OPINION

By Oghogho Arthur Obayuwana

As the world awaits the coronation of a new Oba of Benin, in Benin City, there has been a barrage of goodwill messages from distant and near lands.

Two of such empathic correspondence unveil the kind of royal diplomacy now being ushered in as a new dawn approaches in the nucleus of the former seat of a great West African empire (Kingdom), the former capital of Midwest region and capital of Bendel now Edo State in modern Nigeria.

From the records of the Benin Traditional Council (BTC), the queen of Great Britain, Her Majesty Elizabeth 11 sent her condolence message to the Crown Prince and Heir Apparent to the Benin throne, Ambassador Eheneden Erediauwa, over the transition of Omo N'Oba N'Edo Uku Akpolokpolo Erediauwa, CFR. Oba of Benin.
Similarly, the Duke of Kent, His Royal Highness, Prince Edward, KG, GCMG, GCVO, ADC (P), a cousin of Her Majesty, the Queen, has since expressed his best wishes for the Benin kingdom in a most brotherly fashion imbued with the grandest of aristocratic solidarity. Among other kind words, Queen Elizabeth said in her terse message conveyed through the British High


Commissioner to Nigeria Mr. Paul Arkwright: "... We take solace in the knowledge that his reign was peaceful, and witnessed a strengthening of the relationship and good friendship between the people of Benin Kingdom and the UK"

High profile royal events:
Before now, the newer period of the Benin Kingdom had witnessed high profile royal events such as the unprecedented visit of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth 11 to Benin to meet with His Royal Majesty Oba Akenzua in 1956, following that of the Earl of Plymouth who had also earlier visited Oba Akenzua in 1938.
The children and grandchildren of the District Officer in Benin City then W.B. Rumman who gave a moving outline of the coronation of Prince Aiguabasimwin (Oba Eweka 11) in 1914 would still marvel today at the sustenance of royal court rites which Oba Eweka n'Ologbe revived after the interregnum brought about by the events of 1897.
But even with the many more exchanges of messages and visitation by emissaries from the UK Royal Family and government over the years, this renewed communication in our era, is a testimony to the ascendant relations between the British Royal Family and the Benin Royal Family. It is a march of international cooperation powered by both old and contemporary royal ties.
Correctly interpreted, the royal missives now eclipse the seeming lull (even though benign) in the direct communication between the two royal families until now. Palace sources have confirmed that it is also not unrelated to His Royal Highness, Crown Prince Eheneden Erediauwa's carefully considered relations with the UK Royal Family in the course of his diplomatic exertions as Nigeria's ambassador first to the Kingdom of Sweden, then Angola and later Italy. As ambassador to the Kingdom of Sweden, his Mission in Stockholm had concurrent accreditation to the Nordic Kingdoms of Norway and Denmark as well as the Republic of Finland. The queen of Denmark is a cousin to the Queen of England. Crown Prince Eheneden Erediauwa had over the period as ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary, established a close relationship with the Duke of Kent. Diplomatic relations between Ancient Benin Civilization and the rest of the world is a tradition now being sustained since the first Europeans (Portuguese) set foot on Benin in 1485. Successive Obas such as Ewuare, Ozolua, Esigie, Orhogbua, and Ovoramwen were in contact with kings of continental and coastal Europe in the days when Benin exchanged ambassadors with Lisbon.

CONTINENTAL POWER:
Right before the watchful world, Great Benin which was a continental power centuries before the birth of Nigeria, well versed in the arts, adept in military campaigns and astute in socio-political organization, is taking an important socio-cultural step this year- the installation of a new Oba (King) and by Extension her masjesty congratulates Lagos and extention of Benin Kingdom and other Ediod groups in the Niger Delta and Nigeria.

Oba gha tokpere!
Looking forward to the coronation.

Must the white man approve us before we believe we have achieved much?

IT wil be very easy for this man to carry masqurade

delishpot:
Must the white man approve us before we believe we have achieved much?

Hater Alert!!!

PROUDLY NIGER DELTAN...........
EDO...DELTA....BAYELSA....CALABAR....AKWA IBOM......RIVERS..... WE ROCK!!!


FYI:::One yoruba speaking state suppose dey there oo but we don chase all the Judas comot from our cabad tey tey

TippyTop:
Oba gha tokpere! Looking forward to the coronation.

Ise!!!!

KingOvoramwen1:



Hater Alert!!!

Why? Because I said we do not need Validation of the white man before we know we are a unique and great?