By Gabriel Omonhinmin
Arole Oduduwa and Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi Ojaja II, has consoled the Itsekiri nation over the passage of the Olu of Warri, His Royal Majesty, Ogiame Ikonwoli, who joined his ancestors on December 20, 2020.
In a statement by Moses Olafare, his Director of Media and Public Affairs, the Ooni prayed for the eternal rest and repose of the soul of the late Olu Ikenwoli, whom he described as a natural and genuine traditional ruler in all sense of the word.
The Ooni said the late monarch was a great descendant of Oduduwa and from all indications while alive meant well for his people.
Although, the late Olu had a very short reign, within the five years he was on the throne, he did everything within his powers to lift his people and contributed to improving the age-long relationship that existed between the Itsekiri and the Yoruba.
The Ooni said Ogiame Ikenwoli would be greatly missed, especially his constructive contributions in the circle of kings as one of the leading members of the National Council of Traditional Rulers of Nigeria (NCTRN).
The Ooni said one of the outstanding qualities of the late Olu of Warri was his passionate disposition to harmonious coexistence among all sections and regions of the country, especially among members of the Oduduwa race worldwide.
He stressed that the late Olu’s genuine desire for the Itsekiri, Edo and Yoruba people to continue to live in peace and harmony was very well known to all the kings and subjects, who met and interacted with him while alive.
The Ooni remarked: “ late Olu and I related very closely, we exchanged royal visits, and agreed during such visits to do all within our powers to ensure stronger Oduduwa family ties.”
The Ooni prayed for the late Olu’s soul to rest in peace, and for the Almighty Olodumare God to uphold the family he left behind and give them the fortitude to bear the huge loss his demise has caused.
The Ooni, who is the natural head of the Oduduwa dynasty worldwide, said that he was most impressed and pleased at the peaceful transition and emergence of Prince Tsola Emiko as the new Olu-designate.
He maintained, that the peaceful and rancor-free transition of power to the new Olu-designate, reflects the true ethos and values known with the Yoruba race at large.T The Ooni thanked the Itsekiri nation for its adherence to the norms and laws laid down for the succession and selection of a new Olu.
The statement stressed that the selection of the 37 years old Prince Utieyinoritsetsola Emiko as the Olu-designate was a good omen and marks a significant beginning of another phase in the long and remarkable history of the Delta State ethnic nationality.
The Ooni went on: “From the sacred throne of Oduduwa at IleIfe, we wholeheartedly rejoice with Omooba Tsola Emiko as the new Olu of Warri and the Itsekiri people all over the world.
I personally look forward to having a healthy and fruitful relationship with the new Olu of Warri, as all the descendants of Oduduwa all over the world also look forward to a progressive reign of the new monarch.
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“Since the first Olu Iginuwa emerged several centuries ago as the Olu of Warri Kingdom, the Oduduwa dynasty had continued to build a cordial and mutual respect and trust founded on timeless relationship, culture and an unbroken chain between the Yorubas and the Itsekiri people.”
He noted that the Itsekiri nation represented a formidable dominion in the history of the Oduduwa dynasty. He stressed: “We are proud of the blood-bound relationship and among all the descendants of Oduduwa and our Itsekiri brothers and sisters.
We cherish the shared history, common ancestry, common spirituality, shared fears, and aspirations.
Our forefathers stood by us in moments of thick and thin, they stood shoulder to shoulder as one indivisible energy, we hope to keep this precious gift they left for us. We cherish this important history.
We shall guide it and defend it to the good of the great civilizations of the Itsekiri and Yoruba people, a memory that has survived decades of travails and trials.
“The House of Oduduwa via Ife Royal Court has followed the developments in Warri with keen interest. Peace and stability for the people of Itsekiri is our utmost desire. We want to see Itsekiri land witness more prosperity, more fertility, more harmony, and peace of mind with their neighbors towards a more united Oodua race and better Nigeria.”
The statement added that upon the receipt of the news about the meeting of the Itsekiri General Assembly, which announced the passage and successor to Ogiamen Ikenwoli, the Ooni, in his capacity as the Arole Oduduwa sent a powerful delegation from Yorubaland, which was led by the Oore of Otun Ekiti, HRM Oba Adekunle Adeagbo and the Olubosin of Ifetedo, HRM Oba Akinola Akinrera, to solidarise with the Itsekiri people during that critical moment and to witness the public presentation of the new Olu by the Iyatsere of Warri Kingdom.
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