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By Young E. Freeborn, Warri
Unenurhie community in Ughelli North Local Government Area of Delta State was recently thrown into mourning and grief as a renowned community leader, a church leader and a political icon in the community, Chief Dr. Gregory Atori, the Ubiomor of Evwreni kingdom passed on at the age of 70.
Breaking the news to family members and community leaders in a meeting held at the deceased’s residence, the first son of the late traditional chief, Mr. Emoefe Atori, said they had lost their father as a result of health issues.
“It’s very painful to our hearts and moments of grief to announce to you that, we lost our father few days ago as a result of complicated health challenges he passed through. However, as our tradition and culture demands, whether all of you have heard about the sad news or not, we are bound by traditional laws to officially announce to you, members of our family and respected community leaders about the demise of our dear father.”
After the official announcement by the first son in the presence of his other siblings, family members and community leaders, the head of the Atori family in the meeting, Mr. Joseph Bicycle who was in mournful mood expressed the family’s pains over Chief Atori’s death.
According to the former Otota’Rode of Unenurhie community, the family in particular and the community in general had lost a great asset in the person of late Chief Gregory Atori, which vacuum is hard to fill.
Mr. Bicycle described the late Atori as a father to all of them in the family and those in the community. He however sent his condolences, on behalf of the family to his wife and his children, and advised them to always console themselves with the legacies left behind by their late father as a highly respected person in Unenurhie community.
Also speaking, Olorogun Okoloko Ighariemu, who represented the deceased’s maternal family, described late Chief Atori as a man of the people and a highly principled and disciplined man. According to Olorogun Ighariemu, late Chief Atori was a highly respected leader in Unenurhie community with much leadership prowess in both traditional and political leaderships in Unenurhie and Evwreni communities respectively.
Late Chief Gregory Atori was a former president-general of Unenurhie community, the longest serving secretary-general of the community, a political leader in the Evwreni Ward PDP, a traditional chieftaincy holder, justice of the peace of the Delta State government, and a lay reader of the African Church, Ughelli Diocese at St. Andrew African Church, Unenurhie.
