BY SIMON EBEGBULEM, BENIN CITY

As preparations for the coronation of a new Oba of Benin intensify, the Onojie of Opoji and Vice Chairman, Edo State Council of Traditional Rulers and Chiefs, His Royal Highness (HRH), Ehidiamen Aidonojie 1, disclosed to Saturday Vanguard how traditional rulers who have their roots from the great Benin Kingdom are awaiting the coming of a new Oba. He explained how the Oba had remained the permanent chairman of the Council of Traditional Rulers and Chiefs, describing the Oba of Benin as the Supreme leader of Kings in the Kingdom and a first class African King.

He also reacted to the move by the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP in the just concluded governorship election in the state, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu to head to the election Petition tribunal saying it is like “one playing coupon”. He declared that God has decided that Godwin Obaseki would be the governor after Governor Adams Oshiomhole.
Excerpts:

Edo state is agog with the preparations for the coronation of a new King in the kingdom, what are your expectations?
The Oba of Benin is the permanent chairman of the Edo state Council of Traditional Rulers and Chiefs. All traditional rulers from Esanland and even from Owan are all loyal to him because we all originated from Benin and we hold the throne in very high esteem. We are happy we are going to have another great Oba, a diplomat, an administrator and of course the man who has a heart of God. He is kind, unassuming and straight forward. He grew up as a great Prince, even when he was Edaiken N’Uselu, I addressed him as His Royal Majesty because there is no vacancy in the throne of the Benin Kingdom. I am the first Vice Chairman of the Edo State Traditional Rulers and Chiefs, so on behalf of my colleagues, we pledge our loyalty to him as we await a very befitting coronation for him.

Why has the Oba of Benin remained indisputable Chairman of Edo state Council of Traditional Rulers and Chiefs?
At the time when Oba Akenzua championed the creation of Midwest region with Dennis Osadebey as the then senate President, it was decided that Benin City should be the headquarters of the region. Since the Oba became permanent chairman, the position of the premier was taken to Delta Ibo which saw Denis Osadebey becoming the premier of Midwest region. The governorship was zoned to the Urhobos which saw Marierie as the ceremonial governor. The Oba had the privilege of having some nominees as members of the state House of Chiefs then, and he nominated seven chiefs. But during Social Democratic Party administration, there was an edict mandating every Local Government to nominate two members into the state council of traditional rulers, before it was changed to Council of Traditional rulers and Chiefs. Oba of Benin now have 14 nominees from the seven Local Governments in his domain in Edo South in the Council of Traditional Rulers and Chiefs. In fact most of my colleagues don’t even know how the Oba of Benin became the permanent chairman of traditional rulers. It is irrevocable.

The late Oba played a great role as well as Oba Akenzua in fighting for Edo South and we hold the Oba in high esteem for that. In the past, Benin empire extended beyond the Niger but it was dismantled in 1897 by the British during the crisis between the empire and Oba Ovonranwe, which gave autonomy to Esan traditional rulers, those from Edo North, the Urhobos and some of them in Owan and other areas. But in 1900, when the British decentralized the kingdom and the British appointed seven Esan traditional rulers in their areas, the Benin Enigies were afraid to accept it because they thought that Oba Ovonranwe would be back to execute them. So, no Benin Enigie accepted that move by the British to decentralize their kingship system which would have whittled down the powers of the Oba. And that was why up till today all the Enigies are under the Oba of Benin who is the only King in Benin Kingdom. The rest are Dukes. We owe the Oba of Benin that allegiance as our father.

The PDP has gone to court to challenge the result of the just concluded governorship election, what is your take on it?
I told them that God will decide this election but they refused to listen to me. I said it that any person who knelt down before an idol and a native chalk from the shrine was used to pray for him, it is an affliction. But the man who knelt down in the name of the Holy Bible and Jesus Christ is of the light and he would win. And I said that election was between light and darkness and that God would decide. Now look at the outcome of the election, the light won. Obaseki never had native chalk poured on his head go and check. For me, as a man of God, Pastor Ize-Iyamu should not waste his time in court, he should put all that happened behind him and move on because he was beaten in a most credible and transparent election. No gun was shot.

After all, President Buhari contested four times before he became President, Lucky Igbinedion contested twice. You can only become a leader if God sanctions it, and if God says it is not your time, you cannot force yourself on the people. When I was warning PDP about their evil deeds in Edo that they would not win, people like Mr Fix-it were threatening my life. Today they have been fixed by the political tactician called Oshiomhole. The man may be short but God is with him because his heart is clean and that is why he is defeating them. When Oshiomhole will be thinking on how to uplift the life of our people with all sincerity, PDP leaders will be plotting evil, and how to share money for their families.

It is not everything you can fix. What PDP has fixed in the past is now becoming open, judges are being arrested and we are yet to know the role of Mr Fix-it in this matter because they were the Alfa and Omega at that time. We pray that God will expose more bad people and liberate our country from the hands of the wicked. If Ize-Iyamu is going to court as I heard, it is like going to play coupon, or gambling. But I know God has taken the decision and we are all waiting to usher in Godwin Obaseki as the new governor come November 12.