badoh:

Oga forget that. If the Oba is dethroned, will you volunteer yourself to go out and protest? As sensitive as Kano is, was the Emir not dethroned? Even during Abacha era, did he not dethrone an Emir? If the Oba is dethrone today, bros nothing go happen.

badoh:

Oga forget that. If the Oba is dethroned, will you volunteer yourself to go out and protest? As sensitive as Kano is, was the Emir not dethroned? Even during Abacha era, did he not dethrone an Emir? If the Oba is dethrone today, bros nothing go happen.

AtikuNetwork:
Obaseki should put the Oba in his place and even dethrone him of need be. How dare he challenge the decision of a popular elected state governor? No monarch can be bigger than an elected government. He needs to be shown who is in charge.

Mikecold:
you are not from edo yet you are foaming in the mouth when you don't know tradition

Sammy07:


The Oba doesn't have the right to tell the government where the artefacts should be put to

the Oba is the custodian of Benin culture.

AtikuNetwork:
Obaseki should put the Oba in his place and even dethrone him of need be. How dare he challenge the decision of a popular elected state governor? No monarch can be bigger than an elected government. He needs to be shown who is in charge.

AGNESikpuNNU:
Sanusi treatment loading in edo

temitope27:
what is tradition? are the government not part of the tradition?

BosseJ:
The state government needs to handle the issue with care. The Benin monarchy is an institution that predates any Edo state government. Obaseki (or any governor for that matter) will come and go, but the monarchy will outlive any governor.

DeFuturePresido:
The crux of the disagreement is this: Who should rightfully take custody of these artefacts? To answer the question, let us take two approaches:

1. Who was the original owner of these artefacts, and who, today, physically embodies that person?

2. Who has the greatest capacity to preserve these artefacts for the greater good of the largest number of people and for posterity? Is it
A. The Benin Royal Palace,
B. A privately managed Museum Trust,
C. The Edo State Government or
D. The Federal Government of Nigeria?

ANSWERS
1. The rightful original "owner" or custodian was Oba Ovonramwen Nogbaisi, who was deposed during the British "punitive expedition" of 9 - 17 Feb 1897, which was led by Rear-Admiral Harry Rawson, and which led to sacking of the Benin empire.

The person that, today, physically embodies Oba Ovonramwen is (unequivocally) the current ruler of Benin Kingdom, Oba Eheneden Erediauwa Ewuare II.

2. The answer to who can best manage the artifacts, unfortunately, is not straight forward. Technically, it should be the Federal or State government. However, you only need to pay a visit to Federal and State museums, libraries, or monuments across the country to understand that good management and maintenance is not a strong point of government in these parts.

That leaves us with The Royal Palace or The Private Trust.

My inclination is to suggest a merger of the two options:

A. The museum/cultural district should be built in the location chosen by the Oba of Benin.
B. The museum/cultural district should be managed by the Private Trust.
C. Oba Ewuare II should be made the Chairman of the Trust.
D. The CEO of the Trust should be a thoroughly seasoned professional and should be chosen via a merit-based selection process.
E. Members of the Trust Board should be drawn equally from nominees provided by the Benin Palace, the State Government, the Trust's Directors and the Federal Government.
F. All decisions should be made via simple majority votes.

I believe that this option will resolve the issue and provide the best solution.

badoh:

Oga forget that. If the Oba is dethroned, will you volunteer yourself to go out and protest? As sensitive as Kano is, was the Emir not dethroned? Even during Abacha era, did he not dethrone an Emir? If the Oba is dethrone today, bros nothing go happen.

Mikecold:
You hear them saying governor should put oba in his place because he is elected by the people

Before this oba came on board their used to be serious land issue crisis where one man buys land and the community who sold it would come and displace him or keep extorting him with various youths aka omo Nile

Government couldn't solve it, it was rocket science to them despite all the power and enforcement agencies but it was this oba with one statement that put an end to it (yet he is supposedly powerless)

Even Lagos government can't effectively check omo Nile let as oba of Benin did

AtikuNetwork:
Obaseki should put the Oba in his place and even dethrone him of need be. How dare he challenge the decision of a popular elected state governor? No monarch can be bigger than an elected government. He needs to be shown who is in charge.

AtikuNetwork:
Obaseki should put the Oba in his place and even dethrone him of need be. How dare he challenge the decision of a popular elected state governor? No monarch can be bigger than an elected government. He needs to be shown who is in charge.

temitope27:
what is tradition? are the government not part of the tradition?

Mikecold:
you are just displaying gross ignorance

In the binin tradition the place is distinct from the government the exact reason why governor can't select a new oba nor sack him

The government can only co-ordinate tradition on the advice of the palace

Artifacts stolen from the palace are more or less cultural attributes of the palace which holds trust of the culture of the bini people

You are Yoruba where your kings are picked and sustained through government dice so i don't expect you to get it


Government can only be doing private museum with it if the palace doesn't consider them to be too much of importance to them

AtikuNetwork:
Obaseki should put the Oba in his place and even dethrone him of need be. How dare he challenge the decision of a popular elected state governor? No monarch can be bigger than an elected government. He needs to be shown who is in charge.

AGNESikpuNNU:
Sanusi treatment loading in edo

Walkee:
Oba of Benin is not even a real monarch in Edo. A Yoruba man masquerading as Edo trying to dictate what happens here

Mikecold:
you are just displaying gross ignorance

In the binin tradition the place is distinct from the government the exact reason why governor can't select a new oba nor sack him

The government can only co-ordinate tradition on the advice of the palace

Artifacts stolen from the palace are more or less cultural attributes of the palace which holds trust of the culture of the bini people

You are Yoruba where your kings are picked and sustained through government dice so i don't expect you to get it


Government can only be doing private museum with it if the palace doesn't consider them to be too much of importance to them

Unibener:


You just dey talk anyhow. If you are in Benin they for don beat You tire.
I don want the artifacts to go to the palace becos I doubt those guys can maintain it and attract tourists , but I respect the Oba o.
The office is sacred, He is not like that political clown in Lagos.

Now You Know

hollywater:
Greedy Oba. The things German government are returning,was kept since years in the König palace or in government care? I know know why we Nigerians are this greedy.

kelmicheal:
Oba of Benin can not be dethroned like other region do

Walkee:
I am from Edo state, uromi to be precise. Who doesn't know that the Oba is a Yoruba? Their forefather Eweka, the son of Oromiynan was what?
All kingship in Edo are purely hereditary. If Anslem dies today his son will be crowned tonight without any a word from any political office holder

Tinubuadvocate:
They should continue fighting there instead of sue Germany to make sure they compensate the government for the use of artsfact since 1897 .

angelfallz:
Oga let me ask you, are you from Benin? If no. Let me ask again, do you have friends that are from Benin, that is the Bini people? please ask them if Obaseki or even Buhari can play around with the Oba of Benin stool.

Kano is not Benin.