After four days of protest over his decision to renounce the title `Ogiame’, The Olu of Warri, Ogiame Atuwase II, has bowed to the wishes of his subjects.
The Itsekiri monarch on Tuesday succumbed to the wishes of his subjects not to renounce the title when tension heightened around his palace.
Atuwase II had allegedly planned to relinquish the traditional title of “Ogiame’’ for a yet to be disclosed title, but the decision did not go down well with the entire Itsekiri people.
The Olu of Warri, who claimed the title Ogiame is associated with “Sea goddess’’, said he had nothing to do with the deity.
The Itsekiri people began the protest on Sept. 7 by besieging the Atuwase II’s palace to press home their demand that their monarch should rescind his decision.
It was learnt that some Itsekiri women had planned to stage a protest on Tuesday afternoon at the king’s palace, but Atuwase II rescinded his decision before the commencement of the protest.
A statement issued by 22 Palace Chiefs at the height of the protest, criticised the decision of the monarch to renounce the title of Ogiame.
The statement, read by one of the chiefs, Mrs Rita Lori-Ogbebor, noted that Ogiame had nothing to do with the worship of any deity.
“In Warri Kingdom, there are Christians, Muslims and Pagans, she said.
Meanwhile, the Itsekiri people and the aggrieved chiefs had pledged their unalloyed loyalty to their king for `toeing the part of honour and withdrawing the decision to renounce his title.