By: Bulou Kosin, Warri.
Trojan activist and Comedian Realwarripikin’s father, Prince Collins Eselemo, says the Olu of Warri title was not imposed by Chief Obafemi Awolowo, former Premier of the Western Region, stressing that objectors should rather choose a non-violent pathway against the title.
“If the Olu’s title is prefixed with Olu of Warri, it is an Act of the Western Region Legislature. Obafemi Awolowo did not impose it. It is a product of Law”, Eselemo asserted.
Many residents have said the alleged “geatapo approach by Wado City Advocates over the Wado City idea may not only be crisis-dealing but counter-productive”, explaining: “Development projects from the Federal, State Governments and Corporate bodies coming to Warri were often deposited in Effurun and Environs because of their proximity to Warri”.
Eselemo reacted to the alleged threats of violence and intimidation by the Wado Community Initiative on Realwarripikin over proper venue identification, forcing her to cancel her show earlier scheduled for Monarchy Event Centre, Effurun.
Wado City Advocates who wish Urhobo communities near Warri identified as Wado City, have been in alleged fierce campaigns against the Warri tag on them which they think helps the Olu of Warri peddle authority over them. The Wado City Advocates insist they followed lawful process and have not issued threats to anyone on the matter, but there are insinuations that the Wado City Advocates came hard on Realwarripikin for their belief she was sponsored by the Olu of Warri.
But Eselemo, who felt tears of Realwarripikin, arguably Nigeria’s foremost female comedian, shedding tears on Social Media over her ordeal and miffed that Wado City Advocates were using his daughter to settle scores with the Olu of Warri, asked them to get it right, rather than wallow in incapacity complex and applying violence.
“If you want to remove the “Warri” from the title Olu of Warri, you should know what to do, not this geatapo approach. We have the Delta State House of Assembly. Somebody like Ejiro Imuere, or whoever, can sponsor a bill to altar or remove the ‘Warri’ from the Olu of Warri title, just the way the Western Region Legislature added it”, Eselemo pointed out.
He submits: “We have Ijaw, Urhobo, Itsekiri and Delta North representatives who are custodians of their respective legislative rights in the Delta State House of Assembly. So you go there and lobby. There would also be a public hearing. It’s then you will know you need Realwarripikin’s father, you need Ijaw people, Itsekiri people and people from Delta North. Don’t make nonsense of yourself by saying Wado City is an instrument to bring Urhobo together and to sever the Ijaws and the Itsekiri”.
