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Tag: Omo’ N’Oba N’Edo Uku-Akpolokpolo

  • The Oba Ewuare exemplar

    I read with relish media reports of the Saturday, April 28, 2018 visit of the Oba of Benin, Omo N’Oba N’Edo Uku Akpolokpolo, Ewuare 11, to the State of Osun during which he met with the State Governor, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola at the Government House in Osogbo; and, thereafter, with the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, in his Ife palace.  If I am not mistaken, that was the second significant official trip outside Benin that Oba Ewuare 11 would embark on since ascending the throne in October 2016.

    The first was to Abuja and Sokoto in November 2017 where he met with President Muhammadu Buhari and the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar 111 respectively in what was described as vital diplomatic shuttles to essentially connect with Nigeria’s strategic and influential power centres and personages. Oba Ewuare 11, who had represented Nigeria in different outposts before his enthronement, had deployed his ambassadorial savoir-faire to utilitarian actuality, although he described his visit as a post-coronation thank-you tour. Both the Sultan of Sokoto and the Ooni of Ife were some of the dignitaries that spiced his coronation with their imperial presence.

    It is instructive that the stool of the Oba of Benin is a very powerful one that is ingrained in some ancient and pristine traditions.  Successive occupants of the stool, apparently charismatic and venerated, have benefitted in equal measures from the influence that the stool confers.  The royalty of the ancient Benin Kingdom is, without a doubt, held in awe-inspiring admiration by the Benin people. It also enjoys approbation by non-Benin people as well.

    Benin Kingdom is blessed to have an Oba who, like his father of blessed memory, Oba Erediauwa, is profoundly educated, well connected and immensely cosmopolitan in outlook. His cosmopolitanism has emphatically shattered the primordial and enticing cocoon of ethnic nationalism that has afflicted many leaders, such that the Oba does not speak for the Benin people only on issues that concern the development of Edo state but also for the entire people – the Edo, Okpe, Esan, Afenmai/Etsako, Ora, Akoko-Edo, Igbanke, Emai and Ijaw.

    For instance, at his meeting with President Buhari in 2017, he demanded the provision of infrastructure in Edo state and urged him to help the state governor, Godwin Obaseki, address security challenges, including human trafficking, in the state. He had called on the federal government to assist Edo state to establish small scale industries in rural areas to curb rural-urban drift.  Oba Ewuare 11 also urged the federal government to complete the dualisation of the Benin-Auchi road.  He is obviously interested in statewide development.

    The issues that the Oba engaged with during his Osogbo visit were not different from some of the issues he raised with the president, to wit: the growing insecurity and the prevalence of trafficking in persons.  Suffice to surmise that he has taken upon himself the role of an ambassador and advocate against national insecurity and trafficking in persons.  These are germane and topical issues that have assaulted our psyche and sensibility as a nation.

    Not to engage with them in the way and manner Oba Ewuare 11 has taken up the gauntlet will aggravate and make them become a part and parcel of our shattered value system.  A kingdom that has responsive king and chiefs cannot be assailed with such mindless assaults without taking actions.  That is the philosophical underpinning of the Oba’s advocacy.  A country with a legitimate government in place must deploy the force of its constitutional authority to preserve the security and wellbeing of its citizens. That is the undertaking to which the Benin monarch has called out government at the state and federal levels.

    Oba Ewuare 11 understands the powerful synergies that exist between the institutions of traditional rulers and constitutional government much as he realises that without collaboration among the Obas, state and federal governments, it would be difficult to effectively tackle and surmount the insecurity that has led to incessant killings in parts of the country by suspected herdsmen as well as callous trafficking in persons.

    With his eyes sharply-focused on achieving set goals, the Benin monarch targeted Ogbeni Aregbesola, who he believes would be able to spread the message to other governors on the urgency of the now to do the needful in order to restore peace in the body politic. I am sure that the Oba and the Edo State governor are already on the same page on these issues back home.  It was only strategic that for royal somberness and effect, another governor and many others should be saddled with the task of sustaining and strengthening the advocacies.

    Importantly, the Ooni of Ife and the Orangun of Ila, Oba Abdulwahab Adedotun Bibire, were in attendance during the visit of Oba Ewuare 11 to Ogbeni Aregbesola.  Oba Ewuare 11 undoubtedly spoke the minds of the royal fathers and charted clear trajectories for them to tread in their engagement with government at the state and federal levels on the imperativeness of preservation of security, peace and order in the country.

    The call by Oba Ewuare 11 on state governors and the presidency to take steps to strengthen the nation’s security architecture represents a significant royal intervention that bears so much weight. Tapping Ogbeni Aregbesola, he said: “I want you to mobilize your colleagues in the Nigerian Governors’ Forum to address the issue of insecurity in the country and do something to stop the unwarranted killings by herdsmen in Benue, Borno, Adamawa, Yobe, Edo and other parts of the country.”

    The Benin monarch, who had already established a Foundation to deal with the menace of trafficking in persons, said: “The modern slavery in our land today is that of human trafficking and unfortunately many people see it as an Edo state problem, but I tell you it is far from it.  We all need to come together and fight this menace that is staring us in the face or else we will all suffer for it.  On our part, we are doing all that is humanly possible to put an end to human trafficking in our land because it is a crime against a fellow human being.  Other parts of the country don’t need to stigmatise Edo state.  We need to see it as a national issue.”

    Oba Ewuare 11 made his points loud and clear. The Osun state governor also harped on efforts that government is making to eliminate all forms of insecurity in the country. According to him, “I want you to know that the last National Economic Council meeting was devoted to discussing a way out of the current security challenge in the country….” Nigerians and members of the international community expect an expeditious solution to the unremitting senseless killings by herdsmen in parts of the country.

    Overall, the royal and ambassadorial exertions by Oba Ewuare 11 are exemplars that should be emulated by other royal fathers and well-meaning Nigerians in the public and private spheres.  Our existential national problems require that all hands must be on deck towards searching for and getting solutions to them.  This is a patriotic preoccupation that strategic stakeholders in the Nigeria project must double down on. God bless Ewuare 11 for his wise advocacy for peace and nationalistic passion for a secured nation.

     

    • Ojeifo, an Abuja-based journalist, sent this piece via ojwonderngr@yahoo.com.
  • Monarch throws weight behind anti-human trafficking fight

    Monarch throws weight behind anti-human trafficking fight

    As Obaseki inaugurates Traditional Council

    …says 2-year jail term awaits fake kings, chiefs

    The Benin Monarch, Omo N’Oba N’Edo Uku Akpolokpolo, Oba Ewuare II, has thrown his weight and that of the Edo State Traditional Council behind the fight against illegal migration and human trafficking, which have claimed the lives of thousands of Edo youths.

    Oba Ewuare II, who spoke on Wednesday during the inauguration of the Edo State Council of Traditional Rulers and Chiefs by the Governor, Mr Godwin Obaseki, condemned the act and expressed disappointment in the Nigerian Embassy in Libya and the Libyan government for their inability to tackle the crisis.

    He said it was particularly frustrating that it had to take a news report by the Cable News Network (CNN) for the government and other stakeholders to respond to the crisis.

    The Benin Monarch said the crisis could have been better managed if the relevant authorities lived up to their roles, instead of allowing it to fester. He commended the governor for his efforts at resettling and reintegrating the Libyan returnees through various skills acquisition programmes.

    Inaugurating the traditional council, Governor Obaseki expressed his gratitude to the Benin Monarch and the other traditional rulers for their support to his administration since his inauguration in November, last year.

    He said that as an advisory body, his administration would continue “to consult the council on a wide range of issues from time to time and advised that a two-year jail term awaits any person that purports to create a traditional ruler title or any title purporting same to be traditional ruler title.”

    His Royal Majesty, Omo N’Oba N’Edo, Uku Akpolokpolo, Oba Ewuare II, Oba of Benin and Chairman, Edo State Council of Traditional Rulers and Chiefs, Secretary to the Edo State Government, Osarodion Ogie Esq. (2nd from right, front row) and Chief of Staff to the Governor, Mr. Taiwo Akerele (right, front row), during the inauguration of the Edo State Council of Traditional Rulers and Chiefs at the Government House in Benin City on Wednesday,

    The governor explained that “This council is in accordance with the Traditional Rulers and Chiefs Law No. 16 of 1979 as amended by law No. 2 of 1993. Membership of this all-important Council is as provided for in Section 40 (2) a-d of the Amended Law No. 2 of 1993 with the Oba of Benin not only as Chairman but the Paramount Traditional Ruler as provided for in Section 2 of the Amended Law No. 2 of 1993.”

    He assured that his administration would continue to partner with the traditional council in the areas of law, order and security, stemming the tide of illegal migration, environmental sanitation, registration of Edo citizens and in the mobilisation of indigenes and residents of Edo State to participate in government policies and programmes, settlement of land disputes, agriculture, amongst others.

    Obaseki further said that the support of the traditional council would be needed in health programmes and urged them to sensitise people in their areas of jurisdiction to be alive to their civic duties such as the payment of taxes and voter registration exercise.

    He added that the various institutional reforms being implemented in the state have started yielding results as internally generated revenues by local councils have increased by 500 percent, from N30 million in November 2016, to N150 million in November this year.

  • Edo State: Revamping Traffic Management with a Touch of History

    Edo State: Revamping Traffic Management with a Touch of History

    When Europeans first arrived Benin City in pre-colonial times, they marvelled at the ingenuity of the city’s planners, who in designing the streets, roads, landscapes, and alleyways of the sprawling kingdom, developed a masterpiece that rivalled some of Europe’s best cities.

    The Guardian Newspaper of the United Kingdom, in a recent feature on the story of cities, wrote of Europeans’ perception of Benin City and called it the “Great City of Benin,” at a time when there was hardly any other place in Africa the Europeans acknowledged as a city.

    Indeed, they classified Benin City as “one of the most beautiful and best-planned cities in the world.”

    One of the defining features of the great city is its metropolitan nature, which often helps the mass of people, who are either settling, visiting or commuting through the city to other towns or city centres navigate it effortlessly.

    And so, from being the toast of all in those times due to its elegantly planned cities, Benin City, the heart of Edo State, has morphed, in the 21st century, into a sprawling hub for transportation. This has called for efficient traffic management that requires a coordinated action plan to ensure that the movement of people and goods are managed in such a way as to eliminate loss of man hours and other resources.

    When His Royal Majesty, Omo N’Oba N’Edo Uku Akpolokpolo, Oba Ewuare II, the Oba of Benin, inaugurated the revamped Edo State Traffic Control and Management Agency (EDSTMA), on August 31, in Benin City, it bore some historical undertones. It was almost a playback to how the best of hands were recruited into elite guards to guard the city walls.

    Just as the great Benin Monarch ably took on the task of inaugurating the initiative, so had the officers of the agency undergone a stringent selection process that started in May this year and culminated in the best hands being thrust with the mandate to oversee efficient traffic management in the state.

    Reminiscing on Benin City’s envious town-planning heritage, Oba Ewuare II, said “the city has always had a well-designed layout of roads; feeder roads, streets and lanes since pre-colonial times.” He observed that “over the years, the increase in vehicular movement coupled with bad roads and poor traffic management resulted in chaotic traffic situations, made worse by some motorists with a penchant for disregarding traffic rules.”

    The imperative for revamping the EDSTMA is in recognition of the central role Benin City plays as a nexus to different parts of the country. The state is also home to a number of notable transport companies, which grew from nurturing their businesses from Benin City. Hence, increased activities from these companies and the large haul of passengers put immense pressure on roads, leading to traffic congestion and the need for proper calibration and management.

    As with many traffic agencies, EDSTMA, when it was first introduced, came into force to control traffic, maintain decorum and curtail the excesses of drivers and other road users. But with time, many complained that the agency lost its way because of the antics of its officials, who were accused of harassing road users and hassling them for pecuniary gains. To change all that terrible narrative, the Governor Godwin Obaseki-led government decided to retool the agency for optimal performance, with the thinking that better results can come from a reformed institution.

    “The officials of EDSTMA must not see their appointments as an avenue for enriching themselves by accepting bribes from motorists who may want to undermine traffic rules. I am glad that the government deemed it appropriate to create a Public Complaints Department for the agency, where members of the public can lodge their complaints. It is hoped that such complaints will be addressed speedily,” the Benin Monarch cautioned.

    So, when it was time for the state governor to deliver his address at the re-launch of the traffic agency, he was quick to note the historic role the Oba of Benin was playing at the occasion, stressing that the monarch’s presence not only showed the support of the royal father for the agency’s reform, but was a sign of the cordial relationship the government enjoys with the Oba.

    In his speech, Governor Obaseki expressed his delight at the presence of the Oba of Benin, which he described as an official royal visit and an honour to his administration. He said the rebranding of EDSTMA became necessary considering the fact that the state serves as a transportation hub to the country with heavy vehicular traffic.

    “This re-branded EDSTMA is made up of trained men and women who are more civil, operate within the ambit of the law and citizens are to relate with them as such,” Obaseki said, assuring Edo people that, with the establishment of a Public Complaints Unit, they would not be exploited by officials of the traffic control agency.

    He commended the immediate past governor of the state, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, who had the foresight to create EDSTMA to manage vehicular traffic in the state. The Managing Director of EDTSMA, Oloriegbe Dennis Ade, said the agency would adopt unique and advanced strategies to overcome the challenges that they may face.

    What has happened so far

    The presence of the EDSTMA officials have not only brought sanity to roads in Edo State, it has provided jobs for the teeming youths in the state. Standing sentry at traffic hotspots in the state, officials of the agency have now brought a new sense of dread to those who hitherto broke traffic laws. Hence, areas that are traditionally chaotic have been given a new lease of life by the watchful eyes of traffic officers.

    People in the state have started feeling the impact of the change of guards. They are basking in the new lease of life that has greeted the ever-busy roads in Benin City and its environs. Many commuters are delighted at the new state of things. A bus driver at the New Benin area of the city, Mr. Eghosa Omoruyi, hailed the presence of EDSTMA officials, stating that the reformed agency would instil fear in “bus drivers who are always in the habit of disobeying traffic light. I hope to see changes with the new EDSTMA that was commissioned by our Royal Father, the Oba of Benin. I believe they will be different from the EDSTMA of old,” he said.

    Traders, who ply the roads, are also upbeat about the state of the roads. Abubakar Sahidu, who trades at the New Benin Market, said not only was the state government deserving of praise, but the reformed agency would make living and trading in Benin City a delight.

    Osagie is the Special Adviser to Governor Obaseki on Media and Communication Strategy

     

  • Sallah: Oba Ewuare urges Muslims to pray for nation’s unity

    Sallah: Oba Ewuare urges Muslims to pray for nation’s unity

    The Omo N’Oba N’Edo Uku Akpolokpolo, Oba Ewuare II, Oba of Benin,
    has urged Muslim faithful to use this period of Eid-el-Kabir to reflect on positive virtues and pray for continued peaceful coexistence of Nigeria.
    The Oba made this appeal in a statement signed by  his  Chief Press Secretary, Mr Desmond Agbama on Thursday  and made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Benin.
     The traditional ruler reminded Muslims on the importance of praying for the well-being of their leaders to enable them succeed.
    He said the Nigeria’s leaders needed good health, knowledge and wisdom to be able to rule well.

    “Muslims should also pray for the leaders to have understanding and the political will to lead the country on the path of progress, fairness, equity and justice,” the monarch said.

    The statement added that the royal father wished the Muslim faithful a successful celebration.

  • Oba Ewuare assumes Chairmanship of TROMPCOM

    Oba Ewuare assumes Chairmanship of TROMPCOM

    The Omo’ N’Oba N’Edo Uku-Akpolokpolo, Oba Ewuare II, has been nominated as Chairman of the Committee of Traditional Rulers of Oil, Mineral Producing States (TROMPCOM).

    The Patron of TROMPCOM and Amanayabo of Brass in Bayelsa, His Royal Highness, Alfred Diete-Spiff, announced this in Benin on Wednesday when he paid a courtesy visit to Oba Ewuare in his palace in Benin.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that TROMPCOM comprises of Edo, Delta, Bayelsa, Rivers, Imo, Abia, Ondo, Akwa Ibom and Cross River States.

    Diete-Spiff said that the body was established to address problems posed by oil exploration and gas flaring in the area.

    He assured that TROMPCOM would bring succour to the people of the oil producing states, whose environment had been devastated by oil exploration, exploitation and gas flaring.

    The Amanayabo said that the chairmanship of the body would be held in rotation, every two years.

    He added that it was now the turn of Edo to chairman the body, hence he decided to come personally to plead with Oba Ewuare to honour them by accepting the chairmanship.

    The Amanayabo also said that if the people of the oil producing states are impacted on positively, unemployment and youth restiveness in the area would be taken care of.
    Oba Ewuare expressed gratitude to the Amanayabo for the invitation extended to him to assume the chairmanship of TROMPCOM.

    The Oba said he has accepted to take the responsibility and prayed God and the ancestors to grant him the wisdom and good health to do his best to justify the confidence reposed in him.

    Oba Ewuare, however, called for the effective utilisation of the nation’s abundant gas resources, instead of flaring it to cause environmental and health hazards for the people.

    The Benin Monarch used the opportunity to welcome President Muhammadu Buhari back home and thanked God for his quick recovery.

    The Oba said that he would soon embark on a nationwide thank you tour, beginning with a visit to President Buhari in Abuja.

    He added that he would then visit traditional rulers in the South-South and other parts of the country.