Return of Benin Artefacts: Deal straight with the Oba! By Monday Oviawe.

A Publication in The Navigator Newspaper Return of Benin Artefacts: Deal straight with the Oba! *Edosomwan admonishes Obaseki Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, has been advised to “deal straight” with the Omo N’Oba N’Edo Uku Akpolokpolo Oba Ewuare II N’Ogidigan, The Oba of Benin on the sensitive and raging issue of the expected return of the looted artefacts of the ancient Benin Kingdom back to the kingdom, and “not to attempt to change positions” on the issue of which institution should take custody of the artefacts, “especially now that the issue of ownership is not in doubts.” Giving the advice in an exclusive interview with The Navigator last week, a Benin-based public affairs’ commentator, Elder Solomon Edosomwan, emphasized that the governor “should exhibit conscious firmness and unwavering allegiance to decisions he earlier reached with the Palace of the Oba of Benin and desist from taking unilateral decisions in a matter as sensitively volatile as to who should take custody of the artefacts when they are eventually returned.” Elder Edosomwan maintained that with the Omo N’Oba’s declaration, penultimate week, in a Press Statement, that the governor had completely deviated from the initial understanding they had on the plan for the Benin Royal Museum and the governor’s expression of his readiness to work with the palace to actualize the laudable plan to domicile the artefacts, when finally returned, in the Benin Royal Museum to be built within the precinct of the Palace of the Benin Monarch from where they were looted, “it is apparent that the governor has stoked the fires of distrust and erred elaborately on that score.” The public affairs’ commentator recalled Governor Obaseki’s reechoed landmark commitment to work with the monarch to build the Benin Royal Museum in the precinct of the Oba Palace in Benin City, when the governor, sometime ago, hosted Nicholas Thomas of Cambridge University and Annie Coombes of the University of London, both renowned experts in Benin History, to a dinner, at the Government House in Benin City. Elder Edosomwan recalled that the governor was sumptuously quoted on that occasion by a cross section of the media as saying that “The decision to establish a world-class museum at the Oba’s Palace, one of the safest places in the world, will encourage curators across Europe and in other parts of the world, to be confident and support the advocacy for the safe return of stolen artefacts of Benin Kingdom.” He now gave the poser: “If the governor had all along worked with the Oba of Benin with such commitment, at what point then did he now unilaterally veer off from that status quo to create and incorporate the company called Legacy Restoration Trust Ltd to take delivery of the expected artefacts with the purported Edo Museum of West African Arts, EMOWAA?” The public affairs’ commentator, therefore, charged governor Obaseki “to tread softly and conscientiously with the Benin Palace and desist from playing politics with the things of the Benin Palace, which are expressly the things of the Benin people. Agreeing with the Oba on one hand and veering off that understanding to take a different action, to me, does not appropriately define and underscore ‘respect and reasoned loyalty’ to the revered throne of the kingdom in a matter such as this.” Elder Edosomwan further drew attention to the governor’s new standpoint in the state government’s response to the Omo N’Oba’s press statement of 9th July, 2021. In his words, “The Edo State Government, in its response, titled Benin artefacts: Obaseki will continue to engage His Royal Majesty to secure final return, dated 12th July 2021 and signed by Secretary to the State Government Osarodion Ogie Esq., however, insisted, in the last paragraph that ‘the Governor assures that he will continue to work assiduously with all local and international stakeholders for the eventual and final return of these valued records of our great and glorious heritage back to Benin City for the benefit of ALL Edo people, Nigerians and the black race.’ (Emphasis on ALL is the state government’s). “The Edo State Government should not hide under diplomatic sematic to deal with the Oba. Oba Ewuare II has clarified, and this has never been in doubts, that the looted artifacts awaiting repatriation from Europe are the cultural heritage of the Benin Kingdom created by our ancestors and forefathers within the traditional norms and rites of the kingdom. They are not property of the state government or any private corporate entity that is not a creation of the Benin kingdom. The right and only legitimate destination for the artifacts to be repatriated as already pronounced by my father is under the aegis of the Benin Royal Museum that will be sited within the precinct of the Palace of the Oba of Benin from where they were looted, and also, the proper traditional institution that is also the custodian of all the cultural heritage of the Benin Kingdom. Let the governor not walk or work alone in this matter; he should conscientiously reason with the Benin Palace every step of the way. I do not think that is too difficult to do.” Here is a reproduction of the Benin Palace Statement of 9th July, 2021 at the meeting of His Royal Majesty Omo N’Oba N’Edo Ewuare II, Oba of Benin with Palace Chiefs and Enigie on the Repatriation of the looted Benin Artefacts: “In the name of God and our Ancestors, I welcome you all and thank you all for honouring our invitation. I have called this meeting today to intimate you of the matter of the Benin Artifacts in Europe at the verge of being repatriated which I am sure you have heard and read about in recent weeks. You may also have heard about the recent activities of a group of individuals who incorporated a company since January 2020 called Legacy Restoration Trust Ltd. “It has become germane to note that the advocacy and demands for the return of the artifacts looted from the Benin Kingdom in 1897 have been going on for decades before the emergence of the incumbent Governor of Edo State, Mr. Godwin Obaseki. I must sincerely thank the Governor for joining the struggle and showing commitment to retrieve our stolen cultural heritage from Europe. While anticipating the return of the looted artifacts from Europe, I want to note that attempts to divert the destination or the right of custody of the artifacts is not in the interest of the people of Benin Kingdom to whom the Palace of the Oba of Benin provides leadership. The looted artifacts awaiting repatriation from Europe are the cultural heritage of the Benin Kingdom created by our ancestors and forefathers within the traditional norms and rites of the kingdom. “They are not property of the state government or any private corporate entity that is not a creation of the Benin kingdom. The right and only legitimate destination for the artifacts to be repatriated as already pronounced by my father is under the aegis of the Benin Royal Museum that will be sited within the precinct of the Palace of the Oba of Benin from where they were looted, and also, the proper traditional institution that is also the custodian of all the cultural heritage of the Benin Kingdom. The Palace, therefore, strongly advises that anyone, group, organization, or government – national and international that is dealing with any organization or artificial group in the process of returning the looted artifacts from the Benin Kingdom would be doing so at their own risk and against the will of the people of the Benin Kingdom. “There is no alternative native authority and custodian of the cultural heritage of the Benin Kingdom outside the Oba of Benin as constituted by the Royal Palace. I do not believe that the move by a privately registered company, the Legacy Restoration Trust Ltd. and the purported establishment of Edo Museum of West African Arts (EMOWAA) are in consonance with the wishes of the people of Benin Kingdom. It is pertinent to note that shortly after my ascension to the throne I had several discussions with the Governor on the plan for the Benin Royal Museum and he expressed his readiness to work with the Palace to actualize this laudable wish of my father. I made efforts and acquired additional plots of land from different families within the Adesogbe area near the present day palace for this purpose. “I was however surprised to read from the Governor's letter to the Palace where reference was being made to the fact that a new Museum to be known as EMOWAA is now being proposed, which will be funded and executed through the vehicle of another body now referred to as Legacy Restoration Trust. When Governor Godwin Obaseki informed me in his correspondence of another implementation framework using the so-called Legacy Restoration Trust and the Edo Museum of West Africa Arts (EMOWAA), my response was that the setting up of another organization or legal entity in whatever form or guise will not be necessary nor acceptable. “I informed him that Oba Ewuare II Foundation has been registered with the CAC and has worked out a framework for not only receiving the artifacts but also building a modern structure - The Benin Royal Museum – within the precincts of the Palace and that land has been secured for the building of the Benin Royal Museum under the supervision of the traditional institution. But for reasons best known to him the Governor has gone against the understanding, given recent events. As a matter of fact, the people of Benin kingdom and other stakeholders especially Benin Dialogue Group, had at different meetings endorsed the Benin Royal Museum to be built within the Palace, as well as endorsing the Oba Ewuare II Foundation for fund raising and other requisite administration processes. We wish to use this medium to call on the Federal Government to take custody of these artifacts on behalf of the Palace until the Benin Royal Museum is ready for their collection. Under no circumstances should custody of our age old artifacts be handed to any privately contrived entity like the Legacy Restoration Trust. “Thankfully, just yesterday, I spoke with the Hon. Minister for information and culture who is presently in Germany over the negotiation with the German Government over the plans for the repatriation of our artifacts he assured me that the Federal government remain committed to get unconditional return of our artifacts and will guarantee its full custody for their onward transmission to Benin kingdom to the exclusion of any unauthorized private entities or third parties, we once again thank the federal government for this commitment. It now behooves the Federal Government to be the only level of government that can take custody of the artifacts with a view to transferring them to their original owner and their original place of abode, more so that there exist international treaties and laws guiding these processes. “The Palace of the Oba of Benin wishes to advise His Excellency, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, Governor of Edo State to review his approach of using the private vehicle of the Legacy Restoration Trust Ltd and the Edo Museum of West African Art (EMOWAA) and to see how he can genuinely collaborate with the Oba Palace in accordance with our original understanding. We thank the German Government for their interest and willingness to return the Benin artifacts. “We pray to God and our ancestors for a fruitful resolution of this issue. Thank you.”