Passed away on the 5th of August 1929.
His name was Okoro-Okpesu Ebiowa. The long first name was shortened to Kpesu. The British, unable to grasp the name properly, gave it as Pessu in their records. He was an Itsekiri aristocrat of Okotomu-Irigbo, he was a wealthy merchant and the founder of Aji-Pessu (Pessu Town, Warri).
Chief Pessu’s father’s name was Ebiowa, he was a son of Jaton a male descendant of the man Itsekiri, who the Itsekiri’s are named after and who was the head of Okotomu at the time the Benin royal party arrived there. Umah was Chief Pessu's mother, her mother’s name was Ejaje, a daughter of Ogisi of Odion (alias Akpia Kolokolo) and Ello (alias Otsowode). Ogisi was a son of an early chief with the title Ojomo (alias Utioba) who married and lived amongst his in-laws at Okotomu-Irigbo and Ogisi’s mother was Memese a daughter of Prince Udefi of Eghoro-Olobite Quarter In Ode-Itsekiri; Ejaje’s mother Ello was a daughter of Ologbotsere Eyimisan (alias Atabrata); (Ajabogho ni tighitighi) who was one of the senior chiefs in Iwere Kingdom and it was he who founded Bobi Town during the reign Of Olu Erejuwa I. Traditional history has it that the mother of Prince Udefi was maternally a daughter of one of the Aborigines (Umale) and paternally was the daughter of a Chief with the title Otsodi (alias Ikeri), one of the early chief's in Iwere Kingdom.
Chief Pessu Ebiowa had sixteen children namely, Ayomike (m), Chief Odeworitse (m), Mogboruko (m), Ajatiton (m), Eyibamiren (f), Ayubini (f), Chief Uliuyagha (m), Eyinagboluwade a.k.a. Eyin (m), Chief Oritsejemiyotan (m), Ejuaghangbakpomi (f), Todonmieye (m), Tete (f), Puye (f), Aghanmatsemuronfor (Titi) (f), Eda (m) and Aghanesirimike a.k.a John (m).
Three of his sons were conferred with Chieftaincy titles and they were Chiefs Alfred Odeworitse the Iyatsere of Warri from 1948-1969; Chief Isaac Oritsejemiyotan the Ojomo of Warri from 1955-1974 and Chief Uliyagha Anthony Pessu the Agbe- Ie-Akaba of Warri from 1966-1986. Chief Oritsejemiyotan was the father of Chief Tesigiweno Yayah Pessu the current Ojomo of Warri. Dr Mark Erumi the current Chaplain of Warri Kingdom is a grandson of Chief Pessu Ebiowa and also the Late Chief Anthony Ofoni a former Ojomo of Warri was his nephew.
His family genealogy both paternal and maternal, are found in nearly all Itsekiri towns. Some of his relatives were Okorogbege who was Chief Pessu’s brother whose mother was from Ugbege; Okorogheye was his first cousin from Oghoye; Pessu’s wife Namu, the mother of Chief Odeworitse Pessu the Iyatsere of Warri, was a sister to Chief Dogho Numa and Mene (f) and Mene was married to Jemide; who was the Father of Rewane; who was the father of Chief Ogbemi Newe Rewane the Ologbotsere of Warri, Pa Alfred Rewane and Chief Elemi Rewane(f); The Ereku’s of Odion and the Okitipi’s of Egbogidi are all cousins to Chief Pessu; Thompson U.E Ogbe alias Idosu-Otolu (m); Emiade (f) who was a younger sister to Chief Oteri of Usele; Chief Yalaju (m); Neburagho (m); Danna (m) the father of Green Danna; Ejeye (m) of Mosogar; Iyomere (m) of Okotomu-Irigbo; Otseri (f) the grandmother of Akoma of Ubeji; Otoruntomuaghan (alias Edigbe) (m) the son of Ogisi; Eyekuonogba (m) the father of Lori-Igba (m) who was the grandfather of Chief Rita lori (f); Chief Eyube (m); Emule (f) the mother of chief Ogedegbe of Odion; Dediare (m) the father of Malori Dediare; Chief Apoh (m) Chief Pessu’s younger brother and Chief Ofoni; Chief Pessu’s elder brother (alias Oruru). Ologbotsere Eyimisan's children, Ikaka (m) Egbeju (m) Iweroko (f) Ameren (f) Uwankun (m) who became Uwangue (alias Orieku), Utasu (m), Iya (m), Eyi-Ogodeaghan (f) Omagene (m) were Chief Pessu’s uncles and auntie's.
Several establishments are named after Chief Pessu, these include Pessu Primary School, Pessu Health Centre, Pessu Ward in Warri south, L.G.A., Pessu Water Side and Pessu Market in Warri.
Sourced from:
Chief Tesigiweno Yayah Pessu JP
The Ojomo of Warri
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