Thousands of people crowded the streets and dignitaries and the desired ones flew from all over the world while the Itsekiri of the Iwere Kingdom, in the Delta state, crowned a new king, Ogiame Atuwatse III.
Born Utieyinoritsetsola Emiko, 37, is the 21st Olu of Warri to ascend the throne and one of the youngest to do so.
The prince has inspired a new generation with his progressive attitude and his speech was the culmination of the ceremony for many who have often lamented the failures of leadership in the country.
“We need to look beyond oil and gas, and channel our energy in the right direction, towards the efforts that will lead to overall added value,” he said in the speech.
“The Niger Delta has had the narrative of pollution or that of insecurity, and I really think that’s a twist,” Oritsema Jemide told CNN.
“Women are no longer invisible”
Warri’s Olu also pledged that women would be allowed to play an active role in the community.
“We will make sure that women, old and young, are honored and respected not only in word, but in real cultural practice. So I tell our women that today you will no longer be invisible.”
As is usual in monarchies, he also granted new titles to his mother and wife to be known as Iye Olu Atuwatse III and Olori Atuwatse III.
She told CNN’s Warri citizens, from all walks of life, that they were full of excitement at the promise the new king brings to his people.
“I saw people listening to dance at his appearance. I saw people exclaiming … I think Nigerians are looking for something different and something new, something fresh. And he represents all that, in his age, their exposure, their educational background, their genealogy, ”he said.
“It took a lot to the throne to see a monarch who thought ahead, who understood technology, who understood entrepreneurship, who understood the role of women. It was such a beautiful and beautiful experience to be a part of it. it gave hope, ”Durotoye said. he told CNN.
Witnessing history
Prominent leaders, including former President Olusegun Obasanjo and the Ooni of Ife, the king of Ile-Ife in southwestern Nigeria, were present at the tribute ceremony to the Olu of Warri in Ode-Itsekiri , the ancestral home of the Itsekiris.
Across the country and the diaspora, many tuned in to local broadcasts and gathered at viewing centers to witness the story.
The Itsekiris are an ethnic group living in the westernmost part of the Niger River Delta.
“From a young age to 10, I attended the coronation [of the immediate past Olu of Warri] and there was so much love for that king … every home talked about the coronation … with different activities counting down to its installation like the Olu, ”he said.
“Sitting down today, as a 44-year-old woman, mother of three, and participating and participating in another coronation of my life was very humiliating.”
Hope for the diaspora
Prior to his speech, Warri’s Olu thrilled the audience with his performance of Christian worship songs. However, this received criticism from some sectors who expected the monarch to embrace the traditional faith of his ancestors.
Olu also reversed an ancestral curse, according to what his grandfather Olu Erejuwa II placed in Nigeria.
“As a firm believer in the intricate interconnection between the spiritual and the manifestation in the physical. We have a firm belief that the issue must be addressed today,” he said.
“As the spiritual, cultural, political and traditional ruler of this land … I reverse the curse and instead release forgiveness and healing to the federal government of Nigeria, whose minds were used to spread this crime.” .
For some like Jemide, the new era offers hope to Itsekiris in the diaspora that a favorable environment will be created for those who wish to establish stronger ties with the community.
“I think this coronation is particularly significant for me because I’ve been playing with the idea of spending a lot more time … building a base … and putting down roots,” she says.
“It is very significant to have someone who is now on the throne, who I believe has a vision of the kingdom that will create an enabling environment for those dreams.