‘God Didn’t Give Me That Grace’, Olu Of Warri Speaks On Polygamy
By Cynthia Onuado
The Olu of Warri, His Majesty Ogiame Atuwatse III, has said that he does not have the capacity for polygamy, noting that he prioritises peace, family life and personal balance over societal expectations often placed on traditional rulers.
The monarch made this known in an interview with BBC News Pidgin, where he also addressed public reactions to a viral video showing him riding a scooter on a newly constructed road in Warri, Delta State.
Responding to public admiration and recurring questions about his marital status, particularly why he has only one wife despite his royal position, the Olu of Warri was unequivocal. “As you see me as I sit down here, I get two aspects of my life, the public face and the private face,” he said. “Once I commit from this chair, I am not that kind of social person that interacts freely like that. I am in my house and I like my peace mind. Simple truth.”
He explained that his responsibilities as a traditional ruler already place enormous demands on his time and energy, making it important for him to focus on his immediate family.
“I have a wife. I have children, and I spend time trying to manage the family, invest in their lives too because the whole world is demanding their dad’s time,” he said.
According to the monarch, juggling leadership duties that involve constant engagements with presidents, governors and other leaders leaves little room for expanding his family structure.
“Because you’re a king, you’ll always have meetings. President will call you, Governor will call you. So sometimes when you go home, you just want to enjoy your own family,” he stated.
He added: “Because you can’t spread all of your energy, so that when you want privacy, you can get it, cool down, relax, pour into my family, so they can also pour into me. If you want to multiply yourself, I don’t know. God did not give me that grace.”
The Olu further stressed that personal time was sacred, especially given the pressures of leadership.
On the viral scooter video that sparked widespread reactions online, the monarch dismissed claims that the act was inappropriate or embarrassing for a king, describing such criticisms as amusing.
“For this position I occupy, it’s important to make out time to laugh at your own self, it’s good,” he said. “But let me start by saying, thank God I lived a good life as a child. I lived well, I ate well, I played well, I travelled well. I enjoyed my life.”
He noted that age and position should not prevent anyone from relaxing, as long as dignity is maintained.
“But you see as you grow older sometime, even though you are Bank MD, a president, or a king, it does not mean that you should be serious all the time, it’s important to take time out to relax,” he said. “So if you want to relax, you can do that but do not embarrass yourself. And I do not believe that I embarrassed myself by using the scooter on that day.”
The monarch clarified that the road where the scooter was ridden had not been formally opened to traffic, eliminating any safety concerns.
“I saw that a new road was built, I wanted to do an inspection,” he explained. “I can sit in the car, I just decided to get a feel of the new road, and you know the road has not formally been opened, so there was no traffic of course.”
“So there were no safety issued. I was alone on the road. There was no traffic to avoid. The road was very safe and okay to ride on,” he added.
Beyond leisure, Olu said the video also conveyed subtle messages about development, accessibility and investment opportunities in Warri.
“After the video went viral, people began to message me, they said I didn’t understand what I just did. They said what I did looks like marketing,” he said.
“People started asking me to show access, if there was available land, or if they could come to build houses,” he added.
Drawing comparisons with experiences abroad, the Olu said riding bicycles or scooters in natural environments is normal and should not be over-analysed.
“Most of us have lived life abroad. You have a bicycle, you have a scooter. You enjoy these things inside nature,” he said.
He emphasised that while he remains visible and active in public life, his private life is intentionally kept quiet.
“Most of my playful activities are not on camera, I play inside my house, nobody knows what i do,” he said.
The monarch concluded by urging the public to view his actions as part of a balanced life rather than a departure from royal conduct, stressing that he remains comfortable with who he is.
