Okpebholo Restores Oba Ewuare 11’s Full Financial Entitlements, Reverses Balkanisation of Benin Kingdom

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Governor Monday Okpebholo of Edo State on Sunday scrapped the new traditional councils created in Edo South senatorial district by his predecessor, Godwin Obaseki, which had balkanised the Benin Kingdom and reduced the influence of the Omo N’Oba N’Edo Uku Akpolokpolo, Ewuare 11, and restored the full statutory financial entitlements of the Benin Traditional Council (BTC).

Senator Okpebholo also reversed the revocation order in respect of the concession of Oba Akenzua Cultural Centre hitherto granted the BTC, which the former governor had temporarily converted to a motor park. The governor said his administration would restore the centre to a suitable condition for its original purpose.

The far-reaching decisions taken by the government also included the restoration of “the full statutory rights of the Benin Monarch over the contentious issue of the ownership of ancient artefacts looted from the palace of the Oba of Benin during the 1897 Benin Massacre by the British colonial forces”.

In a statement signed by the chief press secretary to the governor, Fred Itua, the government said the actions were taken “In a bid to further right the wrongs of the immediate-past administration and foster cordial relations between the Government and the people”.

With this development, according to the state Attorney General (AG) and Commissioner for Justice, Dr. Samson Osagie, in an interview with TELL, it is expected that the BTC would over the week withdraw the case it instituted against the state government challenging the creation of the new traditional councils by the immediate past administration.

Part of the statement read:

“The State Government is withdrawing the letter revoking the concession of the Oba Akenzua II Cultural Centre issued by the last administration to be used as a motor park. This administration is restoring the centre to a suitable condition for its original purpose.

“This administration also hereby abolishes the new traditional councils in Edo South, created by the last administration. Accordingly, Governor Okpebholo has restored the statutory financial entitlements of the Benin Traditional Council (BTC) and has ordered that the status quo before the creation of the now abolished councils be maintained.

“The Okpebholo administration is backing the initial plan of the State Government to build the Benin Royal Museum that will house the returned artefacts and is distancing itself from the Museum of West Africa Art (MOWAA) which the previous administration fronted as the museum to hold the returned Benin artefacts.

“The Federal Government has also issued a Gazette for the recognition of ownership and custody of the repatriated Benin artefacts to Oba of Benin, Oba Ewuare II. This was done through a Government Notice No.25 in the Federal Republic of Nigeria Official Gazette No.57, Volume 110.

“Governor Okpebholo respects the rights and privileges of the traditional ruler of Benin Kingdom, Omo N’Oba N’Edo Uku Akpolokpolo Oba Ewuare 11 and pledges the support of his administration to ensure the Monarch plays his role as the custodian of the rich cultural heritage of the Benin people.

“It is in recognition of this that the administration of Governor Okpebholo shall support the decision of the Federal Government to uphold the Oba of Benin as the exclusive owner of the returned Benin artifacts that were looted by the British Colonial forces during the Benin massacre of 1897.

“The Oba of Benin, as the father of all Benin people, is the sole custodian of the customs and traditions of the Benin people and my administration respects customs and traditions in the land and hereby restores the statutory rights of the Oba of Benin as the true custodian of the returned Benin artefacts.”

Expressing the governor’s commitment to refraining from interfering in the internal affairs of the Benin Traditional Council, the statement said, “The Governor is using his constitutional powers and the respect for traditional institutions and the revered Oba of Benin to restore all other Statutory Rights of the Monarch not mentioned hereof.”

Speaking to the magazine on the implication of revocation of the new traditional councils, the state Attorney General explained that “the cases in court are cases which the Oba of Benin himself and the Benin Traditional Council instituted against the state government, and they are all civil matters. And you know that in civil suit or in any suit, parties are encouraged to settle amicably.

“So, if the parties are already settling and one side is already meeting the condition of settlement, the next step you are going to hear is that the party who went to court which is the Oba of Benin, and the Benin Traditional Council, will instruct their counsels to withdraw the cases from court and that will be the end of the matter”.  

Dr. Osagie said “The two parties are now settling for harmony and peace to reign, so the government is doing its own side of it. This statement you are seeing is a prelude to discontinuing all legal proceedings with respect to the twin issues of the concession of the Oba Akenzua Cultural Centre by government to the Benin Traditional Council for 30 years and the creation of additional councils”.   

The state attorney general said the other case in court “is between the palace, and the suspended Enigie and has nothing to do with the government”.