SAN FRANCISCO, September 08, (THEWILL) – As the siege to the palace of the Olu of Warri, His Royal Majesty, Ogiame Atuwatse II, by thousands of Itsekiris in Delta State who are protesting the bid by the monarch to jettison the traditional beliefs of the people after embracing Christianity, runs into the third day, Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan has appealed to the protesters to remain calm, saying he was already meeting with stakeholders in Itshekiri land to resolve the matter..
The governor, who arrived the palace at about 3:45pm , was met by the surging crowd , who appealed to him to wade into the crisis.
The governor, who was not allowed to enter the palace with his security aides who had tried to force their way into the palace, however came out after about 15 minutes to address the protesters, urging them to remain calm as stakeholders were already addressing the issues.
Urging the protesters to exercise restraint , he said he had met with Itshekiri leaders and stakeholders to find ways of resolving the crisis. The governor said he had already discussed with the Olu of Warri, Ogiame Atunwse II, the chiefs and the youths, as he expressed gratitude to the protesters for conducting themselves in a peaceful manner and urged them to remain peaceful.
The palace of the Olu of Warri was barricaded by the protesters who erected canopies in the front gate.
A section of the women and youths also erected canopies by the side fence of the palace where they cooked and danced throughout the day.
Itshekiri masquerades were also brought in to add glamour to the protest as they banged severally the gate of the palace while the protest lasted.
The monarch has the plan to abolish the ancient Itshekiri masquerades which are paraded during traditional festivities in his new Christian ways of ruling the people.
While the monarch was inside the palace as the scene was playing out, only a few chiefs, leaders and youth representatives were allowed to enter the palace by the protesters.
Several meetings were held by groups who adjourned, reconvened after some hours. The groups were still meeting with the monarch as at the time of filing this report.
It would be recalled that the monarch had few days ago declared in a document christened; “The New Order of Iwere Kingdom” that the “Ogiame” title which has been in existence for over 500 years would cease to exist following the recent consecration of the Kingdom to God.
“Ogiame” means “King of the River”, according to the history behind the Itsekiri throne.
The monarch in the document said he had renounced his allegiance to the “Umalokun” (goddess of the sea), land and sky as well as denounced the “Ogiame” title to which his ancestors had pledged allegiance to “Umalokun” and other deities.
He also changed the Itsekiri traditional anthem, and other fetish feasts and practices in Iwere Kingdom.
The development had sparked off crisis in the kingdom as youths stormed the palace in protest. They set bonfire and prevented vehicular and movement of people into the palace.
The protesters want the monarch to rescind his declaration or abdicate the throne which he sworn to as custodian of the “Ogiame” title.
Convener of the protest and Niger Delta activist, Omolubi Newuwunmi, however urged the protesters to remain firm, saying the issues were being tabled. Newuwunmi had earlier appealed to the youths to listen to the governor, saying he had come to ensure that peace was maintained in the kingdom.
The protest followed the monarch’s recent consecration as a believer thus renouncing all altars of idolatry in each community of Iwere Kingdom and sanctified the land in the name of Jesus Christ.
“Henceforth, I submit and present the title “Ogiame” to God, the creator, which made the sea and rules over all. Therefore, no Olu or person may bear the title or name that now belong to God.
”I nullify all tokens of libation poured on the land and seas or sprinkled into the air in Iwere land. I frustrate all sacrifices of wine, blood, food, water, kolanuts, and other items (know and unknown) offered in Iwere land.
” In conformity with the new covenant through the blood of Jesus, I release the royal bloodline, the chiefs of the Iwere kingdom, the Iwere people and land, waters and atmosphere of Iwere kingdom from all ties to all other spiritual covenants and agreements,” the monarch had declared.
In the document the monarch described himself as a royal priest in the order of Melchizedek, saying he had used the authority of the blood of Jesus to destroy all ancient and new altars in Iwere land not raised up to God.
He said as a descendant of Prince Ginuwa of the Benin Kingdom, the progenitor of the Iwere monarchy, it was his duty to ensure all fetish practices are stopped in the Kingdom and consecrate the land to God.
However, the Emiko royal family has dismissed the declaration with six cardinal points.
In a position paper signed by 37 members of the royal family and made available to newsmen, the family members declared that historically when Prince Ginuwa left Benin to become the first Itshekiri monarch about 1480, it was the authority and blessing of his father (Olua, the then Oba of Benin) to reign over the river- hence the title “Ogiame”.
Specifically, they said t the property in the title “Ogiame” belongs to the Itsekiri people who have so addressed their monarchs right from inception over five hundred year ago (including Christian monarchs).
While saying that Atuwatse II, the Olu of Warri, as the custodian/ trustee of the title for the Itshekiri people, the royal kinsmen acknowledged that the monarch in his capacity as the reigning royal father has authority to review aspects of the culture/tradition in line with modernity, they said this should be done following due process of constitution with Itshekiri stakeholders.
The document stated that the people consider the history/pedigree of the “Ogiame” title as such that the Itshekiri people hold it dear and sacrosanct to the extent that it should not be cancelled for whatever reasons.
