as Chuks, fumed last Friday at the GTB axis of the road where the job was ongoing.
The PTI/Jakpa road, which was dualised by the administration of Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan in 2009 is not faring any better. Apart from been cut off at the Sokoh Estate junction by an end-to-end cavern, the road built by Niger Cat Construction Company, is riddled with potholes around the Canewood Hotel, White House and several other sections and junctions.
The story is the same for the Okere, Emebiren and Esisi roads as well as network of roads within the Marine Quarters, Ovie Palace, Sokoh Estate, Commissioner and several roads in the cities.
Roads in Ubeji, a serene community in Warri South, are as pothole-ridden as their counterparts in the mainland. Traffics in and out of the one-access-road community are so knotty that it sometimes takes hours to navigate to the NPA expressway from the town – a distance of about one kilometer – during the rush hours.

PTI/Osubi Junction on the EAST/WEST ROAD

The federal roads in the areas are worse off. The Warri-Effurun-Sapele road has gone from being one of the best roads to the deadliest nightmares for motorists. The dual carriage road stretching from NPA to the Effurun roundabout is in ruin due to the BRT (Bus Rapid Transit) initiative of the past government.
The plan to expand the road in order to create an exclusive bus-only middle-lane hit a snag when the planners realized, late, that a further expansion is needed to increase the incoming and outgoing traffics to double lanes. Bus stops (built on the centre of the road) coupled with concrete barriers separating lanes have not only reduced the road, but have made driving a big test and a course in patience and control. A broken down vehicle (or tricycle) on the now one-lane can unleash chaos.
The NPA Expressway is not faring any better. The nearly four-decade highway has withstood a lot – heavy duty vehicles, tankers loading products at the WRPC Depot and several other vehicles use it. But the road seems to be saying ‘enough is enough’. The constantly gathering pools of water from the Bypass and Ogunu area and other parts have started taking their toll. Traffic from the port complex to other parts are now diverted to the incoming lane to avoid the pits that have secretly crept in and taken over the road over the past years. The road has deteriorated further because of the stoppage of the routine maintenance usually done by the past administration.
The expressway pours into the East/West Highway at Effurun roundabout in a three branches: one going into Warri via Effurun; the other to and fro Benin and Port Harcourt (through Ughelli/DSC roundabout). The onward Port Harcourt road has also deteriorated these past months, especially between the PTI Conference Centre and Woodridge Hotel, where it is now more of an earth road than a federal highway.
Mr Aaron Aghorigho, a businessman, told our reporter that before car owners leave their homes to the office every morning, they need careful plotting of routes in order to avoid the most pothole-plagued roads like Sokoh Estate Road, Housing Complex Road (Ekpan), Alegbo, Ugbolokposo and NPA Bypass among others.
“Unfortunately, the options are becoming fewer by the day as one road after the other gives way to potholes and become gutters. You cannot truly avoid them; you can only calculate the ones with lesser bad spots, the width and depth and decide if the pain of crashing your car through them is worth the mission. For most routes, you do not have that luxury, especially when the crooked road is the only option,” he said with a sardonic smile.
Investigations by Niger Delta Report revealed that the appalling condition of roads around Warri and other parts of Delta state is not due to lack of efforts by the government. The immediate past governments in the state and the Niger Delta Development Commission have invested billions of naira in the construction of access roads, rehabilitation and dualisation of major roads in the city and other parts of the state.
A Commission for Works, Mr Funkekeme Solomon in 2012, disclosed that 252 inter/intra city and rural road contract projects were awarded at a total cost of over N114 billion. Fifty-eight drainage contracts were also awarded at over N1.7billion from 2007 to 2012. The projects covered dualisation of roads in Asaba, Warri, Effurun and other parts of the state, major Federal highways and several other projects. The Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) is also very active in the state.
Sadly though, the investments in roads construction and repairs are undermined by a combination of factors including poor and shoddy project executive with little or no supervision. Our finding revealed that some of the contracts were awarded for political. 



Mr John Aruoture, a lawyer and blogger, opined that corruption is at the root of the dreadful state of roads in the Warri and environs.  According to him, “If not for corruption, many streets and roads in Warri budgeted for construction would have been completed by either the state government or NDDC.”
It was also gathered that one of the devils tormenting roads in the state is lack of efficient and effective drainage system, in spite of several billions of naira that has been sunk into draining the oil city.
Our finding reveals that even the occasional showers result in flooding on major roads and streets due to absence of effective drains. In places where roads are built with drains the water are stagnant because the drains are blocked or lead nowhere.
“What the state need is a holistic drainage system that not only collects water, but takes it out of cities.
FLOOD RAVAGED JAKPA ROAD
What we have are mostly gutters that lead to nowhere; when they are full, they pour into the roads and floor everywhere. That is bad for the state of the road,” Mr Moses Uwakhonye, a civil engineer, averred.
Furthermore, it was learnt that the problem of flood in Warri and environs is compounded by the jinxed ADB-Assisted Water Project, which nearly 20-year-old underground network of pipelines are constantly rupturing and erupting like volcano on Airport, PTI/Jakpa, Housing Complex and other major roads in the twin cities of Effurun/Warri during tests. The hope that the project would pump water to homes and not continue to be unwanted fountains on the streets is dying along with the Governor Uduaghan administration.
Our finding revealed that intra-city roads in the university town of Abraka and those in Ughelli; those linking communities in Ughelli North and South, including the Abraka-Orogun- Agbarha-Otor- Ughelli and Sapele metropolis are badly in need of repairs that may not come soon as a section of state fears that Governor Ifeanyi Okowa might concentrate on roads in the state capital and Delta North area to the detriment of those areas because roads in Agbor, Issele-Uku, Ibuzor and others are also awful.
“We know that the governor is now mostly focused on his part of the state and nobody expects him to pay much attention to Delta Central and South districts because that is the kind of politics we play in this part of the world. It is unfortunate that our own people couldn’t do it all these times. The dualisation road projects started by Uduaghan may not have been abandoned, but there is little or no hope for them now,” a commercial driver at the Effurun-Abraka Park in Uvwie LGA lamented to our reporter.
Okowa is committed to Prosperous Delta -  Aide
In his reaction, Mr Victor Efeizomor, media aide to Governor Okowa, assured that the governor remained committed to his promise to make the state prosperous for all.
“It should be on record that the Governor of Delta State, Senator Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa has vowed to remained focused as his administration has begun to match words with action in its bid  to fulfill  electioneering promises to the people of Delta State.
 “You will recall that the government not too long embarked on the inspection of some sectors of the construction work on the Asaba/ Ughelli road dualization. He also carried out inspection tour on some major roads in the state, including Warri and its environs, with the intention of ensuring that the project continues. Also, the state government made available funds for the rehabilitation of failed portions  of the Asaba –Ughelli road  near Ogwashi- Uku.
“Similarly, the government earlier embarked on the desalting of drainages across the state to provide immediate temporary solution to the issue of flooding being face by our people in most communities across the three senatorial districts.”
Efeizomor blamed the slow pace of road construction and repairs on the season. He said there was very little government can do under the prevailing incessant rain. “Once the rains give way, the issue of bad roads in all the three senatorial districts of the state will be given adequate attention.
“On the issue BRT, government has not abandoned it; rather plans are on to inject fresh life into the system for improved transportation system in the state.  Okowa’s administration means well for the state, he is desirous of leaving Delta far better than he met it. We are open and welling to partner with all those who have the interest of the state at heart.”

 END