THE Itsekiri nation, yesterday, announced the
passage of Ogiame Atuwatse II, the Olu of
Warri, and immediately designated his younger
brother, Prince Ikenwole Godfrey Abiloye Emiko,
as successor.
Both announcements were the key issues of a
national congress the Itsekiri nation held at the
Olu palace, Ode-Itsekiri, ancentral home of the
Itsekiri nation also known as Big Warri.
Tradition fulfilled
Palace chiefs, the dressed in white robes with a
mix of red apron signifying their royalty and
black for mourning, gathered before 10am at
the palace hall together with other men,
women, and youths of the Itsekiri nation to hear
what was at stake.
Chief Yaya Pessu, Ojomo of Warri, representing
the Ologbotsere (Chief Priest) of the kingdom,
fulfilled tradition when he smashed a big ball of
native chalk on the floor of the venue with the
exclamation, “The calabash is broken”,
signifying the announcement of the passage of
Ogiame Atuwatse II, the 19th Olu, who joined
his ancestors after 28 years on the throne.
The act by Pessu, which came at 11.50am, was
followed by about 19 cannon shots. These
happened as the large crowd present remained
anxious about the revelation of who succeeds
the departed Atuwatse II.
New Olu emerges
The Olu of Warri designate
The anxiety lasted till 12.16pm when Pessu
again took the responsibility of announcing
crown prince Ikenwole Godfrey Abitoye Emiko
as the Olu designate, setting off thundering
jubilation across the palace hall and the
overflow crowd outside.
Emiko, said to be about 60, and younger
brother to the Atuwatse II, is a graduate of
business administration from the University of
Benin.
The Olu designate was summoned and led by
his peers to the palace hall for all to see before
he was announced by Pessu.
Why brother succeeds brother
Earlier at the gathering, several eyes had been
on Prince Tsola Emiko, first son of the departed
Atuwatse II, who came with Toju and Nere, his
siblings to the gathering.
By the hereditary appeal of the throne, the
uninformed persons present at the gathering
had expected Tsola as the automatic
successor.
However, Pessu who announced the Olu
designate clarified that Tsola was not qualified
to succeed the father in line with other
expectations a son must meet to succeed his
father as Olu.
The Ojomo of Warri said, “By the tradition, a
son who must succeed his father must be born
of a mother who must not be outside of Itsekiri
or Benin by birth, origin. This is a standing
tradition and the son does not fulfill this
requirement.
Prof. Jim Omatseye added: “In the event that a
son is not qualified to succeed the father, the
princes of the kingdom from the three ruling
houses, Ginuwa, Erejuwa and Ogiame, will
choose among themselves who should take the
throne. The lot fell on Prince Ikenwole Emiko
and he is generally accepted by the Itsekiri
nation.
Mr. Edward Ekpoko, Chairman, Warri Study
Group and Secretary, Itsekiri Leaders of
Thought, said, “Today’s event is significant
because it is the first time in 200 years that a
brother would succeed a brother on this
supposedly hereditary throne.”
Chief Thomas Ereyitomi, Akatigbi-Ayeola of
Warri, a palace chief, said, “The wide jubilation
and the joy in the faces of all present erase all
doubts that the Itsekiri nation was having a
hard time choosing an Olu designate.
Dos, don’ts
Within the next 90 days, Itsekiri will go through
mourning on the passage of Atuwatse II. All
natives, particularly male and female adults, are
expected to wear their traditional wrappers
upside down.
Pessu, spelling out the dos and don’ts within
the period, on behalf of the Ologbotsere, said:
“Itsekiri the world over are to also refrain from
merriment, no drumming or burials as all
should be in mourning for the period. There
should be no form of fanfare.
He added that coronation of the successor Olu
will commence only after the passage rites of
Atuwatse II had been concluded.
Chiefs, opinion leaders speak
Chief Rita Lori-Ogbebor, Igba of Warri, in her
post event comments, said, “It is just cheering
for the entire Itsekiri nation that a generally
accepted Olu designate has been chosen”.
A former health commissioner in Delta State,
Dr. Joseph Otumara, noted, “What we just
witnessed is the end of an era and the
beginning of another”.
The member representing Warri Federal
Constituency in the House of Representatives,
Mr. Daniel Reyenieju, described the late Ogaime
Atuwatse 11 as an epitome of a monarch,
whose reign would remain indelible in the
sands of history.
The lawmaker spoke of the late Olu “as an
ontological father that encapsulates the
beingness of the Itsekiri ethnic nation as a
social organism”, saying Ogiame Atuwatse 11
was focused in his quest for the development of
his kingdom.
The member representing Warri Federal
Constituency in the House of Representatives,
Mr. Daniel Reyenieju, described the late Ogaime
Atuwatse 11 as an epitome of a monarch,
whose reign would remain indelible in the
sands of history.
The lawmaker spoke of the late Olu “as an
ontological father that encapsulates the
beingness of the Itsekiri ethnic nation as a
social organism”, saying Ogiame Atuwatse 11
was focused in his quest for the development of
his kingdom.
The lawmaker also congratulated the Olu-elect.
In the same vein, Reyenieju thanked members
of the Warri Traditional Council and the entire
itsekiri nation for the peaceful conduct of all the
processes for succession to the throne of the
Warri Kingdom, such that the rancour
associated with succession in some parts of
Nigeria remains alien to the Itsekiri nation.
http://www.vanguardngr.com/2015/09/olu-of-warri-itsekiri-nation-mourns-designates-brother-abiloye-emiko-as-successor/

Waiting.

So, this rule wasn't in place when the son of a Portuguese woman became Olu?

The young man was robbed off his birth right.

Wulfruna:
So, this rule wasn't in place when the son of a Portuguese woman became Olu?

Lol Wulfruna you just know how to spot ojoro

Well we see that even politics now hides under the guise of tradition

macof:


Lol Wulfruna you just know how to spot ojoro

Well we see that even politics now hides under the guise of tradition

Exactly.

Wulfruna:


Exactly.

I guess members of the royal family( the Prince Tsola Emiko especially) don't even know their history
a chief states something contrary to the history and known tradition and they just accept? I don't think so

macof:


I guess members of the royal family( the Prince Tsola Emiko especially) don't even know their history
a chief states something contrary to the history and known tradition and they just accept? I don't think so

I'm going to be fair to them a little and say that there are perhaps two possibilities:

One - maybe the half-Portuguese prince who became Olu back then was a powerful figure, who used his connections with Portugal and some other European powers to go against tradition and force the kingmakers to crown him.

Two - maybe the rule against the children of non-Bini, non-Itsekiri women ascending the throne is a recent creation (perhaps originating from the time the Itsekiri were having feuds with their immediate neighbours, the Urhobo and the Ijaw), and so wasn't in place during the time of Olu Domingo.

Either way, I think it's a ridiculous tradition and should be gotten rid of.

Wulfruna:


I'm going to be fair to them a little and say that there are perhaps two possibilities:

One - maybe the half-Portuguese prince who became Olu back then was a powerful figure, who used his connections with Portugal and some other European powers to go against tradition and force the kingmakers to crown him.

Two - maybe the rule against the children of non-Bini, non-Itsekiri women ascending the throne is a recent creation (perhaps originating from the time the Itsekiri were having feuds with their immediate neighbours, the Urhobo and the Ijaw), and so wasn't in place during the time of Olu Domingo.

Either way, I think it's a ridiculous tradition and should be gotten rid of.

I agree

Wulfruna:
So, this rule wasn't in place when the son of a Portuguese woman became Olu?

Thought provoking question for the itsekiri folks to ponder on!

I applaud you for bringing this up...

Somehow, I attended Dom Domingos College in my last year in Secondary school.