BY PRINCELY ONYENWE, IMO
In our former report by our investigative team led by Princely Onyenwe, the youths of Benin in Edo state NIGERIA stabbed a protest to rebuff the plan of GOVERNOR OBASEKI to establish the proposed BENIN royal Museum outside the proposal of the royal palace to establish same at an appropriate site close to the palace as Benin tradition demands.
The aftermath of the protest has brought on board a series of inconclusive discussions between the Oba of BENIN and the Government of Edo state on the actual place to build the royal Museum.
The rift has continued as Oba of BENIN, Ewuare II, over the weekend rejected the Edo state governor, Mr Godwin Obaseki’s alleged company, LEGACY RESTORATION TRUST LIMITED and any other third party to the interface for the reception of the yet- to- be- returned Benin ARTEFACTS from Germany anytime soon.
9News Nigeria reports that the said BENIN ARTEFACTS was rooted during the 1897 invasion of the BENIN kingdom by the rampaging British Army, during the period of OBA OVORANMWEN.
However, the first trenches of the ARTEFACTS were REPATRIATED in 1938 during the reign of OBA AKANZUA and in 2014 during the rulership of OBA EREDIAUWA.
Our correspondent reports that as Benin tradition demands, higher respect and reverence was accorded to the Royal kingdom unlike most traditions in the south East.
It was also observed from deep discussion at the palace that even the Government in EDO STATE cannot truncate the orders of the royal kingdom but can work in harmony and to peacefully Improve their state.
To buttress my facts, the secretary of the BENIN Traditional council, Mr Irabo Frank Confirmed the true ownership of the ARTEFACTS, stating that there should be no reason for the controversy over where the REPATRIATED Royal ARTEFACTS will be domiciled than the acquired place by the Oba of BENIN.
The Monarch maintained that moves by the EDO STATE GOVERNMENT using a privately registered company owned by the governor and the PURPORTED establishment of Edo Museum of west Africa Arts (EMOWAA) are not in agreement with the wishes of the people of BENIN kingdom.
The palace stated that there is no alternative authority and custodian of the cultural heritage of the BENIN kingdom outside Oba of BENIN as constituted by the royal palace and therefore call on FG to intervene with Immediate effects.
Our correspondent reports that the possible cause of this misunderstanding between the Oba and governor Obaseki is based on the discussion both persons held where the governor expressed his readiness to work with that Royal palace to return the ARTEFACTS noting that the royal palace has made possible efforts to acquire additional plots of land from different families within the Adesogbe area which is near to the palace for this purpose.
Of a fact, the monetary value of the alleged stolen ARTEFACTS worths billions of naira when transmuted to currency equivalent.
Though the extension project of the royal palace is not completed and Governor Obaseki wouldn’t want the federal government to get hold of the ARTEFACTS and this is his singular reason for this struggle.
But, the Monarch has assured that the federal government to receive and take custody of the ARTEFACTS pending when the Royal palace is completed to welcome the ARTEFACTS to Benin kingdom. This was the agreement held at a palace Meeting over the weekend but it seems governor Obaseki is not comfortable with the decision.
Furthermore, our correspondent reports that the Federal Government, EDO STATE GOVERNMENT and the BENIN Royal Family represented by the Crown Prince, EZELEKHAE EWUARE met in Germany Europe and made conclusions to the full and unconditional return of the one thousand, one hundred and thirty (1,130) looted BENIN ARTEFACTS as requested by LIA MOHAMMED and approved by the German Government.
The prince of Benin kingdom stated that the Advocacy and demand for the return of the ARTEFACTS looted from BENIN kingdom in 1897 as pointed out above, have been going on for decades before Obaseki took over as the GOVERNOR of Edo state are regretted while the governor wants to use his company to make it a state edifice than a Royal heritage.
The meeting in Germany was attended by GOVERNOR Godwin OBASEKI, Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, German Minister of State for Culture Professor Monika Grutters, Foreign Minister, Heiko Maas and crown Prince of Benin Kingdom, Prince EZELEKHAE EWUARE.
The worry of the people all over the world has been the REASONS for the stolen BENIN ARTEFACTS and the REQUEST for its RETURN after decades? EDO STATE GOVERNMENT at the time of this report Insists on its ownership stating that the ARTEFACTS is not the property of BENIN Kingdom.
ONYENWE PRINCELY will bring to our readers more details in our subsequent news. Leave your comments below.
9News Nigeria (Owerri)
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