| Interview ...I think humility is key especially because of the state of the society we are in. Even though it is important to stand up for your rights, we need to be as gentle as doves and embrace our innate femininity with all humility. 08 June 12, 2022
Interview | OLORI ATUWATSE III Olori Aiyivieruewinoya ‘Ivie’ Emiko-Atuwatse, known as Olori Atuwatse III, Queen of the Warri Kingdom, is a visionary with a heart for humanity, social enterprise, education, and capacity building for women and children. A qualified lawyer with an LLB from the London School of Economics, she was called to the Nigerian bar in 2010. She is a member of the CIARB Nigeria and has certifications from the Nigerian Chambers of Commerce and Chambers of Maritime. She has a strong entrepreneurial drive and has founded several businesses across industries. She sits on the boards of the Wells Property Development Company, the Wells Carlton, and Wells Bakehouse, and is constantly on the lookout for opportunities to create value through enterprise. Congratulations on your ordination, what does it feel like to sit on the throne of the Kingdom of Warri? Thank you very much. First and foremost, I think it’s a great privilege to be Olori Atuwatse III and Queen of the Warri Kingdom under the able leadership of my husband, Ogiame Atuwatse III. Often times, people see enthronement of any kind as an opportunity to exert Lordship over the people and amass wealth to themselves. My husband and I see it as a call to service and great responsibility to be first accountable to God for the nations and destinies of people we are stewards over. It is also a responsibility to diligently serve the people with ourselves and all that we have. I also understand that my position as Queen will require a lot of self-leadership. Why did you choose to serve the people of Warri? What makes Warri special and dear to you and your husband? My husband, Ogiame is a people-driven leader and has always been driven by his love for the people even before he became king and right from the time I met him. He has always had dreams for improving the lives of the people of Warri such as by turning Warri to “Warri-Dubai” or “Warri-Miami” as we fondly call it (laughing). Being married to such an exceptional man with a deep love for his people has influenced me to take on a responsibility and heart for the people even though I am not originally from Itsekiri. I love them as much as my husband does as I am passionate about the things he is passionate about. Further, Warri is located in the Niger Delta which has faced challenges such as clashes and exploitation. Having the opportunity to be in the midst of the situation to see the suffering of a people who produce most of the country’s wealth as well as to be in a position of authority, it only makes sense to lay our lives down to ensure that justice, equity and righteousness. This is my driving force for serving the people and why Warri is so dear to my husband and I. It’s our home and it’s our legacy which are children are going to inherit. What are your highest expectations and deepest apprehensions about your new role, position and responsibilities? Ogiame and I are very much aware of demands of the position that we’ve been placed in. We also understand that these demands require the support of every single person as it takes a village to do this. We require the support of men and women of like minds, similar vision, drive and passion for Warri to see the realization of our vision of a new Warri kingdom that we are looking to build by God’s grace, to come through. Fortunately, we have been blessed so far by some outstanding sons and daughters who are interested in partnering with us to see this vision become manifest. I call these people runners that able to run with our vision and translate that into reality. I can’t say I have any apprehensions but nurture a hope to finish well based on the understanding that the journey is long, and we are constantly looking up to God to help us finish well. And I believe He will. How has the transition into your new reality been? Have there been any surprises? I won’t say there have been any surprises even though it was a very short time frame (about three months) within which we transitioned from private life to public life. Like I said, we were surrounded by a team of people who helped, prepped, supported and prayed for us. This made the transition as smooth as humanly possible. So, I can’t say there have been any surprises and have to attest to the fact that it has really been grace at work for us as a family and as individuals. We are really thankful for the great help we have been afforded so far. What are the most demanding sacrifices you have made in marriage and what was it like having to leave your private life in Lagos to take on a public one in Warri. Also, have you always anticipated living your life under public scrutiny? I’ll take it from the back (laughing). No, I haven’t always anticipated living my life under public scrutiny. In fact, upon until more recently, I was one that was very given to hiding and supporting from the backstage of the backstage. So to be very honest, my answer to that is No, especially as it relates to this position and especially if we know what happened five years ago before my husband was coronated. However, the sacrifices for our marriage has been really in respect of time and ensuring that we still are diligent to make time for one another in the light of the very demanding requirements of a role in public service. In terms of where we currently live, I don’t really feel too much of the difference because we are always in Lagos anyway (laughing). We do miss certain things being readily accessible i.e., the little luxuries of accessibility because Warri is still under construction but its not so tough and its bearable because we are able to make alternative arrangements when we can. How have you managed to strike the balance of upholding and protecting a healthy private life (where necessary) while serving as a public figure? I know that my first responsibility and job is wife and mother. The understanding that my children and husband are the first people that I am called to is how I have been able to balance that. For example, I ensure that I don’t miss school pick ups and drop offs, that I still have time to help with homework, tell the children stories and pray with the family. These are things that I see have direct impact on my home and a healthy family and private life translates to a healthy public life. I also understand my responsibility to love my new sons and daughters as the mother of the Warri kingdom. What about your background, education, beliefs, personality etc will you say has prepared you for your current assignment and why? How did you prepare for this role? What skills does a woman need to be in such a strategic leadership position? This is a great question, and I won’t say it was one thing but a combination of so many things. I got a lot of the attributes I have now from my parents not by them outrightly telling me what to do but by the opportunity I got to mirror them which allowed me to catch a lot of the values that they had. This is because values are never taught, they are always caught. Looking back at my life and upbringing, I see how values like humility have June 12, 2022 09
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