No fewer than 60 Benin Dukes (Enigie) have backed out of the purported plot to bring down the heritage of Edo people, arising from calls by some Dukes on the Edo State Government to create a parallel Benin Traditional Rulers Council (BTC), for the seven local governments in Edo South Senatorial District.
Denying plot to break up Benin kingdom, the ‘loyal Dukes’ yesterday in a letter to Governor Godwin Obaseki said the request to the state government by the ‘aggrieved Dukes’, who had been rejected by their subjects, was illogical and a threat to the source of creation of Benin kingdom.
Edo South Senatorial District/Benin kingdom consists of Oredo, Ikpoba-Okha, Egor, Ovia Northeast, Ovia Southwest, Orhionmwon and Uhunmwonde councils.
The ‘loyal Dukes’ letter to Obaseki came after some ‘errant Dukes’ conspired and wrote a petition against the Oba of Benin, Omo N’Oba N’Edo Uku Akpolokpolo, Oba Ewuare II, to Edo governor last November, seeking the creation of BTC across the seven Benin local governments, but the ‘loyal Dukes’ urged Obaseki to confine the petition by the ‘rebellious Dukes’ to the waste bin of history.
Signatories to the ‘loyal Dukes’ letter to Edo governor included HRH Osagiede Festus (Enogie of Iguogbe), HRH Igbinidu Idurobo Ernest (Uwan-Esigie), HRH Alfred Osagie Erhauyi (Iyanomo) and HRH Anthony Osagie (Umegbe), among others.
The ‘loyal Enigie’ pledged their loyalty to the first-class monarch and urged Edo government not to grant the request “by the contemptible interlopers, who lacked the courage of their own conviction, as they were accused of attempting to undermine the peace and cohesion in Benin Kingdom in particular and Edo State at large.”
Dukes loyal to Oba of Benin said: “For some forms of autonomy, devolution of powers and independence of Oba of Benin, whose forefathers and by definition our ancestors that initiated the structure of Enigie and still appoint Enigie to date, should not be decentralised or whittled down.
“We have since realised that we erred and have also gone to the palace of Oba of Benin for atonement for our sins, and apologised physically to His Royal Majesty, for this our regrettable misstep, borne out of inadequate knowledge of the subject matter and mistakes by allowing our signatures to be collated for a wrongful use, without circumspection.
“As Enigie, who are fully aware of the whole essence of the letter, and what it seems to achieve, we the undersigned hereby disassociate ourselves from the letter and peregrinations of the Enogie of Egbaen/Siluko, and insist that our signatures were obtained fraudulently for misrepresentations of facts about the actual intent.”
The ‘loyal Enigie’ said they had reunited with the Oba of Benin, whom they described as their father, as his subjects.
They sought forgiveness, which, according to them, had been granted unequivocally, noting that the eminent traditional ruler remained their source.