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Tag: Erediauwa

  • The abiding relevance of Erediauwa

    Reviewer: Uzor Maxim Uzoatu
    Title: A Benin Coronation:
    Oba Erediauwa
    Author: Tam Fiofori;
    Publishers: Sun Art: BEP, Lagos

    The Benin Monarchy is a major Nigerian treasure. The respect accorded the Oba of Benin is legendary. The acclaimed photographer, journalist and filmmaker Tam Fiofori who hails from Okrika in Rivers State actually qualifies as a “Benin boy” on account of the many years he spent in the ancient city while growing up under the tutelage of his teacher-cum-civil-servant father. The book, A Benin Coronation: Oba Erediauwa by Tam Fiofori, paints a poetically enchanting picture of the March 1979 crowning ceremonies of Oba Erediauwa as the 38th Oba of the Benin Kingdom. The book was originally slated for publication in March 2004 as a part of the 25th Anniversary of the coronation. Fiofori’s offering is essentially a print documentary and a photo book with explanatory notes. According to Fiofori, “The book’s journalistic format has technically provided for 84 pages of photography featuring about 150 original photographs, accompanied by 72 pages of text; all about the Benin City Coronation ceremonies of Oba Erediauwa as the 38th Oba of the Benin Kingdom, from March 23 to 30, 1979.”

    Chief S.O.U. Igbe, the Iyase of Benin, who wrote the foreword to “A Benin Coronation”, Oba Erediauwa reveals that the author’s father, Emmanuel Fiofori, taught him English at the famous Edo College, Benin City, and equally served as the House Master of Esigie House where he coined the House Motto as “The Best or Nothing”. The Iyase who knew the author from when he was a mere tot writes: “Tam, or Sonny, as the small boy was called in those days, would fill a lot of us Benin people with a sense of inadequacy with this expression of his knowledge of Benin history and his seemingly endless but sincere current of love for the Benin culture. Read his paragraphs on the Benin traditional dances, especially the section on the Ekasa dance, savour his glowing flow of descriptive narrative, and you will realize that these outpourings cannot but be from down his heart. His account of Omo N’Oba’s coronation activities, and the description of the street decorations around Ring Road for the coronation celebrations are simply breathtaking for their beauty and clarity.”

    Tam Fiofori starts his account with fond memories of growing up in Benin City, attending Government School Benin City, and wondering at the nearby Oba Market and the sacred Emotan Shrine. Tam’s father recalls that back in 1947, while at Edo College, he had been given some notes by “some slim fellow from town”, which he edited as the play “The Lamentations of Oba Ovonramwen.” The author undertakes a very insightful rendering of the dynasties of the Benin Kingdom and gives an elaborate account of the 45-year reign of Oba Akenzua II, which started on April 5, 1933.

    Prince Solomon Igbioghodua Aisiokuoba Akenzua, Edaiken of Uselu, was ten years old when his father, Prince G.E.B Eweka, ascended the Benin throne as Oba Akenzua II in 1933. Educated at Cambridge University in England, he distinguished himself as a Federal Permanent Secretary before being crowned Oba Erediauwa in 1979. Oba Erediauwa made his first public appearance in Benin on March 23, 1979.

    Fiofori limns his mastery of symbols of Benin culture, depicting Oba Erediauwa’s March 23, 1979 mid-morning symbolic crossing of the bridge over Rivers Omi and Oteghele. A particularly enthralling chapter is entitled “A New Oba For Old Benin”. The historical duel of Ogiamen and the Oba leads up to the depiction of the armies of the Benin Kingdom and the epochal battle of Eki Okpagha.

    In 2004, some 25 years after the coronation, Fiofori adds an Epilogue that portrays vividly the Silver Anniversary: “From a commemorative football tournament to a thanksgiving service to poetry rendition by a grand-daughter to cultural performances by the young and the old, male and female, the Benin people March 20 to March 27, indeed demonstrated their love for their monarch, Omo N’Oba, N’Edo Uku Akpolokpolo Oba Erediauwa, in celebration of his 25 years of peaceful reign as the 38th Oba of the Benin Kingdom.”

    As the 18th Iyase (Prime Minister) of the Benin Kingdom, Chief SOU Igbe would have it, “Twenty-five years is a long time and we, the Benin people, are happy about a king whose reign has from the very beginning signified peace and plenty for us. Our Oba has been one who has combined knowledge and tradition of his people, with a desire to forge their progress through actual hard work, to ensure that our illustrious cultural heritage is maintained.”

    Tam Fiofori has through his groundbreaking book, A Benin Coronation: Oba Erediauwa, given Nigeria and the rest of the world a timeless study in lofty heritage. The Benin example deserves emulation across civilizations, and Tam Fiofori memorializes it all before our very eyes in bold print and eternal black and white photographs. The recent demise of Oba Erediauwa makes this book a once-in-a-lifetime collector’s item. It is my fervent prayer that Tam Fiofori should have enough copies to go round.

  • Benin Kingdom without Erediauwa

    Benin Kingdom without Erediauwa

    For almost a year, the rumours poured in intermittently, albeit, in hushed tones and coded banters that the uninitiated will hardly decipher.  Various allusions were also made to describe the eternal transition of the revered Oba of Benin Kingdom and head of the respected Eweka dynasty, Omo N’Oba N’Edo Uku Akpolokpolo, Oba Erediauwa I. But all these speculations remained hollow rumour until the traditional and official announcement of the royal transition of the Oba was made in Benin last Friday.

    In July last year when a prominent South-west monarch joined his ancestors, modernity had a head-on collision with tradition, as the social media came alive with report of the demise of the monarch. His transition was initially vehemently denied by the Traditional Council, but they could not hold on for too long before they buckled in the face of ceaseless media scrutiny. In short, modernity triumphed over tradition, or so it seemed.

    Now, in the case of the departed Oba of Benin, though the serial rumours of the imperial monarch’s transition started gaining currency about a year ago, perhaps, for fear of untoward repercussion, nobody, not even the ubiquitous social media, could dare announce the transition until the news was officially broken. In this particular case, the strong and undiluted tradition of Benin Kingdom won.

    The possible transition of the revered Benin monarch became manifest during the build-up to the last presidential election when Oba Erediauwa was not on hand to receive one of the presidential candidates who was on a tour of Edo State.  Some people made political capital out of the issue until the Benin Royal Palace explained that the Benin monarch was only “indisposed”. But if the palace thought that that will lay the matter to rest, they were mistaken. Rather than die, the speculations were soon reinforced by the upsurge of what looks like “traditional rebellion” or “coup” in some restive sections of the Benin Kingdom.

    Things came to a boiling point when a certain section of the city was delineated along primordial lines and one Chief Richard Arisco Osemwingie was “coronated” as “His Royal Majesty, Ogiamen of Utantan, Benin Nation. Stung by this calculated affront of the creation of an alternate “Oba of Benin”, on September 9, 2015, the duo of Arisco Osemwingie and his brother, Patrick Osabuohien, were arraigned before a Chief Magistrate court for conspiring to commit an unlawful coronation.  The case is still on-going.

    The rumours also became rabid at the same period the Benin Traditional Council became uncomfortable with the growing antics of the Elawure of Usen, who the Benin Palace accused of arrogating to himself certain traditional powers and nomenclature and claiming independence of the Royal Palace in Benin City.

    The internal rumbles on the traditional turf were not helped by the gradual eclipse of the oft visible and acerbic spokesman of the Benin Royal Palace, Chief Nosakhare Isekhure, the Isekhure of Benin Kingdom, who many came to know as the “conscience” of the royal governance, as he suddenly took a dive in his visibility and commentaries on traditional or state issues. The low level presence of the Isekhure in recent times is seen as a tactical withdrawal action designed to prepare him for the tenure of the incoming Oba of Benin. But speculations are rife that the new Oba may not be well-disposed to Isekhure’s penchant for publicity and hype, some of which had allegedly either embarrassed or implicated the Palace in the past.

    The late Oba Erediauwa was a crucial stabilising factor in the relative peace Edo State has been enjoying since he ascended the throne in 1979. It is imperative, therefore, to note that Oba Erediauwa left indelible footprints in the sands of time. He was at the vanguard of the prevailing peace in Edo State through the various mediatory roles he played in resolving some contentious issues that involved some high-profile politicians. One of such was his role in finding amicable solution to the misunderstanding between Chief Tony Anenih and former Abia State Governor, Orji Uzor Kalu. Another was ending the face-off between Chief Anenih and former Edo State Governor, Lucky Igbinedion. His wise counsel, advice and direction have also played a major part in the resolution of contentious state issues whether on the political or traditional turf. He was firm, assertive and always straight to the point.  In fact, he was one of the strident but powerful voices that did not support the perpetuation of the dark-goggled late General, Sani Abacha’s military dictatorship.

    Now that focus and attention have been placed on electing an Edo governor of Edo South extraction, from the two major political parties, the All Progressives Congress, APC, and the Peoples’ Democratic Party, PDP, political watchers are wary of a situation where the late monarch’s advice and admonition will be totally absent because of this irreversible transition.  This is more so as it will be the first time since 1979, that an election will be conducted in Edo State without Oba Erediauwa sitting as the Oba of Benin.  It is even believed that some highly-visible and politically-connected chiefs in his kitchen cabinet may take advantage of his absence and assert their own relevance in the face of the perceived incoming Oba’s little knowledge of the state’s power matrix and the proximity of the forthcoming governorship election in Edo State.

    Another factor that will play a prime role is the alleged political configuration that is being forged by Governor Adams Oshiomhole to anoint a successor who will take over from him on November 12.  The anticipated beneficiary of the alleged faux pas, Godwin Obaseki, is a scion of the Obaseki family of Benin City, whose great-grand father, Agho, was said to have connived with the white colonialists to depose his bosom friend, Oba Ovonranmwen, after the Benin Massacre of 1897.  Agho was believed to have some self-interest in taking over the Benin kingship with the assistance of the new colonial masters.

    In the run-up to the present hustling towards the September 10, Edo governorship election, some of the palace chiefs have been allegedly fingered as aiding the election dreams of the governor’s man who is believed to be one that the core Royal Family members will not touch, even with a kilometre-long pole! But observers are of the view that the departed and well-beloved monarch tacitly supported the election and re-election of Oshiomhole and also extended his royal blessings to the governor’s urban renewal programme-especially in the state capital.

    Therefore, it is a matter of conjecture for one to specifically project an enduring position of the Royal Palace (especially the Royal Family) with respect to its support or otherwise, for the candidacy of Obaseki, who is a known protégé of Oshiomhole. If invariably the late monarch’s siblings are united against the installation of Godwin Obaseki as the Governor of Edo State, they will be towing a line of action that many pundits would have loved to witness if Oba Erediauwa was still alive.

    Born on June 22, 1923 as Solomon Aiseokhuoba Igbinoghodua Akenzua, the late Oba was the 38th Oba of Benin. He attended Government College, Ibadan (1939 to 1945); Yaba College and then proceeded to Kings College, Cambridge, UK, where he studied Law and Administration.  In 1957, he joined the Eastern Nigeria Civil Service as a District Officer before moving to the Federal Civil Service where he retired as a Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Health in 1973.  He had a stint as the Regional Representative of Gulf Oil before he was appointed as the Bendel State Commissioner for Finance, in 1975. By the time he was crowned the Oba of Benin on March 23, 1979, he was a seasoned administrator, whose experience over the years, eventually contributed immensely to his successful monarchical reign. May his soul rest in peace!

  • ‘Erediauwa was symbol of African civilisation’

    ‘Erediauwa was symbol of African civilisation’

    Edo declares five-day public holiday for Erediauwa

    The Edo State government has declared a five-day public holiday, from yesterday, to mourn the Oba of Benin, Omo N’Oba N’Edo Erediauwa.
    The government said it was a mark of honour and respect for the monarch
    A special announcement by the Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Prince Kassim Afegbua, said only those on essential services in hospitals, health centres, the fire service and others are exempted from observing the public holiday.
    The Nigerian flag is expected to be flown at half mast during the mourning period.
    Work is expected to resume on May 9.
    The statement said government offices, establishments and corporations are expected to comply with the directive.

    A leading socio-cultural organisation of the Itsekiri nation, Itsekiri Leaders of Thought (ILoT), has said the demise of the Oba of Benin,  Omo N’oba N’Edo Uku Akpolopkolor Erediauwa I, is a big loss to the black race.

    In a letter of condolence in Warri, Delta State, to the Edaiken of Uselu, Prince Eheneden Erediauwa, by ILoT Chairman Pa J. O. S. Ayomike and its Secretary, Edward Ekpoko, the Itsekiri mouthpiece said the people felt the grief of the royal father’s demise.

    According to ILot, Oba Erediauwa sat on one of the most revered thrones in Africa and preserved the culture, which still represents the symbol of Africa civilisation.

    The letter reads: “ILoT received the news of the transition of  Omo N’oba N’Edo Uku Akpolopkolor Erediauwa I, CON, the Oba of Benin, with great grief in our hearts.

    “He was one of the most respected and loved traditional rulers in black Africa, and Benin Kingdom still represents the symbol of black civilisation. He was a bridge-builder and, to us in particular, he was a father. We, therefore, feel his departure as much as the people of Benin do.

    “May the Almighty God grant you, the chiefs, the people of Benin and the people of Edo State the fortitude to bear this great loss.

    “On behalf of the Itsekiri, please, accept my condolence.”

  • Oshiomhole: Benin monarch Erediauwa iconic

    Oshiomhole: Benin monarch Erediauwa iconic

    •Erediauwa epitomised Nigeria’s unity, says Okorocha
    • Olugbu mourns oba •Edo APC aspirant condoles with monarch’s family

    Edo State Governor Adams Oshiomhole has said the late Omo N’Oba N’Edo Uku Akpolokpolor, Oba Erediauwa of Benin, was an icon.

    A statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Peter Okhiria, said: “Our attention has been drawn to the use of a word ‘iconoclastic’, instead of ‘iconic’, in a tribute by Governor Adams Oshiomhole to the Oba of Benin. It was a typographical error.

    “We ask mischief makers to desist from trivialising the issue at this period of mourning of our great monarch, who has joined his ancestors.”

    Also, Imo State Governor Rochas Okorocha yesterday said the late monarch was an epitome of Nigeria’s unity and one of the few traditional rulers, who contributed greatly to the nation’s unity through his actions and utterances.

    In a condolence message to Oshiomhole, the Imo governor said the nation would have wanted the monarch to live on and continue his patriotic roles.

    In the message by his Chief Press Secretary, Sam Onwuemeodo, the governor said he received the news with shock.

    He condoled with Oshiomhole and the Bini on the monarch’s death.

    The message read: “No doubt, Oba Erediauwa lived an exemplary life as a traditional ruler and a great leader of his people, so much that his occasional views on national issues were always appreciated.

    “The late oba of Benin was one of the few traditional rulers in the country, who contributed immensely to the unity of the nation through their actions and their utterances. The nation would have preferred that he lived to continue his patriotic role.

    “It is regrettable the oba died at a time the country needed the patriotic role of people like him to remain united and when his experience would have been most needed.”

    Okorocha prayed for the repose of the monarch’s soul and the fortitude for Oshiomhole and those Oba Erediauwa left behind to bear the loss.

    Also, the Olugbo of Ugbo Kingdom in Ondo State, Oba Frederick Obateru Akinruntan, has said the passing on of Oba Erediauwa was a great loss to the Bini and Nigerians.

    Oba Akinruntan, who described the monarch as a traditional and cultural hero, said he was one of the monarchs, who truly projected the tradition and culture of his people undiluted.

    Oba Erediauwa, the Ondo State monarch said, would be remembered as one of the finest and most brilliant traditional rulers in the country, whose opinions always carried weight.

    Oba Akinruntan, who chairs the Yoruba Obas Conflict Resolution Committee, said: “Oba Erediauwa is not only brilliant and intelligent, I always admired him as a culture hero. He represented the essence of Bini tradition, which has survived adulteration of modern-day civilisation. He was courageous and spoke the truth, no matter how daunting the environment was. His love for his people was unparalleled and he always held his head high on issues that bordered on the traditional institution.”

    Oba Akinruntan noted that Ugbo and the Bini people had an age-long relationship.

    He said: “On behalf of the people of Ugbo, I condole with the royal family of Benin Kingdom, the people and government of Edo State and Nigerians for this great loss. Our consolation is that Oba Erediauwa left an indelible legacy, which will remain evergreen in our memory. I pray God to grant him eternal rest as he joins his ancestors.”

    Also, a governorship aspirant on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the September 10 governorship election in Edo State, Chris Ogiemwonyi, condoled with the family, the people and residents of the state.

    In a statement in Benin, the state capital, Ogiemwonyi said: “On behalf of myself and my family, I express my heartfelt condolences to the royal family of the distinguished monarch, patriot and statesman, Omo N’Oba N’Edo Uku Akpolokpolo, Oba Erediauwa of Benin Kingdom. I also commiserate with the Bini on the transition of our great monarch to the world beyond.

    “I will miss your wise counsel, generous disposition and expression of love.

    “The absence of your physical presence is a great loss to the state and the country and, no doubt, it has created a big vacuum that will be difficult to fill in a hurry.”

    Recalling the eventful reign of the monarch, Ogiemwonyi said: “Your 37 year-reign was monumental and peaceful. I pray you reunite with your ancestors and that the Almighty God grants every member of the royal family and the people the wisdom to sustain your worthy legacies.”

  • Oba Erediauwa: The passing of forgiving monarch

    On the day the late Oba Erediauwa of Benin kingdom was crowned in 1979, the sun and the moon appeared in broad day light, which many said signified a peaceful reign. He succeeded his father, Oba Akenzua.

    Oba Erediauwa was a monarch that displayed high intellect and was always forgiving.

    He rarely talked when visitors paid him courtesy visit, and most times would simply say, ‘Thank You, Thank you.’

    Chief Utetenegiabe said the late monarch once delivered judgment against his child in Favour of a commoner.

    He described him as the Oba of peace.

    His eldest daughter, Princess Theresa Erediauwa, who spoke briefly, said her father was a great man who upheld the values of the Benin people.

    Oba Erediauwa once walked a Minister of Works out of his palace over the configured delay in the fixing of Benin-Ore road.

    During the 2012 governorship election, Oba Erediauwa told then PDP candidate, General Charles Airhiavbere that, “I have been watching you on the television and I will continue to watch you on the television.”

    In 2009, when the State House of Assembly refused to pass the budget because Governor Adams Oshiomhole included the expansion of Airport road to a six-lane road, Oba Erediauwa wrote a terse letter that he was ready to shift his palace walls for development.