Those of us who have diligently followed the signs and body language of the revered monarch of the ancient Benin Kingdom, His Royal Majesty, Omo N’Oba N’Edo Uku Akpolokpolo, Oba Ewuare II, are not surprised that he wants the stolen and looted Benin artifacts from Germany and from any part of the world back to the royal palace. At the National Festival of Arts and Culture, held in Benin about two years ago, the monarch literally took over the event put together by National Council for Arts and Culture (NCAC), led by another culture economist and influencer, Otunba Segun Runsewe, to showcase not only the rich cultural history of the Benin Kingdom but also of its influence, reach and depth in creative arts.
From mini-exhibitions to dances, music and the evangelical process and presence of the best of Benin Kingdom, which has sustained the growth and relevance of Benin culture from the ages till now, it was not farfetched that Benin Kingdom, people and nation belong to the heart and soul of their Oba. From generation to generation, Benin is about the Oba and the Oba, Benin. Everyone, everything that was ever made, created and must find bearing, belonged and belongs to the Omo N’Oba N’Edo Uku Akpolokpolo.
He is their god, the brilliant and creative ancient Benin Kingdom sculptures, artists and carvers lived for the Oba. All artistic works, the best of the best, steeped in history, tradition, war, strife, economic and political advancement, were captured and stored at the royal museum in the palace.
Every Biniman can get angry at the Oba in the corner of his room, even at that, he must be careful that the birds do not report him to the palace but mind his public displeasure. You can rave in madness at whatever pains at the powerful presence and absoluteness of the Omo N’Oba N’Edo Uku Akpolokpolo, but you dare not come against him and the palace in the open. Those who dared have their cemetery marked down across Benin Kingdom.
And like I have pointed out, there are no historical accidents or controversies concerning the true ownership of the stolen Benin Bronzes and artifacts. Oba Ewuare II had, from the time of his coronation till date, made it abundantly clear and loud that he wants his fathers’ royal artifacts returned.
He had held meetings and workshops in the past five years, detailing where and what was stolen and looted from the ancient palace of his progenitors. He was never pedestrian or deceptive. His Royal Majesty, Ewuare II, spoke his mind to ambassadors from target nations and experts on the history of the Benin Kingdom that the time had come to return the symbol of strength, power and culture of the Benin nation to the rightful owners.
The powerful Oba Ewuare II was a diplomat, stood and gloriously represented Nigeria at the world stage and so deployed his contacts, exposure and experience to request for the return of stolen artifacts. He even went further to propose and develop an architectural master plan for a royal museum, where the returned artifacts would be housed.
It is, therefore, befuddling that the good works, networking and efforts of Oba Ewuare II were was subjected to ambush and high-wired politics. This oba, unlike many traditional rulers across Nigeria, hardly gets mentioned in the gutter and regretful national discourses. At the Benin Golf Course, where he was special guest of honour and at the behest of teeing off the culture golf tourism engagement put together by NCAC during the NAFEST outing, Oba Ewuare said he hardly speaks in the open. His minders who stick to him like glue, he further revealed, would never allow him outside the palace without getting the permission and blessings of the gods.
I stood at a little distance from Oba Ewuare II while he spoke. I was awed by his simplicity, humanity, his love for people and culture. I was surprised he was a golfer, not your rookie. The Oba is flesh and blood but not controversial. Unlike Oba Ewuare the first, this Oba Ewuare II clearly is a man of peace and lords not his awesome powers over his subjects.
Educationally, he came well prepared, and when you see him at the fullest splendour of Benin royalty, you would want to belong to the Benin nation.
It was fearful for me when the palace sent a notice two weeks ago that there were plans to divert the expected return of stolen Benin artifacts to the fancy holding bay of the state government. No doubt, the world was concerned, Edo people rose as a nation to back their reverred and beloved majesty. Omo N’Oba N’Edo Uku Akpolokpolo, has not oppressed his subjects, he was not known to deny the weak, poor or the rich justice. He is peaceful and wants to change certain negative narratives about his people. When he visits fellow traditional rulers and state governments, which is rare, he embodies grace and righteousness.
So, who are the conspirators and betrayals of the dreams of His Majesty to repossess the rightful property of his fathers? That Nigeria and Edo State government have a hand in reclaiming what was undeniably stolen and looted from the ancient palace of the Benin Kingdom does not in any way confer patrimonial ownership on Nigeria.
At the British and colonial conquest of the Benin in about 1869, there was no geographical entity called Nigeria but of Benin Kingdom. The kingdom’s political and trade interest captured and extended even to the fringes of the Atlantic Ocean. That is not just all, they fought their wars against the marauding Europeans not as “Nigeria” but as Benin nation.
It is even unbelievable that the National Commission for Museums and Monuments, an agency of government not fit in infrastructure and experience, is touted as the destination for the stolen Benin artifacts. This is very strange indeed, and I challenge those pushing this ignoble proposition to visit the rundown, neglected, rat-infested and poorly managed and funded agency as the place to husband the very creative ancient Benin artifacts.
I should think that a plan to re-loot the artifacts is embedded in this Federal Government agenda. It is our culture and, having covered this beat for over three decades, my heart beats for the struggles of the Omo N’Oba N’Edo Uku Akpolokpolo to have these articles back to Benin. Another front has been opened, it may not manifest today, knowing the treacherous actions and activities of civil servants, of our politicians and selfish diplomats, the Benin stolen artifacts will not come back to Nigeria incomplete but will sooner than later, return back to Europe, either to the calls of global illegal traders of stolen artifacts or the same German museum, which had kept and benefited economically from it.