•Narrates travails when palace funds were slashed

By Ozioruva Aliu

Oba of Benin, Omo N’Oba N’Edo  Uku Akpolokpolo  Ewuare II, in  a demonstration of candour and royalty, penultimate week, stood and danced on the throne as he received 119 artefacts from the government of Netherlands which were part of precious artworks looted from the palace by the British during the 1897 invasion.

He said that was how his grandfather stood and danced when one of these artefacts was returned.

The Oba also revealed that there were attempts by a former official of the National Commission of Museums and Monuments (NCMM) and top officials in Edo State government to re-loot some of the items, a move, he said, was resisted and commended President Bola Tinubu for continuing from where his predecessor, Muhammadu Buhari, stopped.

Oba Ewuare 11 particularly commended the current Director-General of the NCMM, Mr Olugbile Holloway, who, according to him, has been very committed to the return of the works while also making symbolic presentation to the Oba on behalf of the Nigerian government.

The monarch also commended what called the resurgence of courage and fearlessness among some youths as they backed the palace in the fight for the return of the artefacts and resisted the attempts to balkanise the kingdom.

The Oba received the latest returned works and offered traditional prayers, part of which, he said, was a message to those who looted artefacts to bring others all over the world back to the palace. 

He said: “I can’t thank the Almighty God and our ancestors enough. On behalf of my chiefs, members of the royal family, I want to encourage the youths, the royal family to be strong , to be tough in the face of adversity, not to relent, not to be scared,

“The British came, they looted our palace, burnt our kingdom,  killed my people, killed their morale,  tried to kill their spirit. I lament the fact that the people of Benin Kingdom, the boldness, the brevity, courage is still there.

“However, the event of 1897 reduced that to a significant level that, sometimes, when I see the youths, when I see our people, they are afraid of the unknown. We want to reawaken the courage that we had before in our people.

“We do not want modern day politics, partisan politics to diminish the image of our people.”

Re-loot

Oba Ewuare II said there were plans and conspiracies backed by a cartel to re-loot the works but he vowed that he would rather allow them to remain where they are than to be returned and then re-looted.

The monarch stated: “I want to thank the governor of the state, this is very historic. The DG has been doing a wonderful work. He has been too humble with what he has been doing. The man that is leading the NCMM is making the difference becapreda former official was part of that conspiracy to re-loot our artefacts. I told you before, I say it as it is having been trained in America, we had a running battle  

“In this same hall, I addressed my chiefs in Benin language and I said these artefacts belong to my ancestors. 

“I will not sit on the ancient throne of my ancestors and let them be re-looted, let them stay where they are rather than being re-loot during my reign. 

“I thank the government of Netherlands for working with us, for being touched in their hearts to return these treasured artefacts to us.

“This is part of the efforts to reawaken the morale and the spirit of my people, to make them courageous again, to make them what they used to be.

“You know the history of Benin, now it has been reduced to Edo South and, even then, there was a government that tried to reduce it more, that wanted to scatter it.

“As we have managed to retain the beauty we have remaining, they still wanted to scatter it. I thank those youths, they were like the youths of those days, the Aiguobasinmwin group, they say what they should say, they fought on their own to protect the integrity of the palace. 

“I thank God, God heard my prayers. This stool is not partisan but what is good for my people, I will support  

 ”I commend the efforts of the former president, the efforts he put up to ensure that our artefacts are not re-looted because there were groups in this country and cartel internationally, an international cartel, there were conspiracies to re-loot our artefacts.”

Travails

According to him, the palace passed through travails to the extent that its allocations were withheld because of his stance that the right thing should be done always.

Oba Ewuare 11, however, said that he was not dettered as he revealed that his grandfather once helped a military officer and, when the man became the governor, he tried to get at his grand father by erecting a building in a sacred land opposite the palace, he said he vowed to get back the building and he has been able to do that.   

 ”A lot of things happened to spite the palace, even funds, they slashed it so much that grasses could not be cut in the palace, I am telling you this to know how long they have been trying to bring the palace down but God and our ancestors have not allowed it.

“We have been strong in our personal integrity, resolve, sacrifices, a lot of sacrifices.  That time, grasses grew everywhere and no money to cut it in this palace that was the seat of an empire that was pauperized by the British and further pauperized by our own people, is that good?

“Why do they have so much hatred against the palace, I can’t understand but all I know is that we were born and trained to do a particular job the way we are tryng our best now, we are not perfect though.” 

Fight

The NCMM DG, Holloway, said the event was historic and pledged the Federal Government’s commitment to continue its fight to bring back more artefacts.

He said, “Today is a historic day, it is one day that will go down in history  and everyone in this room is part of the history.

“In 1897, something happened in Benin and for those that are aware, it was when the British raided and looted priceless artefacts from Benin.

“Today, we celebrate the return of some of these priceless artefacts that have come from the Netherlands.

“It is important to stress that this gesture from the Netherlands not only speaks to their regard and respect for our culture but I believe it also will go a long way to strengthen the ties and cultural diplomacy.

“The symbolic of returning of the objects where they were looted from is far greater than  just the objects.

“”On behalf of the NCMM and the Netherlands, it gives great honour to be here today to symbolically present some of the objects for your blessing and for them to be kept in the traditional way and I promise you I will not break this trust and I will always continue to work with  you.”

Wereldmuseum

The General Director of Wereldmuseum, the Netherlands, Marieke Van Bommel, said the 119 works were all that they had in their museum.

“The artefacts are looted and we have a policy in the Netherlands to bring them back. We are bringing back 119 artefacts. We don’t have more. These are the collections in the Netherlands. There are more collections in Europe but that is not up to us. They have been with us for over 100 years”, she said.

Support

On his part, Governor Monday Okpebholo, who was represented by the Secretary to State Government, Musa Ikhilor, said his administration would provide the needed support to the palace on the returned artworks.

He said, “As a state government, we are very glad to be part of history, we are all here and standing on the threshold of history and that is amazing.

“This is a history of over a century, about 128 years, that is amazing and that shows the vibrant spirit of Edo people that, over a hundred years, this spirit has not rested, it is still pushing those who looted the artefacts from the ancient of Benin to bring them back and, like His Royal Majesty said, we are going to see more, he has blessed the artefacts and has sent the looters a message to bring back more of the artefacts back to Benin.”

On their preservation, he said, “The state government will continue to build the necessary infrastructure to preserve them, support the palace as well as collaborate with the Federal Government to improve the storage system for these artefacts because they are treasured monuments and they are reassured sacred objects.

“We will continue to collaborate with the Federal Government to see that a safe space is created for them and we are also supporting the palace to see that a befitting museum is created to display these objects for tourists and thereby boosting the tourism sector of the state.”