Like the Arab Spring, the Itsekiri nation, in a four-day siege on the palace of the Olu of Warri, forced the monarch to beat a retreat on his decision to dump tradition for his preferred religion
By ADEKUNBI ERO
For the embattled Olu of Warri, Ogiame Atuwatse II, it was a tough choice – one between a rock and a hard place; none is palatable. When on September 4, 2013 he decided to renounce his traditional title of ‘Ogiame,’ which he had lived with for over 26 years following his coronation May 2, 1987, he perhaps never envisaged the kind of reaction it would elicit from his subjects.
Ogiame in Itsekiri means “King of the Rivers” but the Olu in a proclamation, which he caused to be issued, renounced his traditional title on the ground that it was fetish. The title had been in existence for over 500 years. In the proclamation read to a motley crowd in his palace, the Olu said, “I renounce our allegiance to Umalokun (goddess of the river) and other gods off the sea. I also repent for the name and title of “Ogiame” that my ancestors and I have borne as it connotes our allegiance to Umalokun (mermaid) and other deities of the sea, all of which is false”. In the proclamation titled “The New Order in Iwere Kingdom”, the Olu, a lawyer, said “henceforth, I submit and present the title ‘Ogiame’ to God, the creator, who made the sea and rules over all. Therefore, no Olu or person may bear the title or name that now belongs to God”. Not done yet, the Olu said, “I nullify all tokens of libation poured on the land and sea or sprinkled into the air in Iwere land. I frustrate all sacrifices of wine, blood, food, water, kola-nuts and other items (known 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 ‘born again’ monarch therefore invoked the authority of the blood of Jesus Christ “to destroy all ancient and new altars in Iwere land not raised onto God”.
The Olu’s action was received with shock, then outrage, at what his subjects perceived as a sacrilegious act. The spontaneous response was a mass protest, which began two Saturdays ago with men, women and youths trooping out in large numbers to express their objection to the so-called “New Order”. They set up bonfires on streets adjoining the palace and chanted Itsekiri national anthem. They had just one advice for their king: “if you are renouncing the title, renounce the throne”.
Born Godwin Toju Emiko from the lineage of Atuwatse, the Olu, sources close to the palace said, had in giving his life to Christ recently, repented from his past actions and vowed to live a true Christian life. The second son of Olu Erejuwa, the Olu of Warri is the second university graduate to ascend the ancient throne of Warri Kingdom.
Leading the protest against their king’s new faith was his Traditional Council of Chiefs. The Olu’s family also disowned him. Their decision to distance themselves from the action was said to be due to frustration following the recalcitrance of the Olu after they had met with him to dissuade him from forging ahead with his action.
In a petition signed by 37 of its members, the Emiko Royal Family went down memory lane to recall how Prince Ginuwa left Benin to become the first Itsekiri king about 1480 and received the authority and the blessing of his father, Olua, the then Oba of Benin, to reign over the river, hence the title “Ogiame”. They said “the whole gamut of history behind the Itsekiri throne is captured or encapsulated in the title Ogiame”, adding that “the property in the title ‘Ogiame’ belongs to the Itsekiri who have so addressed the monarch right from inception over 500 years ago”.
The royal family said “we consider the history/pedigree of the Ogiame title as sure that the Itsekiri people hold it dear and sacrosanct to the extent that it should not be cancelled for whatever reasons”. While however admitting that as Atuwatse II and custodian of the title, he had the authority to review aspects of the culture and tradition of the people, the royal family insisted that such reviews must follow due process and be in consultation with Itsekiri stakeholders.
Omolubi Newuwumi, a prince of the kingdom, admitted leading the protest against the Olu. “You must read what he said about the title of Ogiame being synonymous with the goddess of the sea. Let me tell you; there is nothing he can do about it. Seventy-five per cent of Itsekiri people live within the sea environment. There are things that are natural to the sea, which he cannot change. When we do Umolokun, it is the respect we give to the goddess of the sea. It is our tradition; he cannot change it”. Newuwumi said while nobody would stop the monarch from being a Christian, “he should vacate the stool and go and practice his Christianity but not to tell us that we should no longer sing the Itsekiri national anthem because he is a Christian”.
However, confronted with a hard choice between the throne and the Cross of Jesus Christ, the Olu last Tuesday opted for his throne and rescinded his decision to renounce the Ogiame title. The mammoth crowd of protesters, who had kept vigil at the palace, received the news of their king’s change of heart with cheers and wild jubilation. Charles Ikomi, spokesman of the Council, conveyed the news that the Olu had accepted “to drop the issue”. A prominent Itsekiri woman leader and Igba of Warri Kingdom, Rita Lori-Ogbebor, commended the Itsekiri for the peaceful protest of the past few days and advised them to return home “because our monarch has dropped the issue”. She also hailed the Olu for listening to the voice of his people, stating that “as you can see for yourself the joy and happiness being demonstrated by all Itsekiri sons and daughters who are here today to hear this good news. For us, we regard the Olu as next to God.”
And with the return of peace comes the big question: has the ‘born-again’ monarch really abandoned his new passion for Christ or is it just a matter of allowing the sleeping dog lie for now and spring a surprise later?