MY attention has been drawn to an interview with one-time Deputy Governor of Edo State, Mr. Lucky Imasuen, published in Vanguard (Thursday, March 31).

This rejoinder to the interview  is  for three reasons. One: Mr. Lucky Imasuen made reference to the Benin Leaders of Thought, a body which I chair; two: I was named five times in the interview and, three: there are inaccuracies in the historical account of the events he gave.

In the interview, Mr. Imasuen unveiled his preferred candidate for this year’s gubernatorial election. Of course, he has right to adopt any person of his choice as friend. In exercising that right, he jettisoned PDP and crossed over to APC last year, although it was PDP that once gave him the opportunity to emerge as Deputy Governor in 2007/2008.

Mr. Imasuen adopted Godwin Obaseki. I have met Mr. Obaseki three times. He struck me as an amiable, intelligent, gentleman.

The interviewer asked Mr. Imasuen:

“The Benin Leaders of Thought headed by respectable Prince Edun Akenzua recently adviced Governor Adams Oshiomhole to create an open field for all the aspirants when they heard he was supporting Obaseki. What is your advise to this noble group?”

The wrong impression given in this question must be corrected at once. It was not because BLT heard that the governor was supporting Obaseki that BLT called for a level playing field for aspirants.

In October last year, BLT members heard a rumour that the governor had a preferred candidate for the governorship race. This was discussed at BLT meetings. The chairman was mandated to seek audience with the governor and find out if the rumour was true. Unfortunately, the chairman could not get audience.

Throughout November, BLT was inundated with letters from persons accusing it of endorsing god-fatherism. So intense was the accusation that BLT decided to make a public statement refuting the allegation. It addressed a Press Conference on January 5 and said, inter alia:

“The fear of the potential return of God-fatherism, a phenomenon which dominated the politics of Edo State before the entry of the Comrade Governor and to which he (the governor) also devoted so much time and energy fighting, is one issue that has excited the imagination of Edo politics in recent times. Edo people have generally acknowledged God-fatherism as one evil that needed to be addressed before the state would achieve the goal of good governance.”

“As the Comrade Governor observed as far back as 2009, ‘what made governance difficult is that some leaders are imposed on the people. That situation creates absence of support, and people will become cynical about you”. (Vanguard, January 5, 2016).

“It is against the above background that members of the Benin Leaders of Thought were taken aback by the rumour that a particular governorship aspirant had been endorsed by the governor as his anointed successor in this year’s gubernatorial race. BLT did not believe this rumour, giving the Comrade Governor’s position on the issue of God-fatherism…”

Mr. Imasuen said: “Prince Edun Akenzua and members of the Elders Forum (sic) are not members of APC; they are doing the right thing at the wrong time”.

He was referring to BLT’s search for a proper Benin person to succeed Governor Adams Oshiomhole, who has done so many things to positively and permanently change the face of the state. Is it too early to search for a successor to him?

Edo people know that whatever has a beginning has an end. They knew Governor Oshiomhole’s tenure would end one day. Consequently, lovers of Edo have shown concern, since 2013, about who will succeed him. Gen. Ogbemudia’s Edo Mass Movement, announced last year that it was also searching for a successor. Other well-meaning Edo persons have been searching as well.

We are looking for a Benin person who will surpass what our indefatigable and progressive governor has done, or at least, maintain the tempo. We want a person whose achievement we will be proud of, after his tenure, as we are proud of that of Governor Oshiomhole. We could not have started the search for such a person too early.

Before Mr. Imasuen unveiled his favourite aspirant, he unabashedly announced he was a good history student. He claimed to be the Oba’s son.

“I am a good history student and a son of the Palace. I think I call myself the son of the Palace because I am a subject of the Oba. The Oba is my father…”, he said.

From the sanctuary of history, where he took refuge, he began to launder Agho Ogbede-Oyo’s image. He believed that what Agho did in Benin in 1897 would constitute Godwin Obaseki’s soft under-belly or Achilles heel.

Mr. Imasuen also accused people of carrying a rumour that Agho Obaseki, betrayed the Binis and that he Imasuen, did not know from where those he accused got that information.

He said the Obasekis respected the tradition of Benin and that they have played many roles in the development of this Kingdom and that they have joined the Oba of Benin to develop this Kingdom.

He also said: “The Agho Obaseki we are talking about died as the Iyase of Benin. Before he became Iyase and before the invasion of the Benin empire by the British, Agho Obaseki was given the title Inneh (sic) of Benin… after that he (Oba Ovonranmwen) elevated him (Agho) to be the Iyase of Benin, which is the number one chieftaincy title. Unfortunately, the incident of 1897 came about and that led to the deportation of the Oba of Benin to Calabar”.

“When the Oba of Benin left for Calabar, there was a vacuum. Agho Obaseki was the highest chieftaincy title holder (emphasis mine) in Benin. He never tried, to the best of my knowledge from what I have read in history, to become the Oba of Benin. I don’t know, he may have played a role as the number one chief…”

“A few years later, information got to Benin that Oba Ovonranmwen has passed on and his son Oba Eweka became the Oba of Benin from around 1914 or so, few years later he passed on. His eldest son, Oba Akenzua, who was a grand son of Oba Ovonranmwen became the Oba. He (Oba Akenzua) also blessed one of the Obasekis (Gaisu) and made him the Iyase, the highest chieftaincy title in Benin”.

Agho’s title was Obaseki, not Ine, at the time Ovoramwen left for Calabar. The Oba did not confer the title, Iyase, on him either. The colonial authorities did. That was after the passing on of Oba Ovonramwen.

I do not know from which history book Mr. Imasuen got his information since he is talking about my family, (my great-grand father, my grandfather and my father) it is necessary that I tell the story about them the way it is and to put the records straight.

The British summoned a meeting of Benin chiefs and elders in 1914 to give them the sad news from Calabar. That was the opportunity the British waited for to make Agho, their friend, Oba.

They offered him the position twice before. He could not accept it because the chiefs told the British they would not coronate another Oba as long as their Oba was alive, whether in Benin or Calabar. After breaking the news, they asked to be told the system and method of installing Oba in Benin

Some supporters of Agho orchestrated appeal on the British to appoint Agho Oba. That was what the British wanted. After all, they offered him (Agho) the position twice when Ovonramwen was in Calabar.

Agho was their friend. He was also a friend to Dore and Duru, the two Itsekiri middlemen who doubled as agents for the British merchants. Dore and Duru has been agents for the British from the time of Nana of Ebrohimi. They were said to be privy to the petition against Nana by traders which instigated the British move against Nana in 1893.

Agho, Dore and Duru met at Ughoton, (Gwatto) the commercial centre at the time. He was the aide Ovonramwen was sending to Ughoton to collect levies and other payments from British agents. They struck up friendship.

The British and Agho’s minions were happy, thinking they would achieve their objective. Then, Izedomwen Ero, a senior chief, spoke. He told the British that ascension to throne in Benin was based on the principle of primogeniture; the eldest son succeeds his father, in case of hereditary titles.

The British, feeling disappointed by that new twist, asked the others if what chief Ero said was true. They said it was. They granted the chiefs permission to go and coronate Aiguobasiwin, Ovonramwen’s eldest son. Out of frustration, the British ordered that the title, next in hierarchy to Oba, be given to Agho.

That was how Agho became Iyase in 1914.

The Oba is the only person who confers state titles. Rites go with conferment of titles. Any person on whom the Oba confers a title must perform the rites. Agho Obaseki did not perform the rites.

Years later, Oba Akenzua did not confer the title, Iyase, on Agho’s son, Gaius. Okorotun, the Iyase, died in July 1943. Oba Akenzua had not conferred the title on any person. Members of the Reformed Ogboni Fraternity (ROF) wanted Gaius, who was their leader, to be conferred with the title. Some   of them applied on his behalf to Oba Akenzua to confer the title on him.

The Oba did not grant their request. Defiantly, they turned their request to the Council which was then controlled by Benin Tax Payers Association, whose member were all members of ROF.

The Council passed a resolution that the title, Iyase, be given to Gaius Ikuobasemwonyemwen Obaseki, inspite of the Oba’s position on the issue. So, by Council’s resolution, Gaius became Iyase.

He too did not perform the rites associated with the conferment of the title. History repeats itself.

Earlier in this piece, Godwin Obaseki was described as the amiable and intelligent gentleman. He deserves honest and courageous friends who will present to him factual and well-researched position reports; not band-wagon commuters who will simply churn out platitudinous propaganda instead of hard facts.

Mr. Edun Akenzua, , MFR & a Bini High Chief, wrote from Benin City, Edo State.