Barely a month to the passing of the Ooni of Ife, another prominent traditional ruler has gone to the great beyond. This time, its the Olu of Warri Godwin Edomi, Ogiame Atuwatse II.
He was said to have died in Lagos on Friday night of an undisclosed ailment. Ogiame Atuwatse II ascended the throne of his forefathers on May 2, 1987 during an elaborate ceremony which was recorded as the last official engagement of renowned politician and publisher, Chief Obafemi Awolowo. Awolowo died on May 9, 1987, a week after attending the Olu’s coronation in Warri. The famous Itsekiri monarch last May celebrated what might be termed low-keyed 28th anniversary of his coronation, choosing to mark the occasion mainly with Christian religious services
According to an online news portal, TheWill, the monarch might have died from a brain injury he suffered after reportedly falling from the stairs of his Warri residence in Delta State. TheWill reported that Atuwatse was due to have a surgery at Reddington Hospital in Victoria Island, Lagos, where he was rushed to, before he passed on. It further said the monarch’s body had been flown back to Warri for burial.
In 2013, the Olu of Warri was embroiled in a controversy when he allegedly planned to relinquish the traditional title of Ogiame but that decision did not go down well with the Itsekiri people. This was due to the king’s alleged “pagan” or fetish etymological background of the royal title of the Itsekiri monarch – Ogiame. The monarch, who claimed the title Ogiame was associated with the ‘Sea goddess,’ had said he had nothing to do with the deity. Twenty-two palace chiefs at the height of the protest criticized the decision of the monarch to renounce the Ogiame title. After four days of protest by the people over his decision to renounce the title he bowed to the wishes of his subjects.
According to the tradition of the Itsekiri, the transition would not be officially announced until after three months when a new king will be ready to be installed.
