- Ex-Delta commissioner reacts
Succession battle for the vacant Olu of Warri throne has begun in ernest despite the delay in announcing the demise of the reverred monarch, His Royal Majesty Ogiame Ikenwoli, BIGPENNGR reported.
According to the report; in December 2020, speculations were rife that the monarch passed away at Lily Hospital, Warri.
The news of the Olu’s death was however refuted by the Director of Palace Administration, Chief Clement A. Maleghemi, in a statement; insisting that the Royal Majesty was ‘indisposed’ and was receiving medical attention from a team of medical specialists.
The palace stated that the speculations were not true, but acquiesced that the monarch was sick and that his health status would be made public in due course by the office of the Traditional Prime Minister of Warri Kingdom, Chief Ayirimi Emami, the Ologbotsere of Warri Kingdom.
According to BIGPENNGR, three months after the ‘rumoured’ death of the Olu of Warri, the palace was yet to make announce over the issue and that succession battle has been gathering momentum among stakeholders in the kingdom.
Commenting on the development, a former commissioner in Delta State and a First Class Chief, Omolubi Newuwumi, said that Itsekiri nation must endeavour to do everything right for the sake of posterity.
Chief Omolubi stated categorically that he will not be a party to any wrong process to installing a new monarch in Warri Kingdom.
He said, “Let me quickly note and state categorically that the edict has been adopted as a working document by the ruling house, that’s why the selection of who becomes the king-elect ( Omo-Oba) is limited to Erejuwa 11 which comprises the immediate families of the last three kings ( Erejuwa 11, Atuwase 11 and Ikenwoli ), so no one should deny use of the edit in anyway as the case may be.
Omolubi, who is also a prince of Warri Kingdom and the convener of the ‘Meetings of Elites of Prince and Princes’ insisted that the Emikos must be unanimous in presenting suitable candidates to the throne of the Ginuwa 1 ruling house after due consultations (Ife-Eyin).
“Thereafter Ginuwa 1 ruling house will after further consultations (Ife-Eyin) with a committee of at least one person drawn from each stock of the Ginuwa 1 Ruling House communicate with the Ologbostere at the meeting in the palace to present a suitable aspirant of the throne to the “Ojoyesan” headed by the Ologbostere – the highest king making organ of the kingdom.
“This is yet to be done by the ruling house since after the submission from the Emiko’s family on the 18th Feb 2021 and no meeting has been scheduled by the ruling house to hold at the appropriate venue – the Palace.
“The council of Ojoyesan led by the Ologbotsere of Warri Kingdom would go further deep into consultation for final confirmation of the aspirant in conjunction with the Ginuwa 1 ruling house headed by the Olori-ebi as stated in the Edict that Prince and Princess of 18 years and above is allowed to be part of this process of the acceptable candidate for the pristine position as the “Omoba”, that is, the Olu –Elect of Warri Kingdom by the Ife (Oracle).”
According to him, “the enabling edit states that the selection process must start with male children of the demised monarch. If they are not found fit enough for the exalted position, the search/selection process then shifts to the late king’s siblings and up to the male children of the last three monarch in line of succession.”
Chief Omolubi maintained that since the edit states that succession to the throne is from father to son, it compulsorily follows that the search/selection process must commence with the children of the late Majesty Ogiame Ikenwoli before other aspirants noting that; “Anything short of this transparent process is an aberration and I should be counted out of it”.
“It is this barefaced disregard and manipulations of the customary/traditional processes by men of influence, power and money that has been the bane of the Itsekiri people after the passage of HM Ogiame Erejuwa 11 up to the late Atuwatse 11, the installation and passage of Ikenwoli, because, “Majority will always have their way while the minority will have their say”, he stressed.
Chief Omolubi pointed out that the edit needs to be amended by the Olori-ebi who become the Regent after the final selection of the Omo-oba( King Elect) to correct the inherent abnomalies therein that is tearing Warri Kingdom apart, “otherwise the Itsekiri nation would continue to wallow in one misfortune to the other, he cautioned.