From Tony Osauzo and Ighomuaye Lucky, Benin
The Oba of Benin, Ewuare II, yesterday, warned 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.
The Oba gave the warning at a meeting with Palace Chiefs and Enigies (Dukes) on the Repatriation of the Looted Benin Artifacts.
He stressed that there was 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”, the Oba said.
The Benin Monarch narrted that shortly after his ascension to the throne he had several discussions with the state Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, on the plan for the Benin Royal Museum and the governor expressed his readiness to work with the Palace to actualize the laudable wish of his late 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”, the Oba said.
He, therefore, called on the Federal Government to take custody of the artifacts on behalf of the Palace until the Benin Royal Museum is ready for their collection.
The Oba further warned that “Under no circumstances should custody of our age old artifacts be handed to any privately contrived entity like the Legacy Restoration Trust”.
He noted 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, even as he thanked the governor for joining the struggle and showing commitment to retrieve the 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 Oba said.
He revealed that the Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, who is presently in Germany over the negotiation with the German Government over the plans for the repatriation of the artifacts, assured him that the Federal government remain committed to get unconditional return of the artifacts and will guarantee their full custody for their onward transmission to Benin kingdom to the exclusion of any unauthorized private entities or third parties.
The Oba, while thanking the federal government for the commitment, said ”It now behoves 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”.
Consequently, the “Oba advised governor Obaseki 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” and thanked the German Government for their interest and willingness to return the Benin artifacts.
The Oba, however, prayed for a fruitful resolution of the issue.