By Simon Ebegbulem, Benin-City
Ever since the traditional rites to the throne of the Oba of Benin commenced, the question on the lips of most Edo indigenes revolved around the name the newly crowned Oba of Benin, Oba Ewuare II, was going to pick. And that was why his visit to Use community, where every Benin Oba picks his name, was one of the most significant events in the coronation. It was earlier rumoured that the new Oba was going to pick the name of his great grandfather, Oba Ovonranwe, but as it seemed, the ancestors of the land knew the best.
The minds of many immediately went to Oba Ovonranwe due to the similarity they saw between the late Oba and the then crown prince. Ovonranwe was known to be straight forward and honest as a result of which he was feared in Benin Kingdom and beyond. And even as crown prince, Oba Ewuare 11 was seen by many as a no-nonsense leader who, like his late father, Erediauwa, will never shy away from the truth. However, the new king picked the name of another great king. Oba Ewuare 1 (1440-1473) is seen by many as one of the greatest Obas of Benin Kingdom
History has it that Ewuare N’Ogidigan planted the first Emotan tree before Akenzua 11 commissioned the statue. He started the Ewere ceremony and the Igue festival to commemorate his third year of peaceful reign. Ewuare 1 conquered 201 towns and villages and expanded Benin Kingdom. He was said to have restructured Edo governance. He added the titles of Ihama N’Iguneromwon, Elema and Eholo N’Igbesamwan, the Uzama N’Ibie (Uzama Minor) group of noble title holders.
From all indications, the second coming of Oba Ewuare is likely to be the same. In fact, Oba Ewuare 11 has already commenced reforms to deepen and strengthen the Benin traditional institution. Any one who looks at his profile would have felt that this modern day king will jettison some of the rites he was supposed to perform before ascending the throne. Some of the senior palace chiefs were said to have been amazed by the zeal the new Oba displayed as he did all he was required to do on the coronation rites. After several months of rituals,
Oba Ewuare 11 was crowned at about 2am on Thursday at the Usama palace by the Usama N’Ihinro, known as the Edion, headed by Chief Oliha. After being crowned, the Oba used a white hand-kerchief to cover his mouth as stipulated by tradition after which the Ihama presented him to the Bini people at Usama palace. However, the name the monarch picked was kept secret until the grand finale of the coronation at Urhokpota Hall where it was disclosed after he was handed the staff of office by Governor Adams Oshiomhole. The Oba spent seven days at Usama palace. That palace, located along Siluko Road, was the first palace built by Oronmiyan before Oba Ewedo moved it to the present location in the 15th century.
However, the final journey to the throne was between Usama palace and Urhokpota Hall where Oba Ewuare II met dignitaries from all over the world who came to grace the occasion. The last journey was not easy. Sunday Vanguard, however, learnt that it is only the gods that give the Oba the strength to survive that last tedious task. The task, worsened by the full regalia made of coral beads with the crown on his head, sources said, weighed up to 20kg. Oba Ewuare, left Usama palace that Thursday at about 1:45pm and had to follow the ancient path as did by Oba Ewedo to ascend the throne.
And before he left the Usama palace, a he-goat was slaughtered at the gate while Ihama, accompanied by Chief Leteman, poured libation to pray to the ancestors. He was held by Chiefs Osa and Osuan, two chiefs, to represent Benin ancestors, the twin brothers who escorted Prince Oromiyan from Uhe (Ife). When he arrived the palace of Chief Oloton, Oba Ewuare 11 stopped to pay homage and performed some rites. He stopped at Iwehen N’Ewaise Shrine before he proceeded to cross the River Omi Oteghele.
Amidst joy and hailing from the crowd, Oba Ewuare 11, assisted by Chief Isekhere, crossed River Omi Oteghele where he met 92- year-old Chief Samson Edogun, who had assembled a mock army to fight the enemies of the Oba who may want to stop him from getting to his destination, which is Urhokpota Hall. He arrived Urhokpota Hall at 3:25pm where the ceremonial coronation was conducted by the Usama N’Ihinro and, new name publicly announced. It was an electrifying scene immediately the new name was announced. You could just feel it wherever you were in Edo State. It was celebration galore in the streets and all the hamlets in the kingdom.
A white tourist, who identified himself as Mr Peters from the Netherlands, said he was in Benin in 1979 to attend the coronation of Oba Erediauwa and that witnessing another coronation was a great moment for him. His words, “ I was in Nigeria in 1979 during the coronation of the late Oba Erediauwa and, from what I saw today, they were a lot of similarities. I have some pictures then but are black and white pictures. I know these people, they don’t joke with their tradition. I always like to come back on occasions like this. The culture has remained the same and it is nice, that is what makes this tradition unique. You don’t need to change anything. I am not surprised this Oba, despite the fact that he is a well-travelled diplomat, decided to carry out all the rites to the throne. That is the way it should be else you destroy the tradition. He may have his contacts all over the world but the tradition is the tradition. I met his father then and he was also like him. He would not play with tradition. I had audience with his father five years ago and he did not change”.
Oshiomhole’s attire
A mild drama played out at Urhokpota Hall when Oshiomhole and his wife, Lara, and Vice President Yemi Osinbanjo walked in few minutes before the arrival of the Oba. For the first time in his eight years tenure as governor, Oshiomhole wore a white Benin traditional attire and a cap which actually made him look different. Many people may not have recognized him if not for the presence of his wife, Lara. The dressing attracted the attention of the crowd who started hailing “Osho Baba, “Osho quake”. And when the Oba walked into the hall, as if he knew the mood of the crowd, about people expressing regret that the governor will be leaving his seat in a few weeks time, asserted: “Oshiomhole has done well for our people and he will greatly be missed”.
Oshiomhole opened the colourful ceremony with his speech and used the opportunity to explain that the Obaship of Benin Kingdom has unified all the leaders of the state irrespective of political affiliation.
Pillar of success
“I am happy to be part of this epoch making event and the privilege of welcoming all of you who have travelled from across the length and breadth of Nigeria, including Ambassadors from Europe, Asia, America, across the world”, the governor said. “ Your presence here bears testimony to the unique position which the Oba of Benin occupies in the affairs of our great state and of Benin Kingdom.
The formal coronation of your royal majesty today affords us the opportunity to renew and to celebrate the rich cultural tradition of Benin Kingdom and showcase the beauty and the uniqueness, not only of this great kingdom, but, for Edo State, I think you will indulge me the privilege, as we formally conclude the coronation of a new Oba, to recall the memories of the outstanding contributions and royalty that Oba Erediauwa displayed while on the throne. I recall my very privileged relationship that was like that of a father and a son. And if you come from my kind of background, you will appreciate how much that meant to me. He was there for me as an applicant seeking job, he was there for me as governor of this great state.
He readily counselled me on a number of issues even in writing. He demonstrated what I learnt in my primary school, that Kings have more ears, they hear everything that happens in the kingdom and they see everything that happens everywhere in the kingdom because those who see and report to them have seen what they saw. All of these his Royal Majesty brought to my attention and it helped me a great deal, to deal with a number of issues without which I would not have been able to accomplish the much that I believe that we were able to contribute to the development, not only of this kingdom but our great state”.
‘We are fortunate to have Oba Ewuare II’
‘The governor said Benin was extremely fortunate to have a new Oba who had been very well groomed, tutored and mentored by his father in the finest of royal tradition. “These qualities he has already displayed as Edaiken N’Uselu, and all those who have had the rare privilege which I have had, to interact with your majesty, we have no doubt in our minds that you have what it takes to step into the big royal shoes left by your late father, Oba Erediauwa. Not only are you very well schooled, you are also extremely well exposed, not only in administration but in diplomacy. Your royal majesty, even before I became the governor of this state, I benefited enormously from your wisdom.
I don’t belong to the royal family, but you accorded me courtesies that are uncommon of a royal person, you have even publicly adopted me as a privileged son and part of the royal family, that I will always celebrate. I join millions of Edo people, Nigerians and allies around the world to congratulate you on this occasion and to pray to God and our ancestors to grant you the wisdom that your majesty will need to succeed in this most exalted position as the Oba of Benin Kingdom. I also join to ask God to give you the good health that you need to preside over the affairs of this kingdom.
And I think I have watched events on television, what your majesty has had to go through, several kilometres walking to this throne, you have shown that you understand life. You have shown uncommon capacity to interact and socialize practically and horizontally, it cannot be better”.
Benin Kingdom, a pride to all of us — Buhari
President Muhammadu Buhari, represented by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo to Oba Ewuare II: “Your great father, in Mr President’s days as Minister of Petroleum, served the Federal Government in the same building as a Permanent Secretary. Mr President said to me that your late father was one of the most principled and forthright Nigerians that he ever met.
“Your royal majesty, the Obaship of the Benin Kingdom is not just a source of pride to the Edos but also to Nigerians and indeed to the African people. The tradition of resistance to colonial oppression and superior administration is well known in Benin Kingdom. This ceremony is not merely a celebration of your kingship, indeed your walk through your kingdom to this place of your coronation, speaks of the great obligation and privilege, the obligation of protecting the cultural rites of the people, in promoting their well being.
We are gratified that your meritorious service as Nigeria’s Ambassador to several nations and your sterling work in the oil and gas industry stand you in good stead to fulfil this obligation that your incumbency in the throne of your ancestors impose. Most of those who know you are convinced that you will discharge this responsibility with great wisdom and integrity that your ancestors had displayed. On behalf of the government and people of this great nation, I congratulate you on this momentous and historic occasion and assure you of our full support, especially for the Royal Dynasty Trust programmes, for Youth Employment and poverty alleviation which your royal majesty has set out”.
Accepting the responsibility bestowed on him by tradition and his ancestors, Oba Ewuare II made his remarks:
Missing Oshiomhole
“We are going to miss Oshiomhole because he has done very well for Edo State. No doubt, you have said it all, that your successor will do as much as possible to try and fill your own big shoes that you will be leaving behind, thank you for letting the world know that I am already filling my father’s shoes and I hope the governor-elect will do his best to fill your shoes”, the new Oba of Benin said.
Our heritage, our pride
“Today marks the end of activities described by custom and tradition for my ascension to the revered throne of this ancient kingdom. I accept with faith and humility the destiny which ordained that henceforth I shall be the embodiment and the expression of culture and aspirations and history of our people. As the principal actor in the event of several months that led to this position, I have had the unique opportunity to reflect on the values and essence of our historical continuum. What royalty represents to our people are justice, peace and unity.
These ideals shall be reawakened and be sustained in the dispensation that will soon unfold. The time tested, rancour free succession process bequeathed to us in our customs and tradition is a great tribute to the far sightedness and wisdom of our fore-fathers and our people. This collective achievement is a veritable proof of our ability to manage our own affairs. It makes us very proud of our heritage. Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen, let me begin by paying deserved tribute to my illustrious father, Omo N’oba N’Edo Uku Akpolokpolo, Oba Erediauwa, CFR, who joined his ancestors after 37 years of glorious reign. With all due modesty, I must admit that as a son and heir, that I enjoyed and benefited from his fatherly love and wisdom more than anyone else. His visionary leadership, courage and dedication to our cultural heritage ensured that the legacies of several century was preserved.
He was a true symbol of our cultural identity. Throughout his reign, his palace was a warm and welcome home for all who had need for good counsel, guidance and material assistance. Traditional rulers from far and near consulted him for clarity on touchy issues. Or to resolve a vast range of socio-cultural problems. Ethnicity, religion and social status were no barriers to reaching him for advise and support. He was a good and caring father to us all. He led our common cause with dignity, tact and wisdom. In the community of royalty, he was exemplary and hence he was revered throughout this kingdom and beyond. Though for him, our culture and tradition was his priority but he was open to new ideas and respectful of progress made through social and scientific innovations. Time constraint will not allow me to give full account of all my father’s achievement or the benefit his reign brought to Benin Kingdom, our state, our country and indeed, humanity.
Giving posthumous honour to Queen Mother
“Our responsibility for us now is daunting, but I am confident that with the blessing of God Almighty, the love and support of my family, my people, Nigerians in general and my friends in the international community, we shall succeed in this mission of building upon the legacies of our father. Let me crave your indulgence to also make few remarks about my late mother,
Princess Eghiunwe Akenzua of blessed memory, who passed on to the great beyond in 1976, when my father was still the Crown Prince. It was my dear mother who taught me to work hard for success in everything I set my mind upon to achieve. Circumstances and act of faith did not allow her to enjoy the status of a Queen in her life time. But she was a Princess in her own right. By my coronation, today, she is now entitled to be bestowed with the title of Iye Oba (Queen Mother). Which customs allow us to confer posthumously. This will be consummated at the appropriate time.
Why I am the 40th Oba of Benin Kingdom
“History also reminds us of the importance of the present time which is the only opportunity we have to take the different and too often fragmented components of our collective past to prepare the foundation for a unifying and collective future. A long line of succession of kings in the Kingdom known as Benin, started in the 12th century by modern recording.
There may be some different views about the origin of some of our ancestors, but there is unanimity in the shared heritage between the people of Benin and lle lfe in identifying Oduduwa as a forebear of kingship in many kingdoms in some part of Africa and the part called Nigeria today. Historians all agreed that Oduduwa sent his son Oromiyan at the request of elders of Benin to return to them as ruler of their realm. Oromiyan staying in Benin may have been short, but before he left, a child was born to him, who was later crowned Oba and he is known today as Eweka the 1st. Oromiyan’s time in Benin, however short-lived, he was an Oba and so he was the first Oba after the Ogiso dynasty came to an end. He established Obaship in Benin, by implication the listing of past Obas should therefore begin with Oromiyan as it is listed in the line of Obas. This actually made my revered father the 39th Oba of Benin, if the listing is counted from and should be counted from Oromiyan. I therefore stand before you today as the 40th Oba of Benin.
“A direct descendant of Oromiyan, the son of Oduduwa who the Benin people of that era knew as Ekharaderan, their self exiled Prince who later became ruler in IIe Ife, the Benin people recognized Oduduwa and his origin but it is not in our place to force this recognition on others outside our boundaries. The history of the world, is a shared one and they will certainly be unexpected connections in future. This is a time for unity and not divisiveness’. A time for mutual respect, recognizing that our wholeness as equals is so much more than some of our past.
Now, what does the new dispensation hold for us? The Oba remains the channel through which the powers of the ancestors continue to guide and protect the kingdom and its people. To that extent, we shall faithfully discharge this sacred responsibility, we shall pay due attention to all manners of all customs and traditions, focusing on real issues of security of our communities and welfare of our people. We shall carry out our reforms in palace administration in order to be adequately responsive to our people’s sincere and deep longing for justice, equity and stability.
Using culture as unifying factor
“We shall strive to ensure that conflicts are resolved between individuals, families and communities along the principles of social justice. We shall use cultural diplomacy as a veritable tool for the promotion of harmonious relationship with our neighbours far and near.
I also strongly advise my Benin people, we should strive to maintain our culture, especially our language by insisting on its use in communicating with our children and each other. You will agree with me that the Benin empire which encompasses part of Lagos, across to Asaba, even to the then Dahomey, has now reduced to one state. To survive, it is imperative that we maintain our culture which is now the only unifying force for our people. Our culture and tradition remains the grand main factor that the entire country and the international community respects us for.
And I appeal to our Benin people to uphold and respect our traditional institutions at all times. I employ government to also include Edo language and Benin history in our schools curriculum. We shall forge links with other traditional institutions here in Nigeria, in Africa and beyond. We must especially acknowledge how honoured and gratifying we are to have in our midst today, representatives of monarchs from other parts of the world. The Zulu King in South Africa, the Kabaka of the Kingdom of Bugunda, as well as the Queen of England and the monarchs of Sweden, Denmark and Norway are all represented in this event by the Ambassadors of these countries.
“I hope this will provide an opportunity to strengthen contacts and build linkages and will compliment and enhance excellent bilateral relationships that already exist between our countries. We shall uphold and maintain the principle of neutrality and none partisanship in political party activities. While our people remain free to play politics in the political party of their choice, we shall however continue to pray for and always support the right kind of political leaders who will safeguard the welfare of our people, provide for their basic needs and who will accord due recognition to the traditional institution. We will initiate a cultural renaissance that will focus on tourism promotion, through arts and craft.
To drive this initiative, we have already established two purpose vehicles, namely the Benin Royal Family Trust, in collaboration of the Benin Traditional Council established an office in Igun, Iguewon quarters to enhance the productivity of the bronze casters. The Benin Royal Academy for performing arts will train youths and develop their talents. They will reach out to international choreographers in different parts of the world for the purpose of transforming Benin dance into an international brand. Through this initiatives, we hope to attract tourism to our land and provide jobs for our teeming youths. We shall also support efforts to build partnership and seek international assistance for the restoration of Benin monuments including revival of the creative and artistic talents of the Binis, which are already globally acknowledged through our rich artifacts.
We must end poverty
“It is pertinent at this point to express our deep concern about poverty and the rise in crime and juvenile delinquency in our society. The problem is both a consequence, and it is aggravated by wild spread youth unemployment. The solution will require a well-articulated and structured youth development and empowerment programmes with active support of government at all levels. We should partner with government to attract domestic and international resources for the establishment of clusters of agro based industries in each of our seven Local Government Areas.
In this regard, the transformation of Gelegele into an export processing zone. Agro allied industries shall remain one of our major projects in the state. With the support of the Federal Government, we shall join forces with government at all levels and other well-meaning individuals in pursuing poverty alleviation strategies which will be driven by the Royal Dynasty Trust. We will also partner with relevant government agencies to pursue programmes for the preservation of our forest endowment. To this end, we will establish a prize for the local government in Edo state that is best in annual tree planting competitions.
Today is an important day for us. It marks a turning point in our lives. We will therefore do two important things to mark this day. First, to honour the memory of our illustrious father. We establish today Oba Erediauwa Annual Lecture series. For this, the sum of N10million will be invested in a Trust Fund and the proceeds will be used to support an annual well researched work on any subject in Benin history, public administration or Edo language.
Secondly, we will unveil a new crest which states my motto, meaning no reward without industry. Finally we appreciate your presence here today especially those who have supported us in various ways. We remain grateful to the multitude of people who line the roads everywere we passed and all those who worked tirelessly to the success of this event. The show of support and affection for me in particular each time I step out of any out door traditional activity since I was initiated into Ewebo up till now has been very amazing.”
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