It was a great day for the Itsekiri, and for the language. When the Olu of Warri, Ogiame Atuwatse III, bestowed the chieftaincy title, Utukpa Oritse, on First Lady Oluremi Tinubu, he probably did not know it was an extraordinary moment for Ugbajo, the tribe and its tongue. Utukpa means light or lamp, and the First Lady gave the Itsekiri language a platform I have not seen in my lifetime. Her tongue lit fore for her people.
The world had to watch, even when they did not understand. First Lady Oluremi gave Itsekiri a voice and platform.
In the few minutes she spoke, she gave us elocution. She enunciated the words with faithful attention to every lilt, consonant and vowel. She also reflected a good breeding, showing that she was not pretending at the game. She learned the language, and to know a language as she displayed, you had to be steeped in the culture.
As she spoke, a certain resonance of a so-called minority group called Itsekiri dialed into every ear that listened. She gave the tribe charisma and also a grace.
She as First Lady has taken that position as a sort of calling, traversing the country, and doing good to the weak and vulnerable, and carrying it out with panache.
Ogiame Atuwatse III broke the rule with creative audacity by bestowing the First Lady with a title even though the Itsekiri do not share their titles with any other. The First Lady acknowledged that beautiful subversion. Once you want the title, you renounce others. Or once you have it, you never accept others. But this Ogiame knows that laws are made for men and not men for the law. He did the same with Sam Amuka at his 90th birthday party last year whom he allowed to wear a head gear in his presence. Kudos to Ogiame.
The Utukpa Oritse -meaning the light of God – is probably drawn from the Bible line of Christ, “you are the light of the world…” The First Lady is thus a reflected light of Christ in the charities she has bestowed – and is still bestowing – across the country. Congratulations.
