From Tony Osauzo and Ighomuaye Lucky, Benin
Sixty Dukes (Enigie) of Benin Kingdom have dissociated themselves from calls by disgruntled Dukes on the Edo State government to create parallel Benin Traditional Rulers Councils (BTC) for the seven local government areas in Edo South Senatorial District of the state.
Some dukes had conspired and petitioned against His Royal Majesty, Ewuare II, CFR, Oba of Benin, to Governor Godwin Obaseki, in November, 2022, seeking the creation of BTC across the seven local government areas.
But denying their involvement in any plot to break up the Benin Kingdom, the 60 dukes, in a letter to the governor Obaseki, dated May 22, 2023, described the request by aggrieved dukes, who have been rejected by their people, as absurdly illogical and a threat to “the very source of our creation”.
But haven realised their trespass, the 60 repentant Enigie, in their letter to the governor, said: “Arising from the above, we the undersigned have since realised that we erred and have also gone to the palace for atonement for our sins and apologised physically to His Royal Majesty, Omo N’ Oba N’ Edo, Uku Akpolokpolo, the Oba of Benin for this our regrettable misstep, borne out of inadequate knowledge of the subject matter and mistakes, by allowing our signatures to be collated for a wrongful use without circumspection.
“As Enigie, who are fully aware of the whole essence of the letter, and what it seems to achieve, we, the undersigned, hereby, disassociate ourselves from the letter and peregrinations of the Enogie of Egbaen/Siluko and insist that our signatures were obtained fraudulently for misrepresentations of facts about the actual intent. We have reunited with His Royal Majesty, the Oba, who is our father, and as his subjects, we have sought for forgiveness and the same has been granted us unequivocally. We never left him as he remains our source”.
Signatories to the letter to the governor include HRH. Osagiede Festus (Enogie of Iguogbe); HRH. Igbinidu Idurobo Ernest (Enogie of Uwan-Esigie); HRH Alfred Osagie Erhauyi (Enogie of Iyanomo); HRH. Anthony Osagie (Enogie of Umegbe) and others.