Olu of Warri Has Powers to Strip Off Traditional Title Holders, Mene Insists

Emma Okonji and Nosa Alekhuogie

The Ogwa-Olusan of Warri Kingdom, Chief Brown Mene, has said the Olu of Warri has the powers to install chieftaincy tittles as well as strip off the traditional title from anybody, if found wanting.

He said this yesterday in reaction to protests and a court case filed against the Olu of Warri Kingdom, HRM Ogiame Atuwarse III, challenging him of stripping off Chief Ayirimi Emami of his traditional title known as Ologbotsere (traditional prime minister) of Warri Kingdom.

Mene who spoke yesterday on the Morning Show of ARISE NEWS Channel, the broadcast arm of THISDAY Newspapers, said as the number one citizen of Warri Kingdom, the Olu of Warri has the powers to enthrone and dethrone any traditional chief who has been found wanting, irrespective of the class of the traditional title that the chief represents.
The Olu of Warri, had last month, announced the de-robing of Chief Ayirimi Emami of his traditional title and subsequently instructed the Ologbotsere family and the people of Itsekiri to stop addressing him as the Ologbotsere of Warri Kingdom.

THISDAY gathered that his title was stripped off, for failure to attend the revalidation and confirmation exercise of Warri Chiefs in September this year, among other allegations.

The embattled chief is protesting his de-robing, insisting that the Olu of Warri has no traditional powers to strip him of his traditional title, since the title belongs to his family. He had since gone to court to challenge the action of the Olu of Warri.

But according to Mene, “The Olu of Warri has the rights to strip off an existing traditional title, but what he did with Chief Ayirimi Emami, the former Ologbotsere of Warri Kingdom, was to strip him of the title of Ologbotsere of Warri Kingdom, and gave the same title to the head of the Ologbotsere family, pending when another person from the same family is appointed to hold the title.

“This simply means that the title is not abolished, but still remains with the family. Again all traditional titles in Warri Kingdom, is initiated by and installed by the Olu of Warri.

“It means that a title can belong to a family, but the Olu of Warri is the only person allowed by tradition to install that title on any one chosen by the family, if the Olu is in support of his nomination, because the Olu has powers to also reject a particular nominee of the family, where the need arises.”
He explained that the Ologbotsere title remained an official title of the Warri Kingdom that would always be initiated by the Olu, adding that no family can dictate to the Olu about whose title to keep and whose title to dethrone.

The Olu can call for nominee from a particular family and he has the right to reject any family nominee if the nominee has questionable character, Mene said.
He further explained that the Olu of Warri has the final say in any traditional matter and that when the Olu of Warri speaks, it becomes final.
Prince Toju Emiko, the uncle to the Olu of Warri, who also spoke yesterday on the Morning Show of ARISE NEWS Channel, said the protests would not deter the Olu of Warri from carrying out his traditional rights.

He said those protesting against the action of Olu of Warri, do not understand the tradition of the Warri Kingdom.
Mene however said the court case had nothing to do with Olu’s traditional rights in de-robing any traditional chief found wanting. He said the de-robing of Emami by the Olu of Warri, was a done deal that had been concluded and that nobody could reverse it.

“The decision of the Olu of Warri about Emami is cast in stone and nothing will change it, because the final verdict is with Olu of Warri and the Olu has spoken,” Mene said.

He said Emami has been a troubler of the Warri Kingdom, despite moves made by respected traditional chiefs of the Warri kingdom to call him to order.
“As traditional rulers, we owe the people of Nigeria the explanation to the truth and those that know the truth will always stand by the truth,’ Mene further said.