AS the controversy over where thousands of artefacts taken from the palace of the Oba of Benin in 1897 by the Europeans should be domiciled rages, Senior Advocates of Nigeria, SANs, historians and leaders in Benin kingdom have said the stolen artefacts belong to the palace of the Oba of Benin and should, therefore, be returned there.
Similarly, Benin leaders have pledged their unflinching support for the monarch, Omo N’Oba N’Edo Uku Akpolokpol, Oba Ewuare II, that the art forms were returned to the palace, from where they were looted, railing against Governor Godwin Obaseki’s proposal the the artefacts be returned to a third party.
Recall that Governor Obaseki, after a trip to Germany with the Information and Culture Minister, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, had proposed that the artefacts which the German government promised to return to Nigeria in 2022, be domiciled in a museum to be built by the state government.
But the Benin monarch rejected the proposal at a briefing in Benin City weekend, insisting that the artefacts be returned to the palace, since they were taken away from there in the aftermath of the British invasion of Benin Kingdom in 1897.
State govt has no say in this — Okunnu
Reacting to the development yesterday, former Federal Commissioner for Works, Alhaji Femi Okunnu. SAN, said the state government had no say in the artefacts that would be returned to Benin kingdom by some European states.
He said: “Any artefact stolen from Benin Palace belongs to Benin Palace. However, with due respect to the present Oba of Benin, this is a matter between the British and federal governments. “The state government has no transaction in this matter. If there must be any transaction, it should be between the Federal Government and Benin Palace.
“However, the British government is not even interested in returning all the artefacts because practically all the museums in Europe and America host them. My only worry is that Nigerian governments have not been serious with the preservation of our past, not the colonial past but African and Nigerian in particular and that is why the Nigerian government is irresponsible in the teachings of our history.
“The Benin Kingdom has a very good Museum in front of the palace, I remember. Governments should be serious and bring back teachings of history. I wonder if you don’t know the past, how do you plan for the future for your citizens?”
On his part, Chief Mike Ozekhome, SAN, said: “By God’s grace, I believe everything will be sorted out.”
Historians support return of items to Palace
Acting Head of Department, International Studies and Diplomacy, Benson Idahosa University, Benin, Mr Mike Okemi, said there was no way Edo State Government can lay claims to the items.
“In Benin Kingdom, those who produce those artefacts, the craftsmen, did so for the Oba free of charge and they also do those things whenever the Oba desires. The artefacts belong to the Oba and they are his personal property. Therefore, those items should be handed back to the Oba.
“We all know that most of the items were looted from the palace during the travails of Oba Ovonramwen Nogbaisi when the British Army invaded the kingdom. In essence, the items are the property of the forefathers of the current Oba.
“Also, we must note that during that period, there was no Mid-Western region, or Bendel State or Edo State. What obtained then was the Oba of Benin as the leader and voice of the people.
“The situation should not be that the state government will be the one dictating the pace on what to do with the items, it is what the Oba wants to do with them that the state government should support, ” he said.
Speaking in the same vein, acting Head of Department of History and International Studies, the University of Benin, UNIBEN, Prof Frank Ikponmwosa, opined that the items belong to the Oba of Benin.
“They belong to the Oba of Benin and the palace and should be returned there. They were never government property. They were looted from the palace. If the state government wants to come into the picture, it should consult with the palace and elders and let them say what they want to do with the items. It is whatever they want to do with them that the state government should support,” he said.
Benin leaders back Oba Ewuare II
The Enogie (Duke) of Egbaen, Upper Siluko Edomwonyi Iduozee Ogiegbaen, yesterday, said: “All we have said is that those artefacts should be returned to their original owners, they must be returned to the Oba’s palace because the first one, they said was returned in 1938. I wasn’t born then.
“The second one I witnessed in 2014 during the reign of our immediate past Oba. We all witnessed it, we have photographs with the great-grandchildren of those white men, who came to loot them. They spoke to us and told the Oba that they were being troubled, so they decided to return it.
“So, one will expect that these ones that are coming should also be returned to the palace as well, it cannot be different. Since it has happened the first time, the second time, this should be the same.
“They should be returned to the owner which is the Oba of Benin palace, no other person owns them, so they cannot be diverted to any other place. I agree with what the Oba has said, that is the agreement of all us.”
Former Deputy Governor of Edo State, Lucky Imasuen said: “You heard His Royal Majesty telling us the circumstances that took all of us to the palace last Friday, you are not unaware of the incidence of 1897, the unfortunate looting and burning of the kingdom, specifically the Oba of Benin’s palace.
“As a result, many artefacts were looted and taken away to many European countries; England, France, Germany, Poland, Holland and even Russia but as God will have it, they have decided to be returning some of these artefacts to the kingdom.
“There is no controversy here, the artefacts were looted here in this kingdom and the palace, they should be brought back here. Yes, there is a need to build a befitting museum that can accommodate these artefacts, yes, there is a need to build a museum with modern facilities and administrative efficiency to ensure that these artefacts are not only returned but that they are kept in safe hands.
“The palace already has a proposal, there is land available where this museum can be built, we are not in any shape suggesting that the Federal Government or the state government should not be involved, they should be involved but it should be under the leadership of the palace of the Oba of Benin; the location where these materials were looted over 124 years ago, that is the point.
Imasuen opposes private firm
“For the fact that it’s a private firm, Legacy Restoration Trust that will now be charged with the responsibility of receiving and managing these art crafts, is unbelievable and unacceptable to the kingdom.
“His Royal Majesty has made clear in his speech that the Federal Government can take custody of these artefacts as they are being returned, pending when all issues will be straightened out and a befitting museum built as proposed by the palace of the Oba of Benin.
“Again, people are talking about the way to keep them, remember in 1897, those materials that were stolen had been in the palace close to 500 years before that and you also saw what was brought in 2014 by a great-grandson of one of the soldiers; Mark Walker.
“It was shown to all of us on Friday, so the Benin palace is the best place and an important place where they were stolen from and it is the proper place that they should be returned. The Oba has spoken and we are all with him.”
Also a retired Permanent Secretary in charge of arts and culture and former Secretary to Oba of Benin, Daniel Inneh, said: “It is a happy moment that those who carted away our artworks have decided to return these artworks, the palace has been diligently following up, making appeals to different countries, to different ambassadors, to different heads of states over the years.
“It is a happy moment that this kind of decision has come and everything should be done to join hands, so that that these artworks can come back to the same kingdom and not anywhere else.”
The Okhaegele (Youth leader) of Obaretin community, Ambassador George Osagiede, said in his reaction: “As far as I am concerned, the position of the palace is clear, even in the Bible, it said give what belongs to Caesar to Caesar. This is our property and they should not go to any other place except the palace of the Oba of Benin, our palace.”