“As the spiritual, cultural, political, and traditional ruler of this land, I, Ogiame Atuwatse III, the 21st Olu of Warri, the first son of Olu Atuwatse II, the grandson of and direct descendant of Olu Erediuwa II who was offended on this throne, hereby, reverse the curse placed over this land.
In its (the curse’s) place, I release forgiveness and healing to the Federal Government of Nigeria whose might was used to propagate that offense, and I decree unprecedented and an uncommon peace, prosperity, progress, development upon this land.”
- Ogiame Atuwatse III
The Itsekiri (also called the Isekiri, iJekri, Itsekri, Ishekiri, or Itsekhiri) are one of the Yoruboid subgroup of Nigeria's Niger Delta area, Delta State.[1] The Itsekiris presently number 2.7 million people and live mainly in the Warri South, Warri North and Warri South West local government districts of Delta State on the Atlantic coast of Nigeria. Significant communities of Itsekiris can be found in parts of Edo and Ondo states and in various other Nigerian cities including Lagos, Sapele, Benin City, Port Harcourt and Abuja. Many people of Itsekiri descent also reside in the United Kingdom, the United States and Canada.The Itsekiris are closely related to the Yoruba of South Western Nigeria and more widely to the Urhobo (especially the Okpe) and Edo peoples.
The Itsekiris traditionally refer to their land as the Kingdom of Warri or 'Iwerre' as its proper name – which is geographically contiguous to the area covered by the three Warri local government districts. The area is a key centre of Nigeria's crude oil and natural gas production and petroleum refining and the main town Warri (a multi-ethnic metropolis) forms the industrial and commercial nucleus of the Delta State region.Type your paragraph here.
The Kingdom Of Warri or Iwere Kingdom was part of the Nigerian traditional states based in the city of Warri in Delta State, Nigeria. The Olu or Ogiame of Warri kingdom rules over only the Itsekiri People living in warri The current Olu of Warri which was crowned 21st of August 2021 is Ogiame Atuwatse III - Wikipedia
Warri, town and port, Delta state, southern Nigeria. It lies along the Warri River in the western Niger River delta, 30 miles (48 km) upstream from the port of Forcados on the Bight of Benin. Founded by Prince Ginuwa from Benin (60 miles [97 km] north) in the late 15th century, it grew to become the political and trading capital of the Itsekiri kingdom of Warri (Ouwerre). From the 15th to the 17th century, its obis (“kings”) had considerable contact with the Portuguese, and several converted to Roman Catholicism; they later became quite active in the slave trade. Although Warri switched to the export of palm oil and kernels in the mid-19th century, the kingdom declined and its territory came under British protection in 1884.
Long a market centre for local produce as well as a port, the town has assumed new economic importance with the discovery of natural gas and petroleum in the area. A Petroleum Training Institute opened there in 1972, and in 1978 Warri became the site of Nigeria’s second petroleum refinery. An oil-products pipeline runs from the refinery to Kaduna and Kano in northern Nigeria. At nearby Aladja, an integrated steel plant, designed to make greater Warri one of the leading steel centres in the country, opened in 1981. Warri town has furniture and soft-drink factories, secondary schools, trade schools, government hospitals, and a handicraft centre. Pop. (2006) local government area, 557,398. (Britannica)
THE OLU OF WARRI - (excerpt from Patrick Doyle)
The Olu represents the cumulative aspiration of the Itsekiri to be a viable ethnic nationality in the multi-ethnic configuration known as Nigeria. Indeed, he is the physical manifestation of our noble but intangible essence as a people of dignity and worth. He serves as the physical representative link of our ancestors with the present generation of Itsekiri and through him, the proud heritage of our rich history is transmitted.
Of a truth, supernatural intelligence as represented by our oracle has found concurrence with our contemporary aspiration for a millennial monarch in throwing up the noble Omoba Tsola Emiko as the 21st Olu Of Warri. We will be forever grateful to Divinity for endorsing Iwere Land's desire for a digitally compliant monarch at home with modernity and saturated with the ancient wisdom of our illustrious ancestors.
The universal acclamation of the announcement of our Omoba as the next Olu of Warri is proof positive that the Itsekiri are poised to enter a new epoch of dignified progress under a divinely endowed Sovereign.
The Olu is the galvanizing impetus of our ethnonational enterprise, the physical expression of our collective pride, and the manifest evidence of Divinity's endorsement of our national existence. This Olu in particular inspires a renewed sense of hope in us as a people. In him resides our collective resolve to prosper and flourish within the entity referred to as Nigeria… we join Omiwere in rejoicing as the one we refer to as " Afo' Masin the infallible one" ascends the ancient throne of our fathers - our 21st divinely ordained monarch, His Royal Majesty Ogiame, Olu Ti Iwere, King Of The Warri Kingdom and Sovereign of The Itsekiri People Worldwide, Olu Atuwatse III.
We are gathered at the behest of the 21st Olu Of Warri on the 21st day of August, the month of new beginnings in the 21st year of a new millennium. As we are all conversant with the association of the number 3 with the trinity of divinity, we are assured of divinity's endorsement of our enterprise today. It occurred to me that the reign of whoever was to be the 20th Olu of Warri was predestined to be short. While the reign of the 21st by reason of biblical numerology was not only predestined to be long but indeed glorious.
2 plus 1 equals 3 which is the number of divinity in biblical numerology, just as the number 7 stands for perfection. The number 21 contains 3 sevens, in effect the number of perfection has found the endorsement of divinity in the reign of the 21st Olu of Warri. What a wonderful omen.
Added to this is the coincidence of the coronation taking place in the only month this year when 21st day falls on a Saturday. On top of this, the coronation of the 21st Olu Of Warri is taking place in 21st year of the new millennium. Again 21 has appeared 3 times as it concerns this Olu of Warri.
It is instructional that the self-same chiefs who prevented Prince Tsola from ascending the throne as the 20th Olu have now overwhelmingly come out to ensure his coronation as the 21st Olu. I, therefore, have no doubt that God preserved our king through that delay in his ascension. I had the privilege of being in the presence of His Majesty 24 hours before his coronation and I was awed at his maturity and insight into the symbolic significance of seemingly mundane things. I have no hesitation whatsoever in pledging my eternal allegiance to His Majesty Atuwatse the 3rd ( once again the number 3). OGIAME.....SUOOO.