Dudu descendants hail Pullen Toghanro for documenting Itsekiri history
Dudu descendants of Warri Kingdom have expressed happiness over Pa Pullen Toghanro’s decision to document Itsekiri history.
Chairman of the Planning Committee, Sir Amorighoye Mene, stated this as he congratulated Toghanro on the launch of the book: ‘Notes on Some of Chief Dudu’s 84 Children,’ hailing the author for his belief that the rule of law must govern society to avoid anarchy.
He noted that the book is the third in the series of books by Toghanro, adding that he had authored: ‘Local Government ( A personal experience)’ and ‘The Life and times of Chief Dudu.’
His words: “In writing the foreword to this book, I completely aligned myself with the submission of Mr Monday Oritsegbubemi Etotuomah-Dudu, who wrote the foreword of an earlier book by the same author: “The Life and Times of Chief Dudu.” I consider his opinion as truthful and sincere about the content of the book and the person of Pa Pullen Toghanro when he wrote ‘the situation at present in which very many members of the group hardly know beyond their nuclear fathers and mothers, their full blooded brothers and sisters and their half-brothers and half-sisters, is deplorable and leaves much to be desired. These ‘unknowing’ members have been groping in the dark, being unable to identify a good number of their blood relations and socialize and deal befittingly with them as such. This abysmal ignorance has been very costly indeed, as it has robbed them of many good things in the past.
“Pa Pullen Toghanro, who is now 87-year-old is a great grandson of Chief Dudu of the Agbueju stock of the Ologbotsere Eyimisanren descendants. The Ologbotsere family is, if I may venture to say, the number one in the hierarchy of nobles (patrician class) and houses the topmost in hierarchy of chiefs in the Warri kingdom.
“The Ologbotsere Eyimisanren family is so large that four out of every ten Itsekiri persons gathering in a place, not by design, are Ologbotsere’s descendants. The author, Pa Pullen Toghanro, Pa H.J Oporokun (104-year-old) and a few elders of the Ologbotsere family belong to a fading class of noblemen in the Warri kingdom, who do not see black and call it white. They believe that the rule of law must govern society to avoid anarchy. As custodians of our ancient customs and tradition, they believe in our core values and mores and are gatekeepers and our nexus with the past. As it is often said: ‘what the elder sees sitting, the young one does not see, even when they climb to the top of the tallest iroko’.
“The Millennium and Gen Z generations consider they can change the customs and traditions of the people according to their whims and caprices and they must bully others to follow, through social media and/or through violence. In conclusion, I must appreciate the author for the painstaking research and careful eye for detail in the writing of this book. I must also salute the courage of our last standing heroes in defending our customs and tradition, on succession to the throne of the Olu of Warri and criteria for the investiture of Ojoye Isan as prescribed by our customs and traditions in Warri kingdom.”
