17/08/2026
ADDRESS OF HIS MAJESTY, OGIAME ATUWATSE III, THE OLU OF WARRI
At the First Edition of the Warri Unity Games — FGC Warri
Our beloved people, our honoured neighbours, our distinguished guests — we welcome you, with joy in our heart, to this first edition of the Warri Unity Games.
It is our hope, and indeed our firm conviction, that these Games will reveal a simple truth: that far more unites us than divides us.
And beyond that, they will show us something greater still — that when we rise above our past hurts, rise above our traumas, rise above our suspicions, and rise above our differences, we become capable of attaining a powerful, collective destiny.
Five years ago, on the day of our coronation in August 2021, we declared that we had no intention to prosper in isolation.
Today, we give that declaration a home on the calendar.
From henceforth, this first Saturday of our coronation anniversary celebration week shall be set aside — not merely to preach peace, but to actively practise unity among all the people who call Warri home.
Learning from Our History
We are all too aware of patterns — of how history seeks to repeat itself, holding a people in place. And too often, it is pride, placed above every other consideration, that destroys the beautiful thing and the great intention.
In the early 1990s, what was meant to be a beautiful and inspirational celebration of the coronation anniversary of our father, Ogiame Atuwatse II — a land carnival in the image of our great boat regatta — became instead a source of contention. It led to violence and devastation from which, three decades later, Warri has yet to fully recover.
Let us put this in perspective. Warri was staging a carnival that captured the attention of all of Nigeria — well before Governor Donald
Duke and the Calabar Carnival that has since become a national sensation with a life of its own. Warri lost its pioneering place, because negative and destructive energies were harboured, and in the end they consumed us all.
But we believe — no, we are certain — that Warri desires to rise again, and to rise better than before.
This time, however, we will not sit and wait for an unfortunate reaction to a beautiful and inspirational innovation. We are taking the bull by the horns.We are going ahead of history.
The coronation anniversary of Ogiame Atuwatse III — however long God grants this reign — shall be devoted to unity, to peace, to progress, and to prosperity.
A Declaration Before the World
As leader of the Itsekiri nation, we are playing our own part, and we want it placed on public record: In our palace, we have officially prohibited our people from referring to our neighbours as slaves. That word is no longer tolerated in the palace of the Olu of Warri — and we say it today for the whole world to hear.
Many things have happened in the past.
But if we stand here keeping score over old hurts, or clinging to a historical status quo so that we may lord it over one another, then we will all miss yet another opportunity that God has placed before us. And we say to you today, we will not trade the promise of our tomorrow for the grievances of yesterday. Let the evil scorekeeping end, and let the only scores we keep be the ones of what we are building
together.
So once again we speak to our people — and this time, in the presence of our neighbours; neighbours whom we now choose to call allies and partners.
In times past, we looked upon one another through lenses of suspicion and domination.
But values were different then; systems and laws were different then.
We live in a different time now, and we will no longer glorify an era that has no place in today’s Nigeria.
We, for one, will not live in the past.
We will make the present count.
We will add value to this present reality — by adding value to, and showing respect for, all humanity.
For God does not make mistakes.
The same God who gave us boundaries also made us neighbours.
And He is a good and kind God.
It is left to us, as His children, to trust His good intentions, and to allow Him to guide us into the full manifestation of His good plans.
So hear us today, for we are drawing the line.
Our neighbours, our allies: history has painted us to you as proud; history has painted us to you as wicked.
Today, we humbly stretch out our hand and say — let us begin anew. With respect, and with mutual benefit. We cannot build a new vision through old lenses, carrying old grudges and old suspicions. We are not speaking through any intermediary. These are our own words, and these are our own intentions. And whatever comes, we will know that we came out, and we offered.
It is our prayer that this sincere gesture will be met with a likeness of mind, of heart, and of energy from our neighbours.
And to those who insist on trading in hatred, insult, and suspicion — we urge you, as a father urges his children: sheathe your swords.
Turn your strength towards fruitful and progressive ventures.
Where there are genuine grievances, the courts of the land stand ready; let evidence be tendered and cases be proven there, in dignity and in order.
But let the streets of Warri, the airwaves of Warri, and the hearts of Warri be reserved for building, not for burning.
The Blessing in Our Blood.
And now, let us speak of the blessing God has poured upon this land: the creative, entertaining,
entrepreneurial spirit with which He has endowed every one of us.
All our memories of primary school, at NNPC Primary School, are happy, peaceful, fun-filled memories. We did not know tribe.
We simply played and laughed as kindred Warri spirits. And now here we stand, on another school campus, about to engage — inter-house-sports style — in inter-tribal games.
This was the divine inspiration: to hold these Warri Unity Games in a Unity School — FGC Warri.
Now, let us speak plainly.
No set of Nigerians fit yab like Delta people — especially Warri people.
No set of Nigerians can entertain like Delta people; most of the nation’s entertainers and comedians come from this soil.
And no set of Nigerians dominates sports like Delta people — the National Sports Festival results speak for themselves, year after year: Delta always dominates.
So we know that even in peace, country people, we must yab ourselves — because e dey inside the blood.
And guess what?
We accept it.
We welcome it. Let us yab ourselves — but let it still carry respect. Who knows — maybe by next year’s edition of these Warri Unity Games, we go add inter-tribal yabbing competition.
Make we see who mouth sharp pass.
Una don see those videos where dem turn hot slap to sport — you stand, collect slap; if you survive am, you progress; if you no survive am, God go keep you.
Instead of slap, maybe na yabbing we go look into. Our point is this: our strong suits — our yabbing, our sportsmanship, our entertainment, our beautiful culture — these are the gifts that can lift this town and this state into an entirely new dimension, beyond the old story of oil and gas, beyond even the blue economy.
The people themselves are the blessing from heaven.
So let us celebrate ourselves.
Let us compete healthily among ourselves.
And in so doing, we will draw out the very best in one another — and we will excel.
Make we start the yabbing small?
Make I first look the face of the royal fathers wey dey here…
Hmmm.
The way Ataneru dey look me with him shades — before I talk one, he fit talk thirteen.
So for yabbing, I no go lead by example.
Instead, make I celebrate am.
MC, help me hail His Majesty…
Our Declaration Over This Land
Hear us, and let heaven bear witness:
We shall have peace in this land.
We shall have progress in this land.
We shall have prosperity in this land.
The world will come to celebrate Warri.
The world will come to invest in Warri.
The world will come to be inspired by Warri.
And all of us — every tribe, every tongue, every family that calls this place home — shall enjoy the fruit of it, in peace and in good health.
Warri will never carry last again.
And if you come here to worry us —
Warri go worry you!
Aghan de de doh!!!
