By MEMBERS of the Warri Council of Chiefs say the palace is going after perpetrators of a sacrilegious smear campaign against the Olu of Warri, Ogiame Atuwatse III to bring them to book.
This was disclosed on Tuesday during a press conference held at Aghofen, the palace of the Olu of Warri, in Warri Local Government Area of Delta State.
From left, Chief Dr Eugene Ikomi, the Olulaye of Warri Kingdom and Secretary, Warri Council of Chiefs, Chief Samuel Omebeyinje, the Olugbo of Warri Kingdom and Director, Palace Administration, Chief Engr. Oma Eyewuoma, the Ologbotsere of Warri Kingdom and Chairman of the Warri Council of Chiefs, Chief Brown Mene, Ogwa-Olusan of Warri and Chief Engr Anthony Onuwaje, the Otsodi of Warri Kingdom
Present at the press conference were, in no particular order, the Ologbotsere of Warri Kingdom and chairman, Warri Council of Chiefs, Chief Engr. Oma Eyewuoma, Chief Dr Eugene Ikomi, the Olulaye of Warri Kingdom and Secretary, Warri Council of Chiefs, Chief Samuel Omebeyinje, the Olugbo of Warri Kingdom and Director, Palace Administration, Chief Brown Mene, Ogwa-Olusan of Warri and Chief Engr Anthony Onuwaje, the Otsodi of Warri Kingdom,
They vowed to unmask those behind the defamation of the revered Warri Royal Stool, being described as an oil thief, and get them to face the music.
In the viral video set in diaspora obtained by Stonix News, the youthful Warri monarch and five others were labelled oil thieves and economic saboteurs.
In the five minutes and forty-three seconds video, a lady is seen with several others on hooded attires reading from a displayed large poster with the photos of the Olu of Warri, Chief Robinson Ariyo, Chief Kingsley Kuku, Biopri Atube, Jude Gbadoyo and one other.
She read the content which labelled the faces as oil bunkerers and thieves whom the international community should put under the radar.
The Ologbotsere of Warri Kingdom, Chief Engr. Eyewuoma, who addressed journalists at the palace on Tuesday, said the viral video, which hit the social media precisely on Friday, 31st January 2025, was laced with not only tissues of falsehood, but abominable accusations, describing it as evil.
“Our sensibilities were grievously assailed and assaulted by the circulation of a very high degree of falsehood which came to our attention concerning our highly revered Monarch, His Majesty, Ogiame Atuwatse III, CFR, The Olu of Warri. It was on social media.
“Without any equivocation, we knew it was all a blatant falsehood. We knew too that all who know our Monarch, and there are a very good number of such ones, know that there is no way the falsehood could be rightly linked to or related to Him, no matter how remotely.
“However, the severity of this evil contraption on one hand, and the profile and stature of the highly revered personage whom they wish to defame with this falsehood on the other hand, made us consider that the purpose of the fomenters of this falsehood was very intentional.
“It reveals the depth of the cesspool of evil from which this thought and action emanated.
“Our monarchy of over 500 years has come with a very high degree of moral ethics and standards which combine to remove our highly revered Monarch far above the acts they have thus tried to relate to our King, who is widely known at home and abroad to be impeccable in terms of institutional status and personal character, carriage, and conduct.
“We know and agree that there are evil people everywhere, just as we know and agree that there are also good people that can be found everywhere.
“We are confident, as we boldly acknowledge the status of our Monarch, His Majesty, Ogiame Atuwatse III, CFR, The Olu of Warri, not only among us but even beyond our national borders, that he is a man of impeccable character.
“There are many others who know and would proudly and openly proclaim the same. Some of them have reached out to us to share their thoughts as they stand with us in this affirmation.
“All of this and much more is why we wonder what intensity of evil would reside in and propel anyone to foment and attempt to tarnish anyone with such falsehood, not to talk of our highly revered Monarch, who cannot, by any stretch of imagination, be associated with the said concocted evil,” the Ologbotsere, Chief Eyewuoma, stated in part.
He vowed, on behalf of the palace, that the faces behind the evil act will be exposed and made to pay for their malfeasance.
“We have resolved that such evil cannot be left to foul the air of people of the right-thinking mould. It must be interrogated and exposed.
“Evil contraption and perpetration often hide behind some veil or under the cover of darkness.
“We are already hard on the trail of the fomenters and the disseminators of this evil and despicable act. The air pollution must be cleaned up, as those behind all of this will be unveiled and exposed.
“What will follow afterwards will be the repercussion of their evil act. Like the African adage goes: “Those who grow big teeth should endeavour to have corresponding big lips to house the teeth.”
The chiefs, however, urged “all sons and daughters of the Iwere Nation to remain calm in the face of this provocation and assure you that we are on top of the situation.”
The full statement:
WARRI COUNCIL OF CHIEFS
11th February 2025
NO ONE CAN TARNISH THE REPUTATION OF OUR REVERED MONARCH, HIS MAJESTY, OGIAME ATUWATSE III, CFR, THE OLU OF WARRI KINGDOM.
From left, Chief Dr Eugene Ikomi, the Olulaye of Warri Kingdom and Secretary, Warri Council of Chiefs, Chief Samuel Omebeyinje, the Olugbo of Warri Kingdom and Director, Palace Administration, Chief Engr. Oma Eyewuoma, the Ologbotsere of Warri Kingdom and Chairman of the Warri Council of Chiefs, Chief Brown Mene, Ogwa-Olusan of Warri and Chief Engr Anthony Onuwaje, the Otsodi of Warri Kingdom
A couple of weeks ago, precisely on Friday, 31st January 2025, our sensibilities were grievously assailed and assaulted by the circulation of a very high degree of falsehood which came to our attention concerning our highly revered Monarch, His Majesty, Ogiame Atuwatse III, CFR, The Olu of Warri. It was on social media.
Without any equivocation, we knew it was all a blatant falsehood. We knew too that all who know our Monarch, and there are a very good number of such ones, know that there is no way the falsehood could be rightly linked to or related to Him, no matter how remotely.
However, the severity of this evil contraption on one hand, and the profile and stature of the highly revered personage whom they wish to defame with this falsehood on the other hand, made us consider that the purpose of the fomenters of this falsehood was very intentional. It reveals the depth of the cesspool of evil from which this thought and action emanated.
Our monarchy of over 500 years has come with a very high degree of moral ethics and standards which combine to remove our highly revered Monarch far above the acts they have thus tried to relate to our King, who is widely known at home and abroad to be impeccable in terms of institutional status and personal character, carriage, and conduct.
We know and agree that there are evil people everywhere, just as we know and agree that there are also good people that can be found everywhere. We are confident, as we boldly acknowledge the status of our Monarch, His Majesty, Ogiame Atuwatse III, CFR, The Olu of Warri, not only among us but even beyond our national borders, that He is a man of impeccable character.
There are many others who know and would proudly and openly proclaim the same. Some of them have reached out to us to share their thoughts as they stand with us in this affirmation.
All of this and much more is why we wonder what intensity of evil would reside in and propel anyone to foment and attempt to tarnish anyone with such falsehood, not to talk of our highly revered Monarch, who cannot, by any stretch of imagination, be associated with the said concocted evil. We have resolved that such evil cannot be left to foul the air of people of the right-thinking mould. It must be interrogated and exposed.
Evil contraption and perpetration often hide behind some veil or under the cover of darkness. We are already hard on the trail of the fomenters and the disseminators of this evil and despicable act. The air pollution must be cleaned up, as those behind all of this will be unveiled and exposed.
What will follow afterwards will be the repercussion of their evil act. Like the African adage goes: “Those who grow big teeth should endeavour to have corresponding big lips to house the teeth.”
Meanwhile, we urge all sons and daughters of the Iwere Nation to remain calm in the face of this provocation and assure you that we are on top of the situation.
We thank you for your attention, as we believe we can count on you to further this crusade to right the wrong.
Long live the King,
Long live Delta State,
Long live the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
Chief Engr. Oma Eyewuoma
The Ologbotsere of Warri Kingdom
Chairman, Warri Council of Chiefs
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