Warri – Former president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Goodluck Ebele Jonathan has described the newly crowned Olu of Warri, Ogiame Atuwase III, as young, dynamic and a pride of the Niger Delta people.
The ex-president in company of HRH King Amalate Turner, Obanema of Opume-Ogbia, Bayelsa state came to pay homage to the Olu at his Palace in Warri, Warri South Council Area of Delta state.
While congratulating the new Olu, ex-president Jonathan said,
“I was to come for the coronation. I met His Majesty at the airport in Lagos before the coronation. I said I will come. But I couldn’t make it. So, I said I should come to pay my respects to the Olu of Warri.
“We have come to join all of you to celebrate. This Palace is not new to me. I have been close to the Palace.
“We appreciate what the Olu of Warri stands for in the leadership system.
“He is a young man with wisdom. We are pleased we have a dynamic king in the Niger Delta. A king that will handle issues on Niger Delta that we all will be happy. We join your immediate family, the Itsekiri nation to congratulate you.
In his response, the first class monarch, Ogiame Atuwase III, while commending the former president for his global peace crusade, said,
“You will continue to do is proud. The Niger Delta is very proud of you. You are one of our most important sons. We are very much proud to be associated with you. We are very proud of what you are doing in the country, and indeed Africa.
“We are indeed aware you had every intention to be with us on Saturday. I want to use this opportunity to say in all ways we can work together let us do.
“Let us start speaking with one voice as a region I assure that the message from this throne will be one of unity, peace, progress and the Niger Delta, Nigeria will be better for it.”
Recall that the former president had, prior to the coronation ceremony, sent a congratulatory message to the then Omoba, urging him to “use the opportunity provided by this divinely ordained appointment to contribute his quota to the assignment of national development.”
Earlier, Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Senator Godswill Akpabio, has also visited the Warri monarch to pay homage.
He joins the list of top politicians, including ex-president Olusegun Obasanjo, to have paid homage to Ogiame Atuwaste III.
The Olu of Warri was crowned a week ago as the 21st Olu of Warri in Ode-Itsekiri, the ancestral home of the Itsekiris at an elaborate ceremony.
