RE: MAINTAINING THE ANCIENT LANDMARK: A PETITION FOR THE RESTORATION OF THE STATUTORY FUNCTION OF THE OLISAN (EKETE) DESCENDANTS OF WARRI KINGDOM

15th

June 2021

The Chairman,

Olu Advisory Council, 

Olu’s Palace,

Warri,

Delta State.

Dear Sir,

RE: MAINTAINING THE ANCIENT LANDMARK: A PETITION FOR THE RESTORATION OF THE STATUTORY FUNCTION OF THE OLISAN (EKETE) DESCENDANTS OF WARRI KINGDOM

We, OLOGBOTSERE EYIMINSAREN DESCENDANTS held a well-attended meeting on the 10thof June 2021; and in the course of the meeting our attention was drawn to a petition with the above title, which was written by the OLISAN UGBO DESCENDANTS and addressed to:

“The Chairman,

Olu Advisory Council,

Olu Palace,

Warri,

Delta State.”

2. We painstakingly read in between the lines of the aforementioned petitionso much so that the content was well understood. Ordinarily, we would have ignored the petition as not being worthy of our reaction, particularly against the backdrop that though the letter was addressed to the Chairman, Olu Advisory Council, same haven’t not being delivered to him, we however on a second thought deem it fit not to feign ignorance of the happenings in the Kingdom in recent times. We resolved to put our position across and set the records straight for good not minding the “voice of Jacob behind the hand of Esau” in the petition.

3. In as much as the aforementioned petition reeks of lies, half-truths and dubious attempt to re write the history of the Itsekiri people; we have accordingly resolved to make our reaction as detailed as possible.ON CHIEFTANCY TITLES, THEIR HIERARCHIES, THEIR DUTIES/FUNCTIONS IN IWERE LAND:

4. The story of the migration of Prince Ginuwa of Benin Kingdom (later Ginuwa 1 of Warri Kingdom) from Benin with the sons of seventy (70) chiefs is, historically, well known and documented that needs no further proof. However, it was recorded, at the point of departure from Benin to the surprise of the sons of the seventy (70) chiefs, Prince Ginuwa (later Ginuwa 1) PROCLAIMED himself king. (Emphasis ours), contrary to the claim of the Olisan Ekete descendants.

Permit us to emphatically state that Ginuwa 1 was not crowned king by any chief or son of a chief! See William Moore on page 28,

“Prince Ginuwa d essed himself up properly as the Oba of Benin inside the box; and then, by a certain feat of his, the box was opened and he jumped out, and said in a commanding voice, you Bini, will you not accompany me to where I am going? They fell on their face and did him obeisance, and they all, of one accord, answered!, master, we will follow you wherever you go. Ginuwa then ordered them into the box, and they obeyed him”

5. C.O. Omone okarin in his book “ITSEKIRI NATIVE LAW AND CUSTOM” on page 27 said: “Next to the OLU were peers or titled nobles called the Ojoyes. They with their sovereign ruler constituted the supreme council or House of Lo ds… they we e in all seventy Ojoyes, all residing in their respective wards or quarters (Eghoro) at Ode Itsekiri and assigned to specific duties e.g.: - Ologbotsere – Prime Minister or Chief Adviser, Iyatsere –War Lord, Uwangue – Custodian of the Regalia” amongst others.

6. One of the most notable historians on the peoples of the Niger Delta Region, is Professor Obaro Ikime (Professor Emeritus), he said that the history of theItsekiri people is about the best documented in the history of the region. In his book, “Merchant Prince of the Niger Delta” on page 9 said: “…. the Bini Prince, Ginuwa the founder of the Itsekiri Dynasty, who was said to have been accompanied by seventy sons of Bini Nobles, conferred on the latter titles similar to those in use in Bini. The titles of all seventy are not now remembered but the most important were without question those of the Ologbotsere, Uwangue and Iyatsere. The Ologbotsere was the Olu’s P ime Ministe and Chief Adviser, His Chief Spokesman in council and, most important of all, the person who crowned the Olu during his installation.”

7. R. A. I. Ogbobine in his book “THE IWERE (WARRI) KINGDOM AND THE OLU’S OVER LORDSHIP RIGHTS IN ITSEKIRI LAND” stated on page 18 that:“Many of the chieftaincy titles held by the fathers of the sons of Bini Chiefs who accompanied Ginuwa to Warri and which Ginuwa conferred on their sons in his kingdom still exist, such as Iyatsere, Ologbotsere, Uwangue, Oshodi, Ojomo, Agboriken, Ero and Ogwa to mention only a few ”.

8. In all of these historical references, the Olisan Ekete is hardly mentioned. This, perhaps, is an indication of his position not being prominent in the hierarchy of Chiefs and role or lack of it, in the history of Itsekiri people.It, therefore, cannot fly in the face of historical facts to claim that Olisan Ekete, as the Olisan Ekete Descendants did in their petition, crowned Ginuwa 1 and or played any other significant role in the process of coronation in WarriKingdom.

Declaration of Succession to the Title of Olu of Warri

9. It is worthy of note that in a bid to restore order and to avoid this kind of unbridled ambition, such as this petition of the likes of the Olisan Ekete Descendants, that before the death of paramount chief Dore Numa in 1932, in the bid of wanting to put an end to the (88 years) interregnum, the colonial masters wanted to reinstate monarchy, the then Colonial resident John Beecroft invited the Itsekiri leaders to state the procedure to be followed in the installation of an Olu.

10. The Itsekiri leaders, at that time met, bearing in mind Itsekiri history, custom and tradition, drafted a “Declaration” relating to the Succession to the title of the Olu of Warri on the 26th September 1931. 

11. It was this declaration that was followed when Prince Kebuwa Ejo was installed as Ginuwa 11, The Olu of Warri on the 17thday of February 1936. It was this same “Declaration” that was followed when Erejuwa II was installed as Olu of Warri on the 24thof March 1951.

12. In 1977, when the Bendel State Government commenced the process of assembling all the customary laws regulating the title to the succession to the stool of various kingdoms and clans in the then Bendel State. The Itsekiris were requested to submit theirs and the Olu of Warri, Erejuwa II and the Warri council of Chiefs sent the agreed draft of 1931 to the Bendel State Government through three prominent Chiefs of Warri namely; Chief J. O. Mayuku, The Ologbotsere of Warri, Chief Brown Tenuma; The Iyatsere of Warri and Chief A. E. Ofoni; The Ojomo of Warri. 

It might interest you to know that Chief Brown Tenuma the then Iyatsere of Warri Kingdom, was the head of the family of the petitioners in the extant petition.

It is this 1931 draft that is now incorporated as THE 1979 TRADITIONAL RULERS AND CHIEF EDICT UNDER BENDEL STATE LEGAL NOTICE (B.S.L.N.) NO. 147 OF 1979, that is, essentially, now in operation, as DELTA STATE LAW

13. The role and function of Chiefs was further codified in a document titled APPLICATION OF REGISTRATION IN PART III OF THE TRADITIONAL RULERS, AND CHIEF LAW, 1979, TO TRADITIONAL CHIEFTAINCY TITLES.Therefore, historically and statutorily the role and functions of all chiefs in Warri kingdom has been clearly defined and codified.There is no ambiguity or confusion except in the mind of the Olisan Ekete Descendants.

 ON THE CLAIM THAT THE OLIHA OF BENIN IS RESPONSIBLE FOR CROWNING THE OBA, SO ALSO THE OLISAN (HIS EQUIVALENT) IS RESPONSIBLE FOR CROWNING THE OLU OF WARRI:

14. The petitioners have appeared to carry on their ambiguity and confusion when they claimed that the chiefs of Warri Kingdom perform the same roles and functions of the chiefs in Benin Kingdom. 

This is clearly incorrect, the seventy (70) nobles that accompanied Prince Ginuwa (later Ginuwa 1) WERE NOT CHIEFS in Benin Kingdom but sons of chiefs. Thus, they were not playing any roles in Benin Kingdom. 

15. Various historians have noted that the roles and functions of the nobles in Warri Kingdom are not the same with the Chief of Benin Kingdom. 

For example, the Iyase in Benin Kingdom is the most senior and chief adviser to the Oba, while in Warri Kingdom as earlier stated above is the Ologbotsere. The Iyatsere in Warri Kingdom is the war general as clearly recorded in history. But this is not the position in Benin Kingdom. 

16. It is true the Oliha of Benin kingdom crowns the Oba, and the equivalent of Oliha in Warri Kingdom is the Olisan. In the first dynasty of Ginuwa, from about 1480 to 1848 AD, there were little or no historical records about who crowned the Olus. 

From “the Histo y of Itseki i” by William Moore, at page 28, and paragraph one (affirmed by our most distinguished historian J.O.S. Ayonmike) the son of the Olisan that left Benin with Prince Ginuwa did not crown Ginuwa. The prince emerged from a box already dressed as a king and everyone in the party including the son of the Olisan revered him as such. 

17. We challenge the Olisan Descendants to disclose the authority from which they derived the crowning of Ginuwa 1 by the Olisan. We further challenge them to give the names of the Olisans who purportedly crowned fifteen (15) Olus.

RANKING OF CHIEFS IN WARRI KINGDOM

18. The ranking of chiefs in Warri Kingdom is not in question. This has been carefully crafted in the Itsekiri Customary Law relating to the succession to the title of the Olu of Warri on the 26th of September 1931 by the Itsekiri leaders of that era. It was presented to the colonial resident for guidance as earlier stated.

Following this guidance, Ebido Diare (a great grandson of Chief Uwakun Eyinmisaren) who was the head of the Ologbotsere lineage crowned Prince Kebuwa Emiko who became Ginuwa 11 in 1936. Prior to this period, Uwankun Eyimisanren had after the demise of Ologbosere Eyimisanren his father stood in as the then head of Ologbotsere Eyimisanren descendant to crown Prince Eyeolusan who became Ikengbuwa 1 in 1808. Since then, it has always been the case for the head of the Ologbotsere descendant to act as Ologbotsere in crowning Olu designate in the absence of a substantive Ologbotsere. Thus, the Ologbotsere does the crowning.

19. The ranking of chiefs would be found in who constitute the Olu Advisory Council. They are the Ologbotsere as the most senior and Chairman of the Olu Advisory Council, followed by the Iyatsere, Uwangue, Ojomo and Otsodin in that order. There is no mention of the Olisan in this hierarchy. This order has been maintained since the commencement of the Ginuwa 11 dynasty in 1936, a period of eighty-five (85 years). 

20. The seniority and position of the Ologbotsere as the one to install and or crown the Olu of Warri is further clarified by the Declaration made under section 8 of the Traditional Rulers and Chiefs Edict, 1979 (as amended by Traditional Rulers, Council and Chiefs Law Cap T.2, Laws of Delta State 2008) stating the customary law regulating the succession to The Title of Olu Of Warri.

21. In the last 85 years post interregnum, all the Olus were crowned by an Uwankun Eyinmisaren, Ologbotsere Descendants, as acknowledged in the petition. Permit us to quickly add that whoever had crown any Olu from the time of Akengbuwa 1 does so for and on behalf of the Ologbotsere descendants. It is, therefore, not true that crowning of Olus by the Ologbotsere descendants is an anomaly.

From when we had recorded history, the Ologbotsere descendants have been crowning the Olus; the first being the crowning of Olu Akengbuwa in 1808 by Uwakun Eyinmisaren. This has been the practice in the last two hundred and twenty-six (226) years, including the last 85 years post interregnum, that Olus were crowned. This fact is well known to all Itsekiris, as it was also acknowledged in the petition. 

We would like to caution that the true intentions of the petitioners in this brazen attempt to re-write history are unknown and has the potential to trigger endless crisis with grave consequences for the Warri kingdom and the sanctity of the crown if it is given any credence.)

ON IYATSERE AS THE HIGHEST-RANKING CHIEF:

22. It is not true that the Iyatsere is the highest-ranking chief among the chiefs 

in Warri Kingdom. In the foregoing paragraphs we have established that, though chieftaincy institution is from the Benin Kingdom, there are essential differences in character and hierarchy. This hierarchy is now established also by law. 

Since the return of the Monarchy there has been no ambiguity in the seniority of chiefs and the family with responsibility for crowning the Olu. This has about 226 years antecedent and it is backed by extant laws of Delta state. To do otherwise is calling for anarchy and a grave disrespect for the Ologbotsere descendants who have two members of the Olu advisory Council).

CONCLUSION

23. The petition of the Olisan Ekete descendants is historically inaccurate, factually misleading and traditionally disrespectful of the entire Iwere Nation.

Baseless petitions, such as this, which are bereft of historical facts but are based on conjecture and are driven by inordinate ambition, are not what the Itsekiri nation needs at the point of its history.

We, Ologbotsere Eyemisanren Descendants, urge you to concentrate on finding solutions that unite the Itsekiri nation instead of attending to these baseless, frivolous, badly thought out and fictional petitions.

Signed for and on behalf of Ologbotsere Eyinmisanren Descendants.

This document was originally signed by Late Pa Higson Jofotan Oporokun  (Head) and Late Pa W.L Anuku (General Secretary) on the 15th of June 2021.

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