Why Olu of Warri Recants His Belief

The Itsekiri people hold their culture and tradition very dear. So, it was no surprise that men, women and masquerades came out to kick against the stance of the Olu of Warri, Ogiame Atuwatse II, who, earlier refused to abide by his people’s tradition.

‘Ogiame’ means ‘King of the River,’ according to the history behind the Itsekiri throne.
The monarch, in a document titled, “The New Order of Iwere Kingdom,” said he had renounced his allegiance to the Umalokun (goddess of the sea, land and sky), as well as  the ‘Ogiame’ title with which his ancestors had pledged allegiance to Umalokun and other deities.
Itsekiri people have a unique way of enthroning a new ruler after the death of a reigning monarch. When an Ogiame died, his head would be cut off and kept in a dark room frequented only by the initiated.

These heads were arranged in order of ascension. Tradition had it that a prominent palace chief who worked closely with the late king would be detailed to lecture, exhaustively, the one that would ascend the throne on the culture and tradition of the people.

The Iyase would then cover the new Ogiame’s eyes with a piece of black cloth. He would take him into the secret room where skulls of late Ogiames were arranged according to the order they succeeded one another.
It was in this secret, dark room, never seen or stepped in by the uninitiated that the Iyase would direct the would-be monarch to stretch his right hand forward and swing it from left to right, to feel the skulls.

We gathered that the skulls had mystic magnetic qualities that would attract the would-be Ogiame’s hand.
When his hand rests on a particular skull, the Ogiame would assume that name. The Iyase, who accompanied him into the dark room, would announce the name to the public and dancing and feasting would follow immediately.

The Olu of Warri went through the ancient initiation process. His right hand fell on the late Ogiame Atuwatse I, and so assumed Atuwatse II in line with tradition.
However, the monarch had rejected the name, thereby refusing to abide by the tradition of his people.
This led to the protest, last week. Reliable sources confirmed that the Olu of Warri claimed he received God’s inspiration to cling to his Christian faith, describing the royal stool as demonic.

The women dressed in red attires, signifying danger in the kingdom and masquerades dressed in black trooped out in large numbers. They requested for his immediate removal and dismissal from the palace since the throne was for Itsekiri sons who believe in the traditional rites and culture of the people.
They were angry that the Ogiame, wanted to single-handedly change the tradition and culture established many centuries ago.

A Palace Chief, Prince Newuwuwmi Omolubi, said on the telephone, said, “The king did not want to answer the name ‘Ogiame’ but accepted ‘Olu of Warri’.
“In Itsekiri custom, ‘Ogiame’ is synonymous with ‘Olu’ and there is no way the two titles can be separated.”
The Itsekiri people believe that the Olu of Warri is the custodian of the custom, tradition and culture of the people.

He said, “The reason for the protest was very simple; there was an issue with the palace and the Itsekiri people. The issue was that there was a memo that the king did not want to be called ‘Ogiame’ but would want to be addressed as the ‘Olu’. So, we took to the streets to protest it since it was wrong for him to accept one and reject the other.

“Itsekiri people are known to have a national anthem and tampering with these two names or titles will affect that national anthem.
Investigations revealed that the Ogiame rejected that name because the late Ogiame Atuwatse I was one of the wicked Olus the kingdom had ever produced.

A source said that his reign was marked by terror, mysterious deaths and arrogant display of power.
Sources added that the protesting masquerades were specially prepared by the monarch’s kinsmen to throw him (Atuwatse II) out of the palace to pave the way for the ascension of a new king. The Itsekiri people built the palace for him.

But the controversial Ogiame escaped the mob action. On sensing the tension and mood of his kinsmen, he quickly recanted his anti-traditional, anti-cultural statements and said, “I must do all my predecessors did when they reigned”.
He promised his subjects that he would abide by the custom, uphold and protect the culture of the people.
All efforts to speak with the monarch proved abortive. A source informed our correspondent that the king would not speak to strange faces in the kingdom.

September 14, 2013