Bayelsa mourns as Ijaw cultural icon Chief Tamaraumieyefa Mitin bows Out at 76

...Chief Mitin loved the Ijaw ethnic nationality without reservation – Governor Douye Diri 

By FIRST ZEALMEDIACAST BLOG 

 

 

 

Tears, songs and solemn tributes filled the hall as Bayelsa bid farewell to one of its finest cultural torchbearers.

At the Service of Songs held at the DSP Alamieyeseigha Memorial Banquet Hall in Yenagoa, Governor Douye Diri spoke not just as a state leader, but as a grieving friend. 

His voice carried the weight of a people who know they have lost more than a man — they have lost a living library of their heritage.

Chief Tamaraumieyefa Mitin, the late Regent of Oporomor Kingdom, was remembered as a proud son of Ndoro and a relentless defender of Ijaw identity. 

To His Excellency Governor Diri, his passing is a personal blow; to the Ijaw nation, it is the dimming of a cultural flame that burned brightly for decades.

“Chief Mitin loved the Ijaw ethnic nationality without reservation,” the governor said. And he proved it.

During the administration of former Governor Seriake Dickson, Mitin became a driving force in the revival of the Ijaw language on Radio Bayelsa.

When Diri assumed office, he ensured the cultural icon continued that sacred task, protecting a language and tradition many feared were slipping into extinction.

Mitin did not possess tertiary education, but he embodied wisdom. 

He understood the legacy. He trained his children to become graduates, planting seeds for a future he might not see but deeply believed in. 

In Port Harcourt and beyond, he inspired many with his counsel, humility and fierce devotion to community.

Described as sociable and warm by former federal lawmaker Hon. Frank Enekorogha, Mitin was a bridge across generations. 

To Mr. Sardauna Orubiri, he was a builder who lifted Ndoro through business, politics and social engagement. To his family, represented by Mr. Famous Daunemugha, his death has left a vacuum too deep for words.

Yet even in grief, there was a call to purpose.

In an exhortation, Rev. Godspower Asingba reminded the gathering that Mitin’s life is a challenge to the living to reflect on the legacy they too will leave behind. His 76 years were not merely counted in time, but in impact.

Chief Mitin, who passed on June 30, 2025, leaves behind five wives, 34 children — including Hon. Living Mitin of the Bayelsa State House of Assembly and a people determined not to let his labour fade.

Governor Diri urged unity among the Mitin family, stressing that strength lies in togetherness. It was a fitting charge for a man whose life was defined by social cohesion and cultural pride.

Bayelsa mourns, Oporomor mourns and Ijaw nation mourns.

But as the songs rose and prayers were said, one truth rang clear, though Chief Tamaraumieyefa Mitin is gone, the culture he fought to preserve will continue to speak his name.