Warri, UPU At 90 And Political Interpretations To A Name

By Annabel Ogheneganre

Since the coronation of the latest Olu of Warri, Ogiame Atuwatse 111, lots of agitations and interpretations have been given to the glamour and social capital the Itsekiri nation harvested from the event. It was a very well organized coronation no doubt and Urhobo has a lot to learn from the sense of unity, sense of organization and the pride of place our Itsekiri neighbours attached to the throne of the Olu. The event was made a global phenomenon simply because the people gave it that prominence. Itsekiri played enviable politics with it and the harvest was great. Itsekiri, no doubts have style and they demonstrated class and quality. What went into that ceremony would make many people go wild with shock but that is the price for the global attention Itsekiri attracted to the throne.

This writer does not wish to dwell on the glamour, elegance, class, beauty and glory associated with the event. It was one event that made huge and undeniable statement on the sense of pride and unity of the Itsekiri people over time. Itsekiri attach huge importance to culture and the traditional history of the people. Religion did not deny them of the importance of their cultural heritage. It is that consciousness that distinguished the Itsekiri nation from the crowd. The Urhobo people have a vast array of religious leaders who despise the culture and tradition of the people. The consciousness amongst our people is to discard the tradition, history and culture of the people in place of modern influences along religious line. And this is where our people get it all wrong ab-initio.

While the Itsekiri nation is consciously taking practical steps to encourage or train their wards in all spheres of academic endeavours, most Urhobos tend to limit their wards to the sciences as if that is where their life depends. No knowledge is wasted and the ability to distinguish self in a chosen career makes the difference. The Hausa people with their Bachelor of Arts in Islamic Religious Studies are dominating our banks, oil sector, NNPC and other top flight administrative offices across Nigeria while Urhobos with degrees in some enviable disciplines end up as underdogs in offices where the Fulanis are dominating. How many of our top leaders would encourage their wards to pick a degree in Linguistics/Urhobo? Check what Aliko Dangote read in the University and you would be amazed at our insensitivity to our history, culture and tradition.

ALSO READ: Okowa Will Bequeath A Better Delta — Onwuka

That is the beginning of the failure of the Urhobo nation. We attach little or no values to our cultural and traditional belief system and so have failed to impact our culture and history on our people. Over the years, Itsekiri has sustained a conscious documentation of their history, whether doctored or true, and has kept the fire burning over decades and centuries. When they say the Olu Crown that was stolen recently was over 400 years old, there was none to dispute same. That is the consciousness among the Itsekiri people and that is the story they have chosen to tell the world which the world has no reason or evidence to dispute. What is the story Urhobo will tell the world about itself when the UPU celebrates her 90th anniversary in December 2021?

There is no known history without disputation to suggest that Itsekiri predated Urhobo in settling down in Warri. In fact most historical and realistic accounts confirm that Urhobo own the city of Warri. The Urhobo Cultural Centre is at the heart of Warri. More than 80% of the city of Warri belong to Urhobo people, from Igbudu Area, Ekurede Urhobo, Okere etc are the area being represented in the Delta State House of Assembly under Constituency 11, consisting of the 7 out of 12 INEC wards in Warri South LGA. As glamorous as the event was, the main Warri city did not feel the presence of the visitors that trooped into Ode Itsekiri for the Coronation because, the event meant nothing to them.
For instance, the people of Okere Urhobo, Ekurede Urhobo, Igbudu, Agbassa, Ogunu, Edjeba, Okumagba avenue, McDermott, Deco road, Bazunu, etc did not take part in the celebration, there was nothing to show in these areas that a king was being crowned for them. And these areas constitute the heartbeat or live wire of .odern Warri metropolis. I put a call through to an aunt whom I knew had a shop at Igbudu Market just to check on her and ask to know what could probably be happening in Warri. She told me she was in her shop in Igbudu Market and that she is not aware of any ceremony taking place. I expressed fears of possible closure of those markets but she confirmed that markets could only be closed in Itsekiri-controlled fringe of Warri and not the main Warri metropolis. She was right. But Itsekiri media hype of the event and the dignity associated with it tend to tell the world that Itsekiri own Warri.

One curious thing those who came for the event may have noticed is that the Olu was crowned in Ode Itsekiri and not in Warri city that is known to everyone. The Oba of Benin cannot be crowned outside Benin. But here is a great monarch who was crowned at the headquarters of the Itsekiri nation, Ode Itsekiri, yet, Itsekiri claim to Warri continue to gain currency in the media just because, Urhobo have not properly played the politics of Warri with Itsekiri at given opportunities.

This writer is no longer interested in the complaint over the change of the title of the Olu from Olu of Itsekiri to Olu of Warri. The world knows that all Itsekiri kings from 1485 to 1952 were usually crowned and rule the Itsekiri people from ode Itsekiri. There was only one palace for the Itsekiri Kingdom from 1485 to 1952 which was in Ode Itsekiri. How and why the title changed and how the palace moved from Ode Itsekiri to Warri is an open book. What Urhobo should do to stamp their feet and reap capital from their ownership of Warri should be the concern of the average Urhobo man and woman.

Some people have started to canvass for a change in name of the Warri metropolis which is predominantly Urhobo territory to Wado City. As brilliant as the idea may be, this writer will not subscribe to that view. Urhobo owns Warri and the name has been there for over a century. It is left to the Urhobo people to market their own kings in Warri city, because the Urhobos form the bulk of people marketing and advertising Warri to the outside world particularly through the entertainment world. This writer had earlier suggested a change of the Title of the two Urhobo monarchs from Orosuen of Okere and Ovie of Agbarha to Orosuen of Warri and Ovie of Agbarha respectively.

The 90th anniversary of the UPU is another avenue to tell the whole world that Warri City belongs to Urhobo. Urhobo should shut down Warri with activities that could bring the world to Warri instead of restricting all the events to Uvwiamuge-Agbarho.

The Urhobo Cultural centre in the heart of Warri should be refurbished and used as host to some of the events lined up for the 90th anniversary. All Urhobo sons and daughters should invest their connections, contacts and reach in the event and register some show of force in the Warri ownership question. Changing the name to Wado City will make mockery of the struggles of our heroes past who fought wars, legal and physical to keep the territory for posterity.

Many years from now, Itsekiri will weave mischievous narrative to paint Urhobo as the aggressors in all the struggles to prove ownership of Warri. Sapele today was formerly Urhiapele, Otu-jeremi was Otu-ghievwen and Usiefrun was Urhiephron but all had been Anglicized and those names have stuck.

However the name Warri was coined, the land on which the city was found belongs to Urhobo and we must tell the world that story to strengthen our claim to Warri instead of a change in name. UPU should rise to the occasion and make a strong statement during the 90th anniversary of the body to reposition Urhobo and create the right consciousness of her worth, dignity and quality to the world. The various political interpretations to the name of Warri will pale into insignificance if Urhobo play her cards well and give the right value to the 90th anniversary of UPU. This is a life time opportunity and we cannot afford to miss the mark.

Annabel Ogheneganre writes from Garki, Abuja. (09030558731 SMS only or [email protected])