A People in Reflection: The Ologbotsere of Warri Marks Nigeria at 65
In a statement issued from his residence earlier today, Ojoye Engr. Oma Eyewuoma, the Ologbotsere of Warri Kingdom and Chairman of the Warri Council of Chiefs, joined the nation in marking Nigeria’s 65th year of Independence. Speaking with the steady grace of a man who has seen much, Chief Eyewuoma extended his goodwill to fellow Nigerians, while also sharing his bittersweet reflections on the journey the country has taken since it first raised its flag of freedom in 1960.
With a voice that bore the weight of history, the Ologbotsere called for this celebration not to be one of mere fanfare, but of deep, sober reflection. Nigeria, he said, has grown, not in strength alone, but in complexity and contradiction. While the land has yielded great sons and daughters, it has also witnessed the tightening grip of corruption, the rot of poor leadership, and the frustrating constancy of failed infrastructure, unreliable power, and broken institutions.
Turning his gaze to the future, Chief Eyewuoma urged all Nigerians, especially the Itsekiri people, to return to the bedrock of good character. He spoke of virtues once held high as Nigerians: integrity, honesty, diligence, kindness, discipline, service and empathy. These, he said, have been eroded over the years, like soil beneath a storm. If Nigeria is to rise, it must begin again from the hearthstones of its people’s values.
In closing, the Ologbotsere offered a prayer, not just of hope, but of earnest desire, that as Nigeria stands at 65, it may awaken to a season of true progress, peace, and purpose. That the children of tomorrow will not inherit the wounds of yesterday, but rather, the wisdom to heal them.
Happy Independence Nigeria!
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