Former President Olusegun Obasanjo led the pack of dignitaries that attended the coronation thanksgiving of the newly crowned Olu of Warri, HRM Ogiame Atuwatse III.

He prayed not to see the fourth Olu of Warri in his lifetime after witnessing three coronations.

Obasanjo, at the Thanksgiving Service, said he had witnessed the coronation of three monarchs for the Itsekiri nation, saying he would not want to see another one in his lifetime.

The 37-year-old monarch, who was crowned the 21st Olu of Warri on Saturday, August 21, immediately assumed the title of Ogiame Atuwatse III, in the footsteps of his late father and 19th Olu, Godwin Toritseju Emiko, Atuwatse II.

Speaking at the church event, Obasanjo charged the Itsekiri monarch to work for the unity of his kingdom and Nigeria as a whole.

Obasanjo urged Itsekiri sons and daughters to work with the new monarch to achieve greater development in the kingdom, adding he prayed for the new monarch, wishing him long life and peaceful reign

“I am one of the happiest on your installation because God has especially favoured me to see three Olus and I don’t pray to see the fourth one.”, he said

“I want to emphasise that the position you occupy today is given to you by God but with your own people surrounding you and you must always remember that”, he said.

“If God has given you a role to perform you will be offending God if you fail to perform that task,” he said.

Continuing, the former President enjoined the new monarch to be close to God, noting that he had started well.

“Be very close to God in whatever situation you may find yourself and God will surely make a way for you,”, he said.

The 84-year-old statesman, himself a prominent Egba chief, was captured kneeling before the youthful Ogiame, who, though seated on his throne, deferred to the aged ex-president as he paid the youthful monarch due respect.