‘Ghigho Aghofen’ which is loosely translated as “The Great Palace watch,” will be holding its maiden edition as part of His Majesty, Ogiame Atuwatse III, The Olu of Warri’s cultural renaissance agenda for the Warri Kingdom.
The aim of the watch
The program will involve each Itsekiri community taking turns to “keep watch” over the palace for a set period and thereafter turning over the responsibility of the watch to a successor community at the “change of watch”. The essence of the watch is essentially to afford Itsekiris an opportunity to each showcase their unique histories and traditions before the revered monarch of the Warri Kingdom and for the benefit of local and foreign visitors seeking to immerse themselves in the rich cultural heritage and the people’s creativity in fashion, food, music and dance.
This new initiative of his Majesty Ogiame Atuwatse III, is part of a wider effort to open up Warri Kingdom and aggressively employ tourism as a source of wealth creation and gainful engagement for the people. The Kingdom’s over 500-year-old history and the brimming potential of the local populace provides the backdrop for this new venture.
Future edition of Ghigho Aghofen
The maiden ‘change of watch’ will take place on the last Saturday in the months of March, June, and September, and finally on the last Saturday before Christmas in December. The event will then take on a new name “Riro Aja n’Aghofen” meaning ‘Change of Community in the Palace’.
The maiden ‘Ghigho Aghofen’ will take place on Saturday, December 18, 2021.
All neighbours, friends and well-wishers of the kingdom looking to enjoy a taste of our rich cultural heritage are all especially welcome.
We hope to see you there!
Ogiame Suo ooo!
#itsekiri #warri