. . . Pass vote of confidence on Ayirimi Emami

The crisis rocking the Olu of Warri palace took a fresh dimension on Thursday as the Ologbotsere Descendants, one of the largest families in Itsekiri nation, rejected the pronouncement of Olu of Warri, Ogiame Atuwatse III, concerning the coveted Ologbotsere traditional title.

The rejection followed purported reports that the Ogiame Atuwatse III had abolished the traditional title of Ologbotsere in Itsekiri Kingdom and had striped the erstwhile holder of the title.

Responding to the media reports which are already generating fresh controversy in the Kingdom, Ologbotsere Descendants said that the Ologbotsere title cannot be abolished as doing so was unlawful and against extant laws governing the throne.

The Ologbotsere Descendants Union Worldwide made their position public after an enlarged emergency meeting held at the home of embattled Ologbotsere, Chief Ayirimi Emami on Thursday.

The Ologbotsere Descendants however unanimously passed vote of confidence on Chief Emami after a motion to that effect was moved by Chief Sam Omamamuli and seconded by O.J Nanna.

Arising from the meeting, spokesman of the Ologbotsere Descendants, Comrade Alex Eyengho, said that the family still didn’t believe that what Chief Brown Mene announced in a video that was circulating on social media is the position of the Olu.

He said that the Ologbotsere descendants would react appropriately over the purported removal of Chief Emami as Ologbotsere when it comes directly from the mouth of the Olu of Warri whom he said is a defendant in a suit instituted by Chief Ayirimi Emami challenging his enthronement.

His words: “As you know the Ologbotsere Descendants Union Worldwide called an Emergency meeting for today. (Thursday) Of course, the main thrust of today's emergency meeting is to react to the development from the palace of Olu of Warri Kingdom as addressed by Chief Brown Mene which came to us as a rude shock.

“When I say us, I mean the Ologbotsere family. What came out of the palace on Tuesday came to us as a rude shock. And we see it as not in tandem with extant law, not in tandem with Itsekiri culture, not in tandem with Itsekiri tradition. That is the way we see it.

“So arising from this general meeting today of the Ologbotsere Descendants which was well attended as you can see, the Ologbotsere descendents, Union Worldwide reject outrightly and absolutely the vide that came out of the palace to the effect that the Olu of Warri has derobed the Ologbotsere of Warri Kingdom, Chief Ayirimi Emami.

“We reject that outrightly for reasons I have given to you because it is not in tandem with extant laws, not in tandem with culture and tradition of Itsekiri people.

“For that reason, we stand by and with Chief Ayirimi Emami and we passed a vote of confidence on him as the Ologbotsere of Warri Kingdom. The Ologbotsere Descendants Union Worldwide will swim and sink with (Chief Ayirimi Emami as Ologbotsere of Warri Kingdom).”

While saying that they were not averse to peace and reconciliation, the Ologbotsere Descendants spokesman disclosed that a seven-man panel of elders from the Ologbotsere descendants has been constituted to further look into the matter by consultations, and dialogue stressing that the “Ologbotsere family is not at war with anybody.”

“However,” he said, “to still give room for talk, for mediation, to still give room for dialogue, the family arising from this meeting after rejecting in totality what came out of the palace, we have also set up a seven-man committee to look more into the matter with a view of creating that opportunity or leaving room for jaw-jaw and not war-war.

“That Committee will talk more of way forward, that committee will consult widely, that Committee will keep its doors open for discussions, for way forward as way of getting out of this quagmire in Warri Kingdom. That’s a summary of what happened here today.”

Eyengho said that the purported abolition of the Ologbotsere title vis-a-vis the reported title being branded as ‘nickname’ was an insult to the entire Ologbotsere descendants Union Worldwide and as far as “we the Ologbotsere Descendants are concerned was dead on arrival”.

“It is unacceptable to us and we have rejected it outrightly so I don’t want to be talking of the Ologbotsere being derobed,” Eyengho maintained.

Speaking further, Comrade Eyengho gave graphic details of how Chief Ayirimi Emami became the Ologbotsere of Warri Kingdom, emphasizing that “once you make titles like Ologbotsere, Iyatsere, Uwangue, Oshodi and Ojomo, it is till death that they will stop to hold such titles and nobody can remove them”.

“The Ologbotsere was made Ologbotsere on the recommendation of the family and was confirmed by the then Olu of Warri. His Majesty Ogiame IKenwoli, the 20th Warri monarch. And in Itsekiri customs and tradition, even once you give a Chief, Just an ordinary Chief, not a principal Chief a title you cannot reclaim it. The Itsekiri custom and tradition I am talking about is well captured in this book authored by retired Justice. Justice Rufus Ogbobine. He talked eloquently about Itsekiri custom and tradition. “The foundation of Itsekiri Customs and Traditions” so I'm not just talking. This is a Justice of the then Bendel State. He well articulated it where he said very magnificently clear that once you are made a Chief it is till death.”

Specifically, he maintained that the only way to remove the Ologbotsere or disrobe him is through the state House of Assembly and the governor as enshrined by the extant law governing the throne, stressing that a book titled ‘The Foundation of Itsekiri Culture and Tradition’ authored by a former Justice of Bendel State, Justice Rufus Ogbobine, also captured the procedures and processes of uninstalling an Ologbotsere.

“And he specifically mentioned five principal titles you cannot just waved away. That you cannot just remove. For you to remove the Ologbotsere of Warri Kingdom among other titles you have to go to the government of the state. It has to pass through the State House of Assembly and it must get the imprimatur of the governor of the state.

“So it is not something you just wished away or you just mouthed or you just announced or you just pronounced that you are removing the Ologbotsere or derobing the Ologbotsere as Chief Brown Mene said it. We have said it that it is absolutely unacceptable to us and we will continue to refer to him as Ologbotsere of Warri Kingdom.”

Comrade Eyengho, said that Chief Ayirimi Emami has not erred as representative of Ologbotsere descendants in his quest that the extant law in the succession to the throne of Olu of Warri must be followed", maintaining, “And let me put it on record, the only offence, the only sin of Chief Ayivimi Emani is that he insist that law and order must be follow. He insists that due process must be follow. He insist that, look there is an extant law, let us follow it.

“And as a law abiding citizen of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, he has gone to court. This matter is in court. It is even sub judice for anybody to make such pronouncement but I take it with a pinch of salt because the so-called pronouncement was made by Chief Brown Mene. Chief Brown Mene is not Olu of Warri Kingdom. He made the pronouncement. I did not hear it from the Olu of Warni himself. We can see the video where Chief Brown Mene purportedly made the announcement or suspended or derobed the Ologbotsere of Warri Kingdom is all over the social media. It was Chief Brown Mene. I have the video.

“But if you have the video where the Olu of Warri himself made that announcement please play it for me. So I take this with a pinch of the salt. I take it as a declaration from Chief Brown Mene and not Olu of Warri. It is left for the Olu of Warri to come out publicly and confirm what Chief Brown Mene said. Mind you, Chief Brown Mene is not among the first five or first ten of Chiefs in Warri Kingdom but he is the one that made the announcement. This is a point I want you to hold very strongly. It is lett for the Olu to come out to say publicly and confirm that “I sent Chief Brown Mene to made that pronouncement”. I saw and heard Chief Brown Mene made those comment and I take it with a pinch of the salt because the Olu of Warri Kingdom knows too well that this matter is in court and he is well learned person, we respect him and he knows that it will be sub judice for him to make such pronouncement because the very foundation of Chief Ayirimi Emami, the Ologbotsere of Warri Kingdom’s case in court is challenging the processes that led to the crowning of Olu of Warri.

“That is the foundation and he is a plaintiff in the matter, when you do that, when the matter is already in court, even before you were crowned and you now made this pronouncement either through proxy or by yourself it doesn’t work that way. Nigeria is not a Jungle. We have laws in this country and we must learn to respect our laws particularly extant laws.”

He reiterated that no true born Ologbotsere descendant “will accept this so called disrobing of Emami as Ologbotsere of Warri kingdom.”

When told that the Ologbotsere descendants were already divided and that a section may be plotting to replace him (Chief Ayirimi Emami), Comrade Eyengho said: “In any family no matter how nuclear the family is – that’s father, mother and children, even in a family of five, there are divisions sometimes. Even among the 12 Disciples you saw Judea Iscariot at a point, even Peter at a point. So you can’t have 100 percent.

Eyengho, however maintained that majority of the Ologbotsere descendants are with Emami on his stance to uphold Itsekiri customs and traditions, saying: “over 96, 97% of the Ologbotsere descendants are with Chief Ayirimi Emami on this matter and I dare say this, no true born Ologbotsere Descendant will sell his family for a pot of porridge.

“I am yet to see that Ologbotsere descendant that would come out and clap, applaud this pronouncement from Chief Brown Mene. I'm yet to see anyone who will applaud it because this is not an insult to Chief Ayirimi Emami but an insult to the entire Ologbotsere descendants Union Worldwide.

“This is not about Chief Ayirimi Emami. That’s what some people fail to understand. They think, ‘oh! it is Ayirimi Emami’ they are having issue with. No. They are having issue with Ologbotsere descendants Union Worldwide by trying through the back door to put the lyatsere above the Ologbotsere when in the extant law it is very clear that in terms of hierarchy, the Ologbotsere is number one followed by lyatsere number 2, Uwangue number 3, Ojomo number 4 while Oshodi number 5 like that. Ologbotsere is the chairman of Olu Advisory Council and also the chairman of Warri Kingdom Council of Chiefs.

“So those doing these, are those trying to support the personal battle of Chief Johnson Amatserunleghe, the current Iyatsere of Warri who want to, by all means become number one and make Ologbotsere number 2 against the extant laws. That is what is happening,” he concluded.

Present at the enlarged meeting were the various head of the Ologbotsere family including the Secretary-General of the family, William L.A. Anukun; Otsemaye Uwanikone, Wilson E. Mene, Besidane Esimaje, Alex Eyengho, O.J. Nanna and Mr. Samuel B.O Okorodudu among others.

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