5,000 women plan protest against Olu of Warri

No fewer than 5,000 women are expected to
storm the palace of the Olu of warri, Ogiame
Atuwase II, on Tuesday (today) to protest the
monarch’s decision to abolish some of the
ancient Itshekiri cultural practices.
Our correspondent learnt that the women
would be dressed in symbolic red attire as a
sign of danger for the monarch.
Atunwase II had last Wednesday declared in a
document titled, “The New Order of Iwere
Kingdom,” that the “Ogiame” title which had
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.
He said, “I also repent for the name and title
of “Ogiame” that my ancestors and I have
borne, as it connotes our allegiance to
Umalokun (goddess of the river) and other
deities of the sea, all of which are false gods.
“Today, I renounce our allegiance to
Umalokun and other gods of the sea, land and
sky. On behalf of the royal bloodline, the
throne, the people of Iwere land, I publicly
enter into a new covenant with God.”
But, a former Commissioner in Delta State,
Dr. Alex Ideh, urged the monarch “to rescind
and recant immediately his declaration or
abdicate the throne.” He added that the
monarch did not consult the Itsekiri
Traditional Council of Chiefs and Ruling
Houses before his decision to denounce the
title of Ogiame.
“Any action otherwise will make him
(monarch) face the wrath of the Itsekiri
people. The issue of religion being canvassed
in the monarch’s declaration are his personal
views. He could not railroad the nation to
accept those views or obliterate the history of
the people,” he said.
Also, Itsekiri Leaders of Thought in a
statement by its leaders, J.O.S Ayomike, Chief
I.O Jemide (Secretary) and eight others stated,
“The part of the (Olu’s) statement which
alleges that the Itsekiri religion is fetish and
that the Itsekiris are non-Christians is a
misrepresentation of the well-known
documented historical fact that Christianity
actually started in Warri/Benin region in the
early 16th Century and about eight of the 19
Olus got baptised as Christians.
“Itsekiri as a nation cannot be said to have
covenant with Umalokun. There may be
pockets of Itsekiri people who do. Everyone
has freedom of worship as it is done
everywhere. Religion is a personal matter.”
Culled from PUNCH

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