The Olu of Warri, His Majesty Ikenwoli yesterday morning conferred the prestigious Ologbotsere of Warri kingdom title (Prime Minister) that has been vacant for over 30 years on youth activist and business mogul, Chief Ayiri Emami who before now was the Akulagba of Warri kingdom.
The royal father also conferred the titles of Iyatsere and Uwangue on Chief Johnson Atserelughe of Ologbo and Mr. Awala of Jakpa respectively. The Ologbotsere is next in ranking to the Olu followed by the Iyatsere and the Uwangue in hierarchy in the kingdom and these titles have remained vacant for over 30 years running.
The installation ceremony that took place at the Olu’s palace in warri caught most Itsekiri indigenes unaware as it was not made public by the palace and performed low -keyed as was done in the case of the late Iyatsere and Oshodin of warri by previous monarchs.
It was however celebrated galore at the residences of the newly installed chiefs as people trooped to their various abodes to rejoice with them.
But the Diare and Omasan descendants of the Uwangue are protesting the non-inclusion of their nominee, Barr. Jolomi Rewane as in the selection of the Ologbotsere saying that the they were short-changed and therefore do not accept the candidature of and alleged installation of Chief Ayiri as the Ologbotsere of warri.
The entire ologbotsere family had on Thursday appealed to them to drop their candidate who had come too late and also coming from a family that has earlier produced a chief for the position.
The entire Ologbotsere descendant according to them had agreed that only families that has not produce any person for the title before should be given the opportunity to produce a candidate this time around and wondered why the Diare and omasan whose family has produce chose to still, in the late hour after two persons have been already been presented to the monarch. they insisted on their agreed choice that led to the installation of Chief Ayiri.
Meanwhile, even as some are jubilating there are pockets of dissenters insisting that they are going to contest the installation of these three persons in the law court to seek redress and get justice.
