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A Throne Beyond Borders: Ogiame Atuwatse III’s Visit Rekindles Itsekiri Diaspora Identity
A Throne Beyond Borders: Ogiame Atuwatse III’s Visit Rekindles Itsekiri Diaspora Identity
By George Omagbemi Sylvester
Sahara Weekly Unveils When Ogiame Atuwatse III CFR, the revered Olu of Warri, visited South Africa recently, it wasn’t merely a royal courtesy; it was a cultural revival and a historic reconnection with the Itsekiri diaspora. Hosted by the ever-dedicated Ugbajo Itsekiri South Africa Chapter, led by Mr. Eyitemi Jakpa (Olaga), and guided by the unwavering support of the Chapter’s Patron (Dr. Oritseweyinmi Anthony McNeil), the event became a symbol of unity, identity, and the resilience of tradition.
For the first time, the Itsekiri diaspora in South Africa welcomed their monarch not through screens or stories but in flesh, spirit, and majesty.
“This is not a visit; it is a revival,” declared Chief Richmond MacGrey, the Ugiaga Nusi of Warri Kingdom, who commended the organizers and gave his blessings. “The king’s presence among us has rekindled our ancestral pride. I score Ugbajo Itsekiri South Africa 100% for this historic achievement.”
Chief MacGrey was invisibly moved and affirmed his commitment to future engagements. “I will be in South Africa again when Ogiame returns next. May this be the beginning of deeper bonds between our homeland and our diaspora.”
A Community That Delivered
From airport reception to traditional festivities, every detail was meticulously arranged. The Ugbajo executives delivered not just an event, but an experience worthy of a revered king. Their coordination with South African officials, the Nigerian High Commission, and the Zulu nation, with their traditional groups, showcased the Itsekiri nation’s prestige.
Dr. McNeil, a respected medical practitioner, academic, and cultural leader, was instrumental throughout the scenes. His vision has always been to fuse diaspora engagement with heritage preservation.
“Royalty is not just about tradition but about consciousness,” Chief Richmond MacGrey said.
“Ogiame’s visit reminds us who we are and, more importantly, who we must become. Our children must inherit pride, not confusion.”
The King’s Message: Build Where Your Roots Lie
In his address, Ogiame Atuwatse III CFR emphasized a sacred duty: that all Itsekiris, no matter where they reside, must stay connected to Warri—not just emotionally but economically, politically, and spiritually.
“Let not distance dilute your duty,” Ogiame said. “Build where your ancestors lie. Let your success abroad be Warri’s gain, not its loss.”
This message echoed with urgency. The monarch’s visit was not a photo opportunity. It was a call to service, investment, and unity.
Chief Richmond MacGrey expanded on this during a panel session in his first visit to South Africa: “We must send more than remittances. We must send ideas, education, and influence. We must be intentional architects of Warri’s future.”
Cultural Diplomacy on Display
Ogiame’s engagement with the Zulu King, cultural leaders, and diplomatic stakeholders elevated the Warri monarchy’s standing beyond Nigeria. He symbolized Africa’s royal Legacy, dignified, enlightened, and forward-looking.
“Ogiame is not just the king of Warri,” said Chief MacGrey, “he is a son of the African soul.”
The cross-cultural respect on display proved that Nigerian traditional institutions still command immense global reverence when represented with clarity, class, and consistency.
Diaspora as Custodians of Identity
For Itsekiris living abroad, the challenges of assimilation are real. Culture fades. Language is lost. Roots blur. But this visit has sparked a revival. Parents brought their children. Songs were sung. Traditional attire returned. And most importantly, a generation saw their king walk among them.
“We are one people, one heritage, one destiny under one crown,” Ogiame declared to a cheering crowd.
Such words are not merely poetic; they are prophetic.
The synergy between Mr. Jakpa, Dr. McNeil, and their executive team is a textbook case of effective diaspora organizing. Through unity and devotion, they turned what could have been a routine courtesy into a historical homecoming.
“Leadership is not position, it is devotion,” Chief Richmond MacGrey said. “This team has shown uncommon devotion to our king, our people, and our future.”
A Model for Other Ethnic Diasporas
The success of this visit should inspire other Nigerian and African communities abroad. Culture must not be archived. It must be activated. The crown must not be hidden but must be honored.
Ogiame Atuwatse III’s visit to South Africa is now part of living Itsekiri history. It reminded the diaspora that no matter how far one travels, the crown travels with them.
With strong leaders and visionary minds like Dr. McNeil and organizational anchors like Mr. Jakpa (Olaga), the Itsekiri nation is not only surviving abroad, but it is thriving.
And as the drums of Warri echo across continents, one thing is clear:
A throne that commands love from across oceans is not just a symbol of tradition, it is a beacon of cultural immortality.
More than ₦3 billion was targeted, but about ₦677 million reached the culprits, with recovery and prosecutions underway, reflecting how banks are responding to more sophisticated fraud risks.
Nigeria’s expanding digital banking sector is facing increasingly sophisticated fraud attempts, as financial institutions adapt to faster transactions and broader online services.
A recent case involving First City Monument Bank (FCMB), linked to fraudulent activity detected in December 2025, has drawn attention to how banks are responding to such incidents, with a focus on limiting exposure, recovering funds and working with law enforcement.
According to findings referenced in proceedings before the Lagos State Special Offences Court, the incident involved unauthorised transactions tied to a digital product. Early reports erroneously suggested more than ₦3 billion was lost. Subsequent clarification shows that over ₦3 billion was targeted, ₦2.4 billion was blocked and recovered, while ₦677 million got into the possession of the culprits. This outcome reflects the bank’s cyber security and monitoring capabilities, as well as improved collaboration among regulated financial institutions and with law enforcement agencies. Several suspects and beneficiaries have been apprehended, while recovery and prosecution efforts are ongoing, led by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Proceedings at the Lagos State Special Offences Court have resulted in convictions, including that of a repeat offender, with restitution orders issued. Related matters are also being handled at the Federal High Court in Lagos, where additional suspects are being tried in connection with the scheme. This process is aimed at ensuring that bad actors are identified and permanently blacklisted from the financial system.
Authorities say recovery efforts are continuing as additional funds are traced.
Analysts note that the pace of legal action reflects closer coordination between financial institutions and enforcement agencies in addressing cyber-related financial crime.
The case comes as banks contend with more complex fraud methods, including social engineering and automated exploitation of system processes.
As digital products and platforms expand, so too does the risk associated with cyber-crime and related fraud.
“The scale of digital banking means risks are evolving alongside the systems,” said a Lagos-based financial analyst. “Institutions are now judged by how they manage these events.”
Observers say the sector is moving toward a stronger focus on response and recovery, rather than prevention alone.
This includes improving monitoring capabilities, strengthening transaction controls and enhancing collaboration with regulators and law enforcement. The FCMB case, with limited exposure relative to the amount targeted and ongoing recovery, reflects that shift.
For customers, the primary concern is the safety of their funds. In this case, there has been no indication of losses affecting customer deposits. Maintaining that level of protection remains central to sustaining trust in the financial system.
Nigeria’s financial sector continues to grow, supported by digital innovation and expanding access to banking services.
However, analysts say fraud attempts are likely to persist as systems become more complex and interconnected.
They say institutions will increasingly be judged not only on their ability to prevent incidents, but on how effectively they respond and recover when they occur.
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Ex-APC Deputy Guber flag bearer, Joshua MacIver backs Tinubu, express fears over implosion in Bayelsa APC
….congratulates new State Party Chairman, Warman Ogoriba
APC Deputy Governorship Candidate in the 2023 general elections in Bayelsa State, Great Joshua MacIver has declared his total commitment to the re-election of President Bola Tinubu come 2027, declaring that the Tinubu re-election project is non-negotiable.
Great Joshua MacIver, in his statement titled ” BAYELSA APC CONGRESSES: GOING FORWARD, A CALL TO LOOK INWARDS” and made available to newsmen in Yenagoa, warned APC leaders in the state to look Inward and take note of certain factors which may hinder or cut short our victory.
According to Great Joshua MacIver, such noticeable pitfalls include the imbalance in the united front being put up by the State Governor,Senator Douye Diri among various political blocs in the state.
In the statement issued at the weekend. Great Joshua MacIver stated that “First, before His Excellency, Senator Douye Diri, joined the APC in the state, there were clearly two political blocs that made up the party, with the approximate population ratios of the blocs standing at 95% to 5%.”
“After the entrance of His Excellency, Senator Douye Diri, ONLY THE SMALLER BLOC IS BEING CARRIED ALONG IN THE AFFAIRS OF THE PARTY, leaving the greater percentage to their fate, and this situation has the potential to build anger and dissatisfaction in our dear party.”
” The consequence of this has been the high level defection we have witnessed in the party recently and we believe more may likely follow, if we do not put our house in order.”
” If we do not pull together as a party, we may witness a situation where we will lose key stakeholders, especially after the State and National Assembly Primaries as well the Gubernatorial Primaries.”
“Finally, while it is very clear that we are the party to beat in the 2027 elections and that our loyalty to Mr. President IS NON-NEGOTIABLE, we must make haste to say that we cannot afford to create situations or loopholes in our unity which will be exploited by other political interests in the state. We cannot afford to under-rate anyone.”
“Our core interest remains the re-election of Mr. President, a project to which we have committed our all. We also pledge our total loyalty to the party as we have no alternative to the APC. However, our concern is that we must, as a party, look inwards and ensure that we do not create loopholes that can impede our common goal.”
Great Joshua MacIver, however congratulated the newly elected State Executives of the APC in Bayelsà State led by Hon. Warman Ogoriba, saying their emergence is welcomed at this critical time in our national history.
At least 23 people were killed in a series of suspected suicide bombings, police in Nigeria’s northeastern city of Maiduguri said on Tuesday.
https://www.stanbicibtcbank.com/nigeriabank/personal/products-and-services/all-loans/stanbic-ibtc-mreif-home-loans
More than 100 other people were injured in the blasts that took place on Monday evening in the capital of Nigeria’s restive Borno state.
No group has claimed responsibility for the suspected attacks.
The deadly blasts come after a military post was attacked overnight Sunday to Monday, which authorities blamed on suspected Islamist militants.
This sad incident is coming barely two weeks after Primate Elijah Ayodele, the Leader of INRI Evangelical Spiritual Church specifically warned against attacks in some states. He mentioned these states while calling on security operatives to pay close attention to them.
These were his words:
“Another attack is coming up in these following states where the military must watch carefully and intelligently; Kano, Kaduna, Zamfara, Kebbi, Niger, Borno, Kwara and Kogi state. They want to do a deadly attack, it’s preventable but it depends on how they will handle it. I have told you about the danger coming up.”
@primateayodele
Unfortunately, some of our military agencies don’t believe spiritual intelligence can save the country from so much danger hence, their neglect of this prophetic warning but now, it has been fulfilled with the miliary losing credibility by the day while Primate Ayodele continues to gain momentum.
Likewise, At least 26 passengers and crew sustained varying degrees of injuries on Monday following an accident involving the Kaduna–Abuja train, according to the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC).
Opeifa explained that the train departed Rigasa in Kaduna at 7:15 a.m. and was approaching Asham station around 9:16 a.m. when a loud bang was heard after the power car and trailing locomotive collided with one of the passenger coaches.
In July 2025, Primate Ayodele asked nigerians to pray not to see train mishap on the Kaduna-Abuja route.
@primateayodele #nigeriantiktok🇳🇬 #fulfillment #train #abuja #primateayodele
“Let’s pray not to see train mishap in Abuja-Kaduna, Kaduna-Abuja route.”
This has also been fulfilled.
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