By Our Reporter
The Olu of Warri, His Majesty Ogiame Atuwatse II has set in motion a community care initiative programme which has commenced the training of Itsekiri’s people in five different communities on self-help programmes that is expected to spread to other communities soon.
The royal father who made the disclosure weekend, at Ode-Itsekiri (Big –Warri), the ancestral home of the Itsekiri people, during his state of the kingdom address to mark his 26th coronation anniversary, added that at the completion of the programmes, beneficiary would become self-sufficient and train others on similar skills.
He told the people that in the difficult times of today, education was very pivotal and reminded them that the Itsekiri Education Trust inaugurated last year was prepared to take indigent and willing Itsekiri’s students to any level of education their capacity can take them.
Explaining to the people the reasons why he banished some persons from some communities and deposed some of his chiefs, the Monarch said the affected persons were banished because they had become incorrigible trouble makers, while the deposed chiefs had become agents of destabilisation and no longer fit to remain his chiefs. He charged the Itsekiri people to embrace the virtues of godliness, hard work and honesty at all times.
According to him, “Do not be in a hurry to get wealth. God will not allow your good fortune to pass you by. I have deposed some chiefs because they had made themselves no longer able to contribute to the unity and progress of their communities. Our people should learn to promote peaceful co-existence in all our communities and deviants should be discouraged and helped to become promoters of peace and goodwill.”