The Olu of Warri told Ayiri to go and come back on Sunday April 16 for revalidation - Yemi Emiko, opens up

A prominent Prince in Warri Kingdom, Yemi Emiko, has opened up on what transpired on Friday April 14, this year, at the Olu Palace in Warri, Delta State, saying the Olu of Warri, Ogiame Atuwatse III, said a lot of things about forgiveness in Warri Kingdom and he told Ayiri (Chief Ayirimi Emami) to go and come back on Sunday April 16 for revalidation.

Prince Emiko, who made the revelation, in an interview with Inside the Niger Delta, a widely syndicated Independent Broadcast Programme, noted: “I came back Friday April 14, because the Olu himself, called me that I should try and be in that meeting, on that day of the meeting, he said a lot of things about forgiveness and then he told Ayiri to go and come back on Sunday April 16 for revalidation. There were respected people present, most especially Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor, thank God he is an Itsekiri man. We all went home happily, I even called some of my friends, who were on my neck concerning the issue (Ologbotsere controversy) unfortunately that Sunday April 16, we came and only God knows what happened, he (The Olu of Warri) did what he did.  You know that in Philosophy, there is an area called Axiology. Axiology is the study of value and principles, further down we are going to have Ethics and Aesthetic. 

“In-fact, I started the reconciliation process way before coronation. They called me names and said that there will not be any reconciliation, until after the coronation. After the coronation, most of us went to Papa Ayo. I personally went to Papa Ayo Oritsejafor couple of times, knelt down in his office to plead that he should take the lead, that we cannot have people like him as Itsekiri and things like these are going on, bluntly the man agreed and see how it turned out.

“My father as Erejuwa II appointed two Ologbotseres in his time, Chief J.O. Mayuku was installed as Ologbotsere by my father and when he passed away, my father now installed Chief O.N. Rewane as Ologbotsere and there were no controversies at all.  Now we have a tasking situation because of petty jealousy and envy. People hate Ayiri for what he represents, that's why you see situation like this. 

“Chief Ayiri Emami has never said that he has a preferred candidate other than the present Olu, all he is saying is that the processes leading to the coronation, were wrong.”

“Prince Emiko added inter-alia: “We took certain steps, certain action in the hope that when the Olu emerges, Itsekiri will sit down and look at the provision of the law as it affects succession to the throne

“Chief Brown Mene recently said they can suspend a chief, there's no doubt, but when the chief is still alive, you cannot replace him, because I have never seen it before.

“Chief Brown Mene is an elderly man and I am an Itsekiri man, I grew up in the Palace, my father was popularly known as Erejuwa II, Olu of Warri for thirty-five years.

“I am not going to say anything that will sound insulting to him (Chief Brown Mene) because he is by far my senior, but let me just say this, in 2021, I, Prince Yemi Emiko, took lead in the activities that suspended Ayirimi Emami from being Ologbotsere and appointed the Iyatsere as acting Chairman of Warri Council of Chiefs. That singular action, paved way for the current Olu to mount the throne. If Brown Mene, is saying that I as a Prince or other Princes in Warri Kingdom, don't have a say in chieftaincy affairs, automatically he is saying that everything we did as regards the suspension of Chief Ayirimi Emami as Ologbotsere, were wrong. I know that he is going to deny that statement, he is going to say he was misquoted, but let us watch and see how it shapes out. But frankly speaking, I am not going to banter words with Brown Mene.

“We took certain actions and I am not sitting here to tell you that every action we took at that time was 100% correct or evil, because we have a law that regulates succession processes in Warri Kingdom and the law is very clear.

“Frankly speaking, all the Chieftaincy titles belong to the Olu, but there are some family titles such as Ologbotsere, Iyatsere, Uwangue, Ojomo and Otsodi. The families will recommend /nominate, the Olu can install.

“Nothing anyone will tell me about Chieftaincy title and I believe no one understands what is going on in the Palace, more than we do. But if they don't want to listen, what can we do, we step aside for them, but I just pray to God that they should not destroy what we all have laboured for. We cannot continue to keep quiet and things are like this, we have to re-trace our steps.”

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