Iyatsere faction in Warri kingship tussle allegedly shuns peace meeting

The relative calm in Warri town and OdeItsekiri (the ancestral home of the ethnic nationality) as Prince Tsola Emiko, the Oludesignate goes into “Ideniken” (seclusion) preparatory to ascending the throne of the kingdom can be likened to the peace of the graveyard.

What has made this matter worse, according to most indigenes of Warri, is the silence of prominent Itsekiri sons and daughters all over the world, who seem to be watching developments keenly.

However, one of the Itsekiri senior chiefs, who is also one of the kingmakers Chief Yayah Pessu, the Ojomo of Warri, alongside other concerned persons in the kingdom, are presently making frantic efforts to bring all the warring factions to the negotiations table before matters get out of control.

Sources said these efforts have been deliberately frustrated by one of the factions in the crisis as they have refused to cooperate with Chief Pessu’s group. Chief Johnson Atserunleghe, the Iyatsere of Warri Kingdom and his group have allegedly refused to attend the peace initiatives, which took place in the residence of Chief Pessu, in the oil city on Friday, 14th May, 2021.

And they have so far refused to give reasons why they were not present in the peace meeting, after they had earlier agreed to attend. However, the following persons were said to have attended the peace meeting according to Palace Watch sources: Chief Ayiri Emami, the suspended Ologbotsere of Warri Kingdom; Chief Macgrew Richmond, Mr. David Iwere (the young man, who led the Itsekiri youths protest on May 7, 2021 at the Nigerian Police Zone 5 Headquarters in Benin City): Chief Thomas Ereyitomi (a representative of one of the constituencies in Warri at the National Assembly in Abuja); Chief Isaac Jemide (another kingmaker, who is the Oshodi of Warri Kingdom; Chief Kent Omatsone (former Speaker, Delta State House of Assembly); Chief S.E. Mene (an educationist); Chief Omawuli Akulagba and Pa. Chief Akoma Dudu, one of the oldest men in the Ginuwa ruling house, who was supposed to be the Regent under the present dispensation.

The Secretary to the Itsekiri Leaders of Thought and five other members were at the meeting. He was said to have apologized to the house that his leader could not attend the meeting because of other pressing issues. Chief Atserunleghe and his group, which is made up of Prince Emmanuel Okotie-Eboh (the present Regent); Prince Yemi Emiko and others, especially representatives of the Ginuwa ruling house, who are major factor in the Warri crisis were conspicuously absent at the meeting.

A chief in the Warri Palace, who was at the meeting but did not want his name mentioned, expressed disgust at the behavior of most members of this faction, saying: “it sad and depressing, that these people have again refused to show up in this peace meeting.

These people needed to be here, if the present peace initiative is ever to succeed.” Palace Watch heard that the absence of the Iyatsere group angered many members of the Ologbotsere faction, who travelled from very long distances to attend the peace meeting in Warri.

According to our source, Chief Pessu, the Ojomo of Warri Kingdom at whose instance the peace meeting was called, was said to have made the following remarks, after the opening prayers at the meeting: “I am motivated to call this particular peace meeting because of three major reasons.

1- How to find an enduring peace in the kingdom, as the present development in the Warri nation since this crisis broke out, has not in any way helped our image as a people. It is therefore, commonsense that we cannot all fold our hands and watch while things continually degenerate the way and manner they are going.

2- The meeting is also called to see how the missing crown, which is the symbol of the Itsekiri people is found and returned to the Warri Palace immediately.

3 – As a Chief in Warri Palace, I was scandalized by a particular incident that happened at the Nigerian Police Zone 5 Headquarters in Benin City, the last time I went there.

A statement made by one of the police officers, who is handling the Warri crisis at the Nigerian Police, Zonal Headquarters in Benin City, set me thinking seriously on how to get this matter resolved once and for all.

One of the Police officers, mockingly asked me, “If you people, the Warri Chiefs claim that it was the Ifa-Oracle that assisted you people as Warri Chiefs to arrive at the selection of Prince Tsola Emiko as the new Olu of Warri designate, why did the same Ifa, not help the warring Chiefs to locate the missing crown?”

It was at this point, it dawned on me, that we should all immediately do, all within our powers to get this matter resolved once and for all, as no external body, will come and help us resolve our differences.

Hence this meeting.” After his remarks, Chief Ayiri Emami, the suspended Ologbotsere of Warri Kingdom, who was present at the meeting, was said to have calmly asked Chief Pessu, why Chief Johnson Atserunleghe, the Iyatsere of Warri Kingdom and his group, especially Prince Emmanuel Okotie-Eboh, who is the present Regent and Prince Yemi Emiko, who are the moving forces behind the Iyatsere group, absent at the meeting?

Was it that, you did not invite them to this meeting?” Chief Emami then stressed, “Chief Pessu, if you really want to make peace you would have made sure the Iyatsere group, who are the aggressors in this crisis, are present at this meeting.”

Chief Pessu, was said to have told the gathering, that he made efforts to reach the persons in question, and that they had promised to be present at the peace meeting. A furious Chief Macgrew Richmond was said to have told the gathering that he was present at the meeting because of his personal respect for Chief Pessu.

He then went ahead to question, “why should I be invited to a meeting where the missing Warri crown is to be discussed?

Agreed, I am a Chief in the Warri Palace, but I am not a member of the royal family and I don’t even know, where any of these missing items are kept in the palace. I have never had access to such places in the Warri Palace.

As we all gather here, members of my immediate and larger families have been embarrassed continually over this missing crown, which I knew nothing about. My life has been threatened over this matter unreasonably.

On the 26th of May, 2021, is supposed to be the 30th anniversary of my marriage, and as a matter of practice over the years, I’m always present in London with members of my immediate family to mark the day.

But sadly, I can’t attend this year’s celebration and can’t attend to my immediate family needs, because of this matter.

If for any reason, I decide now to travel out of Nigeria although, I am granted bail by the Nigerian police on self-recognition, it will be misconstrued or rumored all over the place, that I have either jumped bail or gone to hide the missing crown, which I know absolutely nothing about its whereabouts.

And as such, I’m stuck here in Nigeria and can’t move around and go about my daily businesses as I would have wanted to. But if invariably, the missing crown is eventually found and after the new Olu would have been installed, I will go to court to clear my name, as I can’t just be called a thief, and I will allow the matter to go just like that.”

After a heated debate, and in an effort to calm Chief Emami and others down, the peace committee agreed to reach out to the Ginuwa Ruling House, especially Prince Emmanuel Okotie-Eboh, the present Regent to do a letter withdrawing Chief Ayiri Emami’s purported suspension as Ologbotsere, as this move is likely to give room for further peace negotiation.

Chief Emami was said to have bluntly declined the proposal, saying “the Ginuwa Ruling House, has no powers to suspend me as Ologbotsere in the first instance, and why should I accept a letter from Okotie-Eboh to that effect? Secondly, this illegality called suspension, was carried out before he Emmanuel Okotie-Eboh, ever became the regent.”

The former Speaker of the Delta State House of Assembly.was said, to have called for caution, and explained the implications of not finding the missing crown before a new Olu of Warri is crowned.

He was said to have told the gathering that in 2016, some months after the immediate past Olu of Warri, HRM Ogiame Ikenwoli, was crowned, the then Delta State Government refused to give him his due recognition as the Olu of Warri.

As alleged then, that Ogiame Ikenwoli was not given a staff of office by the state government, hence its refusal to give Ogieme Ikenwoli all his dues and recognition. It thus, took the Warri Palace quite some time to convince the Delta State Government that Olu of Warri does not take staff of office from the state government, as the symbol of Oluship in Warri kingdom is the crown, which is now missing.

The former speaker was said, to have wondered aloud, asking, if the present Olu of Warri is to be crowned, what will the Itsekiri people use to crown him as the Olu of Warri Kingdom?

Since the symbol of the Itsekiri throne, the crown is now missing, he, therefore, appealed to all the people present at the meeting to join hands with all other concerned people to locate the missing crown.

The peace meeting also unanimously agreed, that Chief Atserunleghe, the Iyatsere of Warri Kingdom and his group, who are presently behaving as people who have conquered a territory, should be advised to thread softly and be open to all peace initiatives in the general interest of the Warri people.

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The peace meeting further agreed, that all efforts should be made, to ensure that the 1979 edict which stipulates every steps that should be followed before an Olu of Warri is crowned, is followed to the letter, as the Delta State government will later ask, after the new Olu of Warri would have been crowned, whether or not the Warri King Makers followed the laid down rules, if yes, the Attorney-General of Delta State will be demanding for evidence to this effect.

Palace Watch contacted Chief Yayah Pessu, to find out how the peace meeting went, and why the iyatsere and his group did not turn up for the meeting.

He said, “We have made some significant progress, even though Chief Atserunleghe, the Iyatsere of Warri Kingdom and his group were unable to attend the meeting.

We are, however, confident and certain they will show up in our next meeting, which will hold very soon.

In the interim, we are reaching out to all concerned in this matter individually, and their responses have been quite encouraging, which is an indication that the much sought-after peace will be achieved any moment from now.”

Palace Watch made efforts to reach, the Chief Atserunleghe, the Iyatsere of Warri Kingdom, and Prince Yemi Emiko on this matter, but these efforts were not successful as they refused to pick the calls.