Category: Life – The Midweek Magazine

Dr Peju Layiwola recalls the historic return of the stolen Benin bronzes.

June 20, 2014 would go down in history as a memorable day for the people of Benin and advocates for the return of looted Benin artefacts taken during the infamous 1897 British expedition to Benin. About 4,000 objects were reportedly stolen from Benin by the British while some were destroyed during the imbroglio that occurred in 1897. The King of Benin, Oba Ovoranmwen was exiled to Calabar where he later died in 1914.  This important return comes on the centennial commemoration of his passing.

I arrived at the Benin Palace at about 10am, two hours before the presentation ceremony was to begin on that fateful day. As I alighted from the car, I could hear Christian choruses blaring from the direction of the harem. It was difficult to reconcile the choruses and the shrines I just saw as I came onto the palace grounds.  There was a huge tree tied with red and white cloth with chalk configurations at the entrance to the palace. I later found out that the music was emanating from a music shop located along right behind the palace.  I had wondered- in a postmodern and postcolonial society, there could be many possibilities.  The possibility that came to my mind was stretching the imagination too far.  As is usual of large events, the palace grounds were filled with several canopies and chairs.  From the quality of chairs under a particular canopy, it was obvious where the distinguished visitors were to sit.  From afar, Segun Alile, a popular Edo musician and his band were setting up for the day. Cars were beginning to arrive. All of a sudden a black jeep arrived with armed policemen literally flying out from the doors. The car stopped close to the shelter under which the several wall plaques and cement statuary made by an Edo artist, Ovia Idah were mounted.  Very gently, a tall slim ‘Oyinbo’ man, suave and impeccably dressed in a suit alighted from the car accompanied by two other men. This was the man everyone had been waiting to see in Benin, Dr Adrian Mark Walker.

In the past two weeks, television stations had been announcing the event of the return.  Posters of the event were pasted in front of the palace and around the central part of the city. The last time such an event had occurred in Benin was 78 years ago when the British returned the regalia of Oba Ovoranmwen to Oba Akenzua II in 1936.  There were armed police men everywhere- understandably so.  Two priceless works of art were about to be unveiled to the pubic.  It was difficult to tell if anyone had a different plan.  It was safer to have these fierce looking officers around and about to scare away kidnappers or thieves in a city where the duo gangsters, Lawrence Anini and Osunbor had held sway in the mid 1980s.

History was about to be made again with the return of two looted Benin bronze works.  Amidst fanfare and emotionally-laden speeches by government functionaries, Edo personalities, the Oba and members of the Benin royal family, the guest was heartily welcomed. Dr Adrian Mark Walker is a grandson of Captain Herbert Sutherland Walker.  His grandfather was not primarily a fighter but was a Special Forces agent, otherwise known as a spy attached to the British Expeditionary forces that conquered Benin. On seeing the mammoth crowd that had gathered in the Benin palace he remarked to the King “I would like to stress how very honoured I feel to be invited here by you and how very humbled I am by the warmth and enthusiasm that my colleagues and I have been given.  It makes me feel that this is a very special occasion and not just for me… I was very aware of the importance of this myself but I had no idea that it would cause so much excitement.  Seeing all these proves to me that this is the right thing to do.”  He presented the king with two bronze works – a bird (Ahianmwen Oro) and a bell (Egogo) looted by his grandfather.  The works had been in the possession of the Walker family since 1897. He also donated a copy of Captain Walker’s war diary to the king. I would be discussing Adrian Mark Walker’s return in the context of contemporary Benin history as it relates to the restitution of looted Benin artefacts.  Restitution being the willful return of artefacts that have been looted, or taken by force and had been in possession of an institution, museum or  individual to the rightful owners.

Adrian Mark Walker is the son of Richard Sutherland Walker. Captain Walker, his grandfather, was a specialist in discovering potential enemy strains and had spent many years in East Africa.  After the Benin expedition, he went off to Ghana to continue with his profession as a spy. As a young boy, Captain Walker was born and had lived in India for 35 years.  This perhaps gave him the opportunity of living with people of different classes and appreciating them for whom they were.  His own father had been a surgeon attached to the Indian army. On his return from his sojourn in Africa, Captain Walker rose to the rank of a Lieutenant Colonel and later became the Chief Constable of Worcestershire until he retired in 1902.  He died in 1934 and was buried in a churchyard at Powick, Worcestershire, UK.

Adrian Mark Walker is a retired medical doctor.  He spent a sizeable part of his childhood in South Africa, having done his primary education in Johannesburg. After the Sharpeville Massacre, he moved over to England where he studied at Leighton Park, Quaker School in Reading and Cambridge University. He later studied medicine at the Middlesex Hospital in London after obtaining a degree in natural sciences from Cambridge.  Inspired by the earlier donation of a carved Benin six foot tall Benin Ivory tusk his grandmother, Josephine Walker, to the Jos museum, in 1957, Mark Walker believes that the two works should be returned to Benin where they are likely to be of the greatest cultural and historical significance.

He narrates a long personal history of how he came to return the Benin objects.

‘These objects have come on a rather long journey.  These objects only came into my formal possession recently with the death of my mother.  I remember seeing them in my grandmother’s house 55 years ago and really coveting them.  I thought I would really be proud to own such beautiful objects.  However, as soon as they came into my possession, I realised that if they meant a lot to me because of their connection with my grandfather, they must mean a lot more to the people of the place from where they had come.  Before my mother died I took the precaution of asking her if I could take care of them… I knew that she would not consent to my returning them at that stage because she is one from a very materialist generation.  My children, on the other hand, had no such materialist ambition.  I was very pleased to be in possession of them because they reminded me of my grandparents.  But when I heard from my children that they were not interested in the stuff (objects), I knew that I had to do something to protect their future.”

I have quoted Walker in extenso to understand and appreciate the commitment Walker has to correct the ills of the past.  Paraphrasing would lose the strength of his conviction. It becomes obvious that his urge to make peace overrode his desire to keep the Benin objects for their artistry and links to his family ties.  Furthermore,  Mark is convinced that neither his children nor himself would be adversely judged by posterity since he had done the right thing by coming to Benin to return works that were stolen 177 years ago.  He remarked ‘I will not be condemned as the grandson of a racist’. He went an extra mile to prove this by extracting excerpts from his grandfather’s diary.  Walker remarked that his grandfather was far ahead of his time in the civil manner he referred toBenin natives. Although accounts by ‘white men’ at that time used derogatory words in describing the natives, he on the contrary, had described them as gentlemen as much as his own countrymen and women and showed them milk of human kindness particularly natives at his mercy.  In welcoming Mark Walker to Benin, the Iyase of Benin, Chief Sam Igbe, remarked that by this kind gesture, he has become a friend of the city and would be welcome anytime. More importantly, he added that he was free of age-long curses the Edo people had placed on the looters.  The Oba remarked: ‘Walker would now have peace having done what is expected of him’.

If you think your teenager is unaware of teenage pregnancy, sexuality and HIV scourge, you will be shocked to learn what he knows when you read My Daughters and I by Ifeoma Theodore Jnr, Assistant Editor (Arts) Ozolua Uhakheme reports.

A re you having challenges in providing relevant guidance to your children about their fears and concerns, especially the girl child? Or you are in denial habits and too busy to spend quality time with them? Then, there are two books you must read o overcome all these challenges and be a true and responsible parent.

Last year November, social awareness consultant, Mrs Ifeoma Theodore Jnr published two books-Trapped In Oblivion and My Daughters and I as her contributions to bridge the gap between the informal and formal education of adolescents who could be misinformed by their peers. The graduate of English and Literary Studies is passionate about developing the girl-child focusing on the informal education aspect in order for her to gain confidence and grow morally.

She is a strong voice in the most challenging race to instill core values in adolescent, particularly the girl-child. In about one year, Ifeoma who is into social awareness and counseling put all her old materials together for publishing and her husband gave the first push and read through the manuscript.

“We need to start advocating for both formal and informal education of every child using up to date and relevant books or literature. Every parent talks about the recurring socio problems such as sex and sexuality that affect their adolescent every day.  But, no one is ready to address the roots of the challenges. In fact, no parents want to talk the issues with their children. Now is the time to give correct information. We must demystify sex for proper upbringing. So, my books will fill such gap,” she said.

The debutant who is into architecture and interior design, finds the zeal to author the two books in her passion to read all kinds of books and publications. “All of that capability is a function of my passion for reading. Also, I think outside the box in dealing with issues and people. In fact, I query some old fashioned norms. I am inquisitive by nature, “ she added.

With the success of the two books, she is planning to reprint more copies for readers who, she said, were touched by the content of the books, especially parents.

On the choice of titles for the books, she said: “I felt that when I wrote about these socio issues many parents shy away from, my daughter will read it in case am no longer around. Also, every girl-child that reads is like my daughter, hence the title My daughters and I. As for Trapped in oblivion, I see everyone trapped in oblivion because parents are in denial habits. Unfortunately, most of the kids are informed but misinformed by their peers.”

She disclosed that writing on socio issues affecting adolescent isn’t a big challenge as she interacts freely with them while feeling their pulse. According to her, she always transports herself to when she was younger in order to do the writing. “My interaction with them gives me the opportunity to balance the choice of language to convey the message,” Ifeoma said, noting that she was impressed and fulfilled by the responses from readers of the two books.

She is however not in a hurry to write another book for now. That will only happen after she has successfully taken the books to every home.