By OLUSEYI TAIWO-OGUNTUASE, Lagos

The Itsekiri National Youth Council, (INYC) has finally endorsed the Olu of Warri designate, Prince Tsola Emiko, saying that the Itsekiri are children of Oduduwa and represent one of the Yoruba subgroups.

The youths affirmed that the Itsekiri are of Yoruba ancestry warning dissenting views not to bring politics into a purely traditional matter.

According to a statement signed by Agbateyinmiwo Weyimi, National President INYC the five Aboriginal communities of Ureju, Omadino, big Warri, Ode Ugborodo and Inorin that multiplied and metamorphosed into all the Itsekiris communities of today are all of Yoruba ancestry.

The Itsekiri youths under the auspices of the INYC which is the apex youth coalition of Warri Kingdom said the INYC support for the Olu was a historical responsibility needed to protect the heritage and civilisations of the ancient kingdom.

“For the past three months, we have watched developments in the Warri Kingdom. The full, unconditional support for Prince Tsola Emiko as the Olu designate came after extensive consultations with the five Itsekiri communities of Omadino, Igborodo, Ureju, Inorin and Ode Itsekiri.

“We have also consulted with some 70 traditional chiefs spread across the Warri Kingdom. Our blood, our flesh, our spirit, our land fully endorse the Olu designate, Prince Tsola Emiko. Any attempt to subvert the will of the people is an attack on the entire Itsekiri people all over the World,” the statement reads.

Weyimi also said the Youths of Warri form 70 percent of the human population adding that the Youths are impressed that over 90 percent of the older generation of Itsekiri people all over the world support the new Olu designate.

The council said Itsekiri are part of the 29 Yoruba dialects and that the Edict automatically covered the Yoruba ancestry the Itsekiri being like ilaje, Ijesha, Okun, Ekiti, Ijebu, Igbomina etc that are amongst the 29 dialects in Yoruba.

The council warned those described as renegades to desist from fuelling tension by promoting an alternative Olu on social media.

“It is an ancient proverb in Itsekiri land that two kings do not occupy the same throne. The Itsekiri people are aware of only one Olu designate, Prince Tsola Emiko. It is on this note that we hereby declare Prince Oyowoli Emiko who is parading himself on social media as an alternative to the throne, persona non grata in the entire Warri Kingdom. He will be isolated and ostracized for breaching a history that has survived over six generations.

“Becoming the Olu designate is a long process. It involves a lot of physical and spiritual input. It takes a very long time. It is strange that someone will parade himself on the social media as the Olu designate without even encountering any of the laid down time-honoured traditions”, the youths said in the statement.

The council said “The position of hundreds of thousands of Itsekiri youths we represent is that no one can disqualify Omobo Tsola Emiko from being the Olu of Warri, a throne occupied by his father about five years ago because his mother is Yoruba. (Daily Independent)

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