Olu Of Warri: Chief Ayiri Heads To Court Over Suspension As Ologbotsere

By Emeka Okafor

The Ologbotsere of Warri and Chairman of the Olu Advisory Council, Chief Ayiri Emami, has concluded plans to challenge his alleged suspension as Prime Minister of Warri by the Ginuwa Ruling House over the crisis rocking the selection of Prince Tsola Emiko as Olu designate.

Ayiri, who had insisted that the selection of Prince Emiko as Omoba following the passage of Ogiame Ikenwoli runs foul of the process to the enthronement of a new Olu, will be suing the Ruling House and the Iyatsere of Warri.

Disclosing the resolved of the Ologbotsere of Warri to seek legal help to the lingering Olu tussle, spokesman of the Ologbotsere Descendants worldwide, Comrade Alex Eyengho, said Ayiri had be silent on the issue to widely consult before taking any action.

Eyengho told journalists on Friday in Warri that the alleged suspension of Chief Ayiri as Ologbotsere by a section of the Ginuwa 1 Ruling House remained unconstitutional to the Itsekiri people.

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He stated that Chief Ayiri “is taking this decision after painstaking wide consultations with critical stakeholders on the matter both home and abroad”, adding that Ologbotsere’s prayers in court “shall be seamlessly simple, straightforward and from the point of extant laws.”

Eyengho, a journalist, added, “I am sure that the general public must have noticed the dignified deafening silence of Ologbotsere Ayiri Emami since his purported suspension by a section of the Ginuwa I Ruling House.

“This silence is certainly not a mark of weakness but an opportunity to give those involved enough time to retrace their steps, swallow their prides, apologise to him and the Itsekiri for their illegal action, in the overall interest of the Itsekiri and as the only sure way forward.

“The Ologbotsere will simply be asking the court to interpret within the framework of the 1979 Edict as it concerns Warri Kingdom and other relevant extant laws whether the Ginuwa I Ruling House has the power whatsoever to suspend any or the least Chief of Warri Kingdom not to talk of the number one Chief in terms of hierarchy, the Ologbotsere of Warri.

“He will also ask the court to determine whether the same Ginuwa I Ruling House has the power to empower the current Iyatsere of Warri and number two in the hierarchy, Chief Johnson Atserunleghe or any other Chief for that matter to perform any or all the functions of the Ologbotsere, while he is still alive, hale and hearty.

“These are some of the basic questions Ologbotsere Ayiri Emami shall be asking the court for interpretations and definite pronouncements.”

Speaking further, the spokesman of the Ologbotsere Descendants, said, “May it also be put on record that we are not unaware of the new trend of hired armed thugs and hoodlums invading court sittings in Warri and chasing out judges, lawyers etc from court premises. Because of the nature of this impending case, we are not ruling out the possibility of the same set of thugs storming the court in an even more violent manner when we appear.

“It is then we shall know whether the police, DSS and other security agencies are all on AWOL (Absent Without Leave) to the detriment of law-abiding citizens, particularly those whose only offense is seeking justice in the law court.

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“Specifically, may we seize this opportunity to call on the Inspector-General of Police and other security agencies to beef up security around the Ologbotsere of Warri Kingdom, Chief Ayirimi Emami for obvious reasons. We cannot afford to take chances or underestimate the extent to which those against extant laws can go in achieving their targets.”

“The Itsekiri are people known to follow the law at all times. We rely on the law and decided cases in all our internal and external issues. The Itsekiri have never been known to be part of illegality of any kind. Therefore, we cannot afford to aprobate and reprobate on this and other matters. This is the stand of the current Ologbotsere of Warri Kingdom, Chief Ayirimi Emami whose only crime was to err on the side of the law by advising ab initio that the extant law (1979 Edict) as it concerns the successor of the 20th Warri monarch, His Majesty, Ogiame Ikenwoli, be followed, stricto senso.

“However, we take solace in the fact that at the end of the day, the truth can never be buried in perpetuity and justice shall prevail in this matter,” Comrade Eyengho further stated.