The subject of today’s column is Chief Tesigiweno Yahya John Pessu, a Justice of the Peace and the Ojomo of the very great and very great and greatly great Kingdom of Warri whose current king is the radiantly and very radiantly radiant Ogiame Atuwatose III, CFR, the Olu of Warri – the Inimitable. Chief Yahya Pessu (alias Utioba) departed our world for the great beyond in the middle of January this year.

I was leaving Lagos for Delta State University, Abraka when he died – in Lagos. But this was unknown to me until I arrived at Abraka, until I arrived at DELSU, where a very brilliant past student of mine was set to deliver his inaugural lecture which I could not miss after giving him my word to be present for the event.

Very late in the night of Wednesday, January 13, 2026 or so an elderly female cousin of mine – who is very senior to me – sent me a foreboding text relating to the now late Chief Pessu. She and the Ojomo knew themselves at Alders Town, Warri in their growing up years. She also knew of my relationship with him since the nineteen eighties or so. She wanted a confirmation from me of her fearful apprehension.

I promised to reply to her – which I did after confirming the misfortune that had befallen the Itsekiri Community in Benin City in particular and Edo State as a whole. The Ojomo was the Head, the Chairman, of the ICB until his mortal end. Oh Our God! How I now refer to him in the past tense!

I cannot remember exactly when I met Chief Yahya Pessu and when we had the bond we had. A bosom Itsekiri friend of his, Mr Omachaye, who died decades ago, introduced me to him in the nineteen eighties, I think. Then I had just been gathered as the youngest member into what I perceived, rightly or wrongly, as a politically radical circle of Itsekiri patriots called Itsekiri Action Committee that included the late Honourable Richard Onuwaje, Honourable Pullen Toghanro and Mr Sam Sagay, the Chief of Staff of the late Governor Prof. Ambrose Ali, the first civilian executive governor of the Mid West State (The tough Sam Sagay was the first and only person who took his oath of office immediately after Professor Ambrose Ali was sworn in as Governor – to the satisfaction of Itsekiri Action Committee members).

Then as a new returnee from Zaria, Kaduna State I was not by association a member of the ICB. But when I eventually became a member – I do not remember exactly when – it was through Chief Pessu’s persuasion. He knew of what was perceived as my radical spirit and bent and my manner of outspokenness and of communicating “brutal” truths. Yet he wanted me to be part of the ICB – no matter “your proud rebellion against your royal and aristocratic roots.” He told me this on one of the occasions when he invited me to the first meeting of the ICB I attended in the residence of the late Pa Ogor – who was no more at the time of my afore-mentioned inaugural meeting.

Over the years Chief Pessu struck me as an Itsekiri philosopher of the very loftiest power despite my private and public disagreements with him on the grounds of personal and patriotic principles. I do not wish to adorn this essay of tribute to him with illustrations of our disagreements that both of us accepted without qualms as necessary ingredients to oil and polish our thoughts in an age of silver of never dreamed of changes that our homeland and country have witnessed – and are still witnessing.

As I am inking these words thoughts upon thoughts flow in my mind waiting to be composed with different colours of cherished memories. And I remember Chief Pessu as the chairman at different times of my kids’ wedding events where his language, colours, form and traditional and civil habits of action were all the instruments of his imperial being and faculty. What a gem of a man! What a being of beings!

I open my phone to replay our exchanges that still exist. His subjects in their different ranges of sublimity bloom with the flowers and echoes of eternal music and thoughts teaching the truth of things – the truth of things that remind me now of the following words of Robert De Niro, an iconic American actor, producer and director (born in 1943 the same year our now gone Ojomo was born): “Just be calm. When things are going well, be calm. Don’t think that you’re on top of the world. I’ve seen people come and go. Take what’s good in your life and move cautiously and carefully. And thank God that you have that. Everybody is dispensable”.

Oh Utioba! Oh Utioba! You are gone but not gone from our hearts! (I am told that the meaning of your appellation is “Who every king treats with reverence”. This will remain in our hearts).

May this writing help to comfort his family as his burial rites begin today with a service of songs at 4pm in Benin City. On Monday, March 16, 2026 at his residence in Benin City traditional night vigil will be held in his honour before other funeral events (including his interment) take place in Warri and Ode-Itsekiri (Big Warri) from Wednesday, 18 March to Friday 20 to Wednesday, 25 March, 2026.

Now what is really important to me, after all said and done, is his epitaph which, as a gleaner-glimpser-glitterer, I would have willingly created and carved as follows:
John Yahya Tesigiweno Pessu 1943-2026.

He lies here. John Yayha Tesigiweno Pessu, JP.

Ojomo of Warri. Leader, Itsekiri Community, Benin.

Pained we are as each one grieves;
Team player whose soul rests where
Now true rest is;
Comfort I am – his “wrestler”
Privately, publicly, patriotically,
In agreements and disagreements
On our homeland’s behalf
As we all are comforted
As he answered his call well and well and well
When came his time;
Heaven, his injuries healed, repose grant him.

The gleaner does not wish to garnish this sauce of a tribute with further tomato of words.

Afejuku can be reached via 08055213059.