Atuwatse 111 wandered into Pentecostal panegerics instead of Itshekiri cosmology in his first speech as monarch. This is so wrong for two reasons.
First and foremost, he's a TRADITIONAL ruler, not a gospel musician. Singing Pentecostal songs is crass opportunism to win the hearts and minds of a people conquered by foreign religion and completely acculturated and assimilated.
The Olu was "confirmed " as Omooba by the ORACLE, not the Holy Spirit or a pastor.
The Itshekiris are a very cultural people and the Olu should be at the vanguard of the Itshekiri traditional values. If an Itshekiri man or woman dies the ORACLE is consulted to ascertain if he or she is evil before burial at Ode- Itshekiri.
An Oba of Benin will never stoop to the low level of a Pentecostal chorister on his big day. We must call a spade a spade and not a digging material. A traditional ruler is not a politician or a pastor but the custodian of the cultural values of the people.
The second error the Olu made was betrayal of his emotions. For no reason must the Olu cry or shed tears in public. The Olu is expected to be stoic. He's supposed to be cool, calm and collected.
The storm is over. The 1979 Edict that disqualified him was overturned by the majority of his subjects and he is now king. He should move on quickly and define his reign.
The Olu should have started his speech by acknowledging his ancestors and appeasing the gods of the land in Itsekiri language, for no reason should he have spoken in English. He then should have rolled out his vision and mission for Iwere land.
by Ufuoma Bernard
*Is it this serious? I cant hear a crowd complaining!
Stella, it is serious oh.
ReplyDeleteWhy start with a Pentecostal song ,in a traditional gathering?
It is very wrong if that was what he did. It's like breaking of kolanut and appeasing the gods in English in Igbo land . All these things are done in a particular way although church don dey scatter some things, though I doubt this one .
Deleteit's obvious he has no desire to be the Olu. written all over his face. looks like he was forced n is crying for help
DeleteHe wasn’t forced. He gladly accepted it.
DeleteGive Caesar what belong to Caesar.
DeleteTradition is tradition and should be separated from church. He did wrong by that way.
DeleteGo and sleep the reporter seeking for attention. Your write up is just an opportunity for popularity.. lol
ReplyDeleteHe should shift to one side. He wants to use the new Olu to shine.
DeleteUfuoma I quite agree with you on the first paragraph...I think we should not throw away some traditions and do away with our traditional religion...Christianity and Islam still remain as imported religions...You won't just blame the new Ogiame, even other traditional leaders like Ooni of Ife are guilty of this...
ReplyDeleteFor the 2nd paragraph he is human and has emotions..He may have been overwhelmed by the show of love and acceptance by his people..Again the thalamus (part of the brain) cannot interpret tears and laughter that is why you have ''happy tears'' so believe that one should slide....
And yes I expected him to speak the Itsekiri language in most of his address however I think he did it due the national coverage of the event and keep everyone engaged...
Anyway I wish him well....May he reign long!
Spot on darling!
Delete👍👍👍👍
DeletePhoenix love , you see your last paragraph eh , even if people from different parts of the world were there, he was supposed to speak his core native language. Shekina.
DeleteAsk around dear if you doubt it.
I agree my dear Eujiparv He should have spoken his language...
DeleteThe question is can he speak the Itsekiri language?
DeleteFirst of all ,can he speak Itshekiri fluently?
DeleteSecondly ,his reverencing God almighty rather than the local gods is just a show of total surrender to the almighty who is the God of gods.
Ordinarily,I know he won't choose to be an oba but when the mantle fell upon him ,what choice does he have? I am double sure he was chosen by these Itshekiri gods too who know more than the ordinary human knows.
They know he is a westernized Itshekiri prince ,yet they chose him,they must have seen what others are yet to see.
In short ,he is a made guy,educated and vast,he possesses all it takes to be an oba,so let him reign in peace and longevity .We should be happy he is a youth and not one analogue grandpa.
Long live Ogiame 111
What are u trying to say?
ReplyDeleteSo because he is now the 'olu'he should stay away from God?
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
DeleteItibolibo recognize Itibolibo @ Shooter 🤭
Delete🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 at Itibolibo
DeleteNo one says he should stay away from God, I believe he’s aware of the dos and don’ts of their culture before he accepted to be crowned.. or was he forced?
Deletelooks like he was forced so that the crown can stay in that family bloodline
Delete😳😳 Stella Maris was your account hacked? I am just surprised seeing your laughing emoji underneath an insult aimed to malign someone. Waoh! I use to see you in a different light.😩
DeleteOr Am I missing something?
U can't serve God and mammon.
DeleteStella Maris can't pretend for long. Free her
DeleteThe writer Ufuoma Bernard should go and nyash down. God bless your reign and prosper the land during your reign @ Olu of Warri. God bless the King
ReplyDelete11:48, you should nyash down!
DeleteI agree with the writer. African traditions and religion are almost extinct. He has no business with that throne if he is that soaked in foreign religion. Exactly what happened to northern traditions completely taken over by Islam, a foreign religion.
ReplyDeleteFor your information, everyone has a right to choose their religion/belief...
DeleteAnd to people like you who always advocate for African religion yen yen yen, you do not know what you advocate for.
Most of our traditions are deadly.. As in very deadly, but you wouldn't know, would you?
You that is talking, are you a traditional worshipper?
DeleteMs Sapphire you are damn right . Not surprised though cos we argue everything here.
DeleteEven the traditional gods recognize God Almighty as the source of everything, so what exactly are you talking about?
ReplyDeleteAfter going through the initiation process, he come and be singing hymns! for what purpose really?
ReplyDeleteVery good question. Who are they deceiving. Due process must be observed. Periodtttt
Deletemaybe he doesn't wanna be plagued by any evil spirits that may arise from initiation. my own is, maybe he is being forced
DeleteSo u're invariably saying that Itshekiri ppl are occultists/idol worshippers?
DeleteThe 21st century kings are modern, they still hold our traditions in high esteem but modernisation has come to stay. BTW did anyone noticed how King Tsola signaled his wife to come and pay homage to him immediately he was crowned.
ReplyDeleteNo
DeleteYes I did ooo it was so sexy, and also when he smiled to his wife immediately the crown was placed on his head. Am so in love with this new Olu of Warri don't know why.
DeleteHe has an all round appeal.
DeleteIt was a beautiful sight to behold. He didn't look at anyone else after he was crowned except his wife. He then signaled her to come and pay homage. The man is good abeg. Forget talk biko. He has been initiated into the tradition but he had to carry his people along hence the worship songs. God was called upon because He is the overall King.
DeleteDO NOT FORGET YOUR CREATOR... SHUT UP AND GO BACK TO BED.
ReplyDeleteHis people love him like that.
ReplyDelete🙄🙄🙄🙄
ReplyDeleteFor him to cry shows he is human and not a stone. This doesn't mean he is a weakling only a fool thinks that.
ReplyDeleteNa even Urhobo man write this nonsense.
ReplyDeleteI can smell his bad belle from here.
Because his name is ufuoma does not mean ,he is fully urhobo. His dad might be from itshekiri and his mom from urhobo. Look at imade adeleke, both parents are yoruba but she is bearing a benin name cos of her late grandma. Don't just assume someone's tribe because of their names.
DeleteIsolo people also bear Ufouma, all the same all these hasty generalizations is why we never move forward in this country. Drop all these tribalistic tendencies,
DeleteAnon16.19, Isolo people? Anyway, some of us understand. But leave them out of this matter. People who know the writer, know where he is from. Moreover, he wrote for himself not his tribe.
DeleteDid anyone notice that the writer who claims "traditionalist" is still bearing an oyibo name
Abeg long live the Olu of warri,may your reign be long.Even the gods recognise the Almighty God.
ReplyDeleteHe is such a fine man. May your reign be long
ReplyDeleteWhat is all these about "Christianity being a foreign religion?" The buttoned blothes
ReplyDeletethat man is wearing in that picture and his hat, are they made in Itsekiri?
This same reporter will call him to arrange a (brown envelope) interview, is his cell phone
made in Itsekiri?
The Rolls Royce that he rides, will not be criticized, is it itsekiri Rolls Royce? why not advice him
to go on horses and donkeys?
This is becoming nauseating and utterly appalling. We as a people have become this hypocritical and skewed in
our selective value systems for what? His crime is singing the songs of "a foreign religion?" Guilty as charged.
Stone him then.
Note that I am not a Pentecostal, I am a follower of Christ. But I am a rational human that abhor the kind of jaundiced
and biased views as this writer.
it is different if the criticism that we as a people mete out will even benefit or be constructive in some way but it hardly ever is. usually it is to pass frustration or be an enemy of progress or project fears and inadequacies. it starts from the home. parents beating their children for no reason or to the point of death. it becomes less about disciplining the child and more about seeing the child as a human punching bag. or even in normal society where normal officials make basic things unnecessarily hard for citizens out of selfish gain or to just simply abuse authority. It goes deeper than that. toxic nation
DeleteThanks for sparing me the effort.
DeleteWhen people call christainity a foreign religion I just laugh. There is nothing foreign about knowing and following Jesus. Jesus is for everyone and that was why he beseeched us to preach his kingdom throughout the world. Instead of calling it foreign just say it took a while for the revelation of Christ to get to Africa due to some obvious factors same way there are some people in some parts of the world who hasn't heard of him but will later on as time goes on. From ages past the kingdom of God has been advancing and will forever. The apostles from Peter to paul etc, preached from town to town cities to cities, country to countries about Jesus and Israel, Jerusalem etc we're all mentioned repeatedly as the countries that came to know about Christ first so it is only logical that Christianity will be spread out to Africa and all parts of the world over time. Come on, we have history of how it all started. After all these if you as a Christian still feel comfortable saying Christianity is a foreign religion despite this knowledge of how it all started then it shows you do not believe the Bible or understand whom you claim to serve but thinks Christianity was something formed form thin air.
DeleteEven the small gods of these same tradition you talk about have been in existence from time past and were passed down. I doubt if they are different from the same ones God warned the Christians over and over again to refrain from and serve only him.
I am from a royal family but I thank God my father turned his kingship down and they allowed him. Someone else is on that throne now and we do not care.
No one but Jesus for life.🙏🏻
Speak on !!!! The Ufuoma just wants to talk cho cho cho. Why didn't he write his essay in urhobo or itsekiri? Cho cho cho no sense man. Let the Olu thank God in his own way. The writer is Mr makethemforsay I sabi write. Gerarahere man.
DeleteMuch Ado about nothing. I see nothing to criticise about his actions.
ReplyDeleteI wish more research was done before the write up. Atuwase II was a christian king. He is just following his up bringing. Atuwase III will have a long, successful and prosperous reign in Jesus name. Amen
ReplyDeleteNa them sabi
ReplyDeleteUfuoma or whoever, are u the high priest of Itshekiri kingdom? T'moro, when they shout 'Praise the Lord' u mah go follow answer. Typical of many so called Christians today. Constantly prevaricating, with changing circumstance.
ReplyDeleteWhen they make u Olu, if u prefer to worship devil, that's ur choice. Leave the handsome, young man to worship the Living God as his spirit and conscience dictate. Customs change. After all, is he not the king?
We love our Ogiame like that, please the itsekiris aren't complaining Ufuoma, no drink panadol for another man headache. Cheers
ReplyDeleteComing from oga Ufuoma a Goddist. Wehdonsah
ReplyDeleteUfuoma Bernard wrote this??? Forgerrit. Not surprised.
ReplyDeleteOlu of Warri may your days be long
May your reign be peaceful.
He needs to thread carefully tho so he is not befallen by the fate of his father who was almost thrown away from the palace when he dared to give his life to Christ. He was met with a strong opposition from his people on the same argument of being the king, the custodian of their culture not religion, period! The writer has a strong point especially with the first issue raised. One should heed their call not the call of others, he is not a pastor pls.
ReplyDeleteEvery king make mistakes.
ReplyDeleteA Christian is a Christian is a Christian.
ReplyDeleteChristianity is not a part time job. It does not change with time or circumstance. If u are standing as a Christian, u stand firm. Forget the fickleness of many of today's so called Christians, who blow with the wind.
If they insisted he must step into his father's shoes, will he for that matter abandon who he is? Didn't they know he was a Christian before they crowned him? Abeg, leave that matter. Rather than give up his faith, meh e kuku return the crown and step down. What does it profit a man to gain the whole world yet lose his own soul, anyway?
I love that he spoke in English and glorified God Almighty, the highest King.
ReplyDeleteI was able to hear the history of the throne and enjoyed the programme which would not have been possible if he had spoke itsekiri.