"The only thing constant in life is change. I will do my utmost best to make sure I prepare firm grounds for whoever is coming to take over from me, as a king to operate maximally in a safe and secured grounds." — HRM King Dr. Charles Ayemi-Botu (JP) OFR, aka Lion of the Niger, Pere of Seimbiri Kingdom.

As the people of Seimbiri Kingdom in Burutu Local Government Area of Delta State mourn the loss of HRM King Dr. Charles Ayemi-Botu (JP) OFR, the esteemed Pere who is known as 'The Lion of the Niger', who peacefully joined his ancestors on Thursday, October 5, 2023, but whose death was officially announced and made public on Friday, January 5, 2024, by Chief Alexander Ebisune, the Spokesman of Seimbiri Traditional Council, here are some punch lines of wisdom made by the Lion of the Niger in an interview His departed Majesty granted The Guardian Nigeria on April 14, 2019, during his 25th Coronation Anniversary.

1️⃣ Not easy being on the throne
"I must confess this has not been an easy assignment, being on the throne of the Seimbiri Kingdom. It is what the French People will call comesee comessa, which means mix-grill. All the same, I thank God for life and thank my people for their support."

2️⃣ Assessment of leadership
"There is a common axiom that says a dancer is not in a position to know how good he or she is. It is up to other people to assess a dancer. What I am trying to say is that it is up to my people, the good people of Seimbiri Kingdom, to assess and say ‘yes King Charles Ayemi-Botu, has done very well or badly these past years’."

3️⃣ Working for peace and development
"I have deliberately worked all these years for peaceful co-existence of my people with the Government of Delta State, past and present as well as the Federal Government. In the process, I have also maintained cordial relations with other neighbours. So, we have had peace, which has made it possible for us to achieve a lot of development in my kingdom to date."

4️⃣ Seimbiri has made leap progress 
"When I ascended the throne, Seimbiri Kingdom was relatively unknown. But today, my kingdom has become a household name, not only in Delta State, but also in Nigeria and in the Diaspora. People, very familiar with our kingdom before and during my accession to the throne, are in a position to testify to the monumental achievements recorded in this kingdom these past years, considering how rural it used to be."

5️⃣ I've worked to change the narrative
"Within these past years, I have worked very hard to change the narrative for good... In spite of the abundance of crude oil and gas in this part of the country, there was no state and Federal Government presence in this kingdom. The proceeds from mineral resources taken from this part of the country were taken to other areas to develop them. All these were problems I had to deal with. We are, however, grateful for recording meaningful progress, but it is not yet Uhuru."

6️⃣ With peace we can achieve more
“What else will I ask for, other than the peace we have had in this area of the country? I will plead and continue to advise that we sustain this peace and harmonious co-existence that has enabled us to achieve such massive developments over the years. With peace, we can achieve more… We are lucky that in spite of the hardship my people have gone through, Seimbiri Kingdom has never witnessed violence.”

7️⃣ I will keep pushing for development
"Although I feel satisfied to have been able to make meaningful contributions... I still believe very strongly there is still a lot of work to do, to make Seimbiri the kingdom of my dream. Consequently, there is still a lot to do in the area of social and political development. We still need infrastructural developments. Our children still need better education. We need to make this area one of the industrial hubs of Delta State. We need lots of work for our qualified youths. So long I’m alive and on this throne, I will keep pushing for the betterment of this place."

8️⃣ EXTRA: “The state of our beloved country, especially the Niger Delta region should be of great concern to every well meaning Nigerians. The problem was caused by massive corruption, avarice, nepotism, winner-takes-all syndrome, bigotry and ethno-religious dimension, that is being perpetrated by political leaders both at federal and state government levels to their selfish ends and detriment of those who elected them”. — Source: Botu Calls on Nigerians to Speak Out on Pitiable State of the Nation | National Reformers News Online 24 Jan. 2021.

Sources: The Guardian Nigeria | National Reformers News Online

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