…Urges support for realization of EMOWAA
Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, has dispelled the notion of a rocky relationship between his administration and the Palace of the Oba of Benin, Oba Ewuare II over the return of looted Benin artefacts.
Obaseki said on Thursday, “there is no dispute between the state government and the Palace of the Oba of Benin, His Royal Majesty, Omo N’Oba N’Edo Uku Akpolokpolo, Oba Ewuare II, over the return of looted Benin artefacts.”
The Governor made the clarification while addressing participants at a stakeholders’ engagement and unveiling of phase one of the Edo Museum of West African Art (EMOWAA), in Benin City, the Edo State capital.
The governor noted, “What is our plan for culture? As a people, we have a lot of assets from our past and it’s our responsibility to recreate them. So, it is beyond just several pieces of artwork; no, it’s beyond that. It is about using that as the contact point to bring out the best of who we are.
“There is a whole lot of research that still needs to be done. We can’t have things about us being explained to us from Europe. Nobody is going to do it for us.
“That is why we must insist that when these works come, we host them here in Edo State, their home, so that it’s available for everybody to see. There is no quarrel with the palace.
“It is not just about us but the people of the state. So, let’s facilitate it so everybody can access and benefit from it.”
He added, “I don’t see why we cannot achieve this. So, each and every one of you here, from your Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), have the responsibility to make sure we get the first phase of the EMOWAA done and then let those coming after us build on what we have started.”
On repositioning the culture sector to become a source of revenue for the state, Obaseki stated, “If we have a million people coming into the state or into Benin City for culture and tourism every year, and each one spends $1000, can you imagine the amount of money that will come into the state? Not from crude oil or the Federation Accounts Allocation Committee (FAAC), but from culture and tourism.
“I think it’s another way to look at our development trajectory and please, I am encouraging all to provide whatever support you can to the team. Let’s do it because we must start this work this year and by the time we are leaving office, we should have the first phase completed.”
Speaking on the impact of the looted artefacts on the state, the governor said that the invasion of 1897 shocked its system and it’s taking the state almost 100 years to recover.
He added: “The invasion of 1897 shocked our system and it’s taking us almost 100 years to recover from that shock. Just imagine a civilization that was intact for more than seven centuries and suddenly it got shocked and the people have been in transition for better parts of the century.
“That is what we found when we came into the government. So, as a democratically elected government, we owe our people and posterity that responsibility, to first explain who we are and what we have to the rest of the world.
“If the Egyptians are using what they have to represent the arts of Northern Africa, then we should, as a people, have something to represent the arts of West Africa. It is important to help you understand why we are doing what we are doing and why this project is very significant.”
Earlier, the Chairman of EMOWAA Trust, Mr. Phillip Ihenacho, said that the core mandate of EMOWAA is to support the preservation of West African heritage and culture.
Ihenacho further said that the project will help to empower contemporary creatives by providing infrastructure, research, education and career-building experiences for professionals in the cultural and creative space.
It would be recalled that last year there was a disagreement between the Benin Palace and the State Government regarding the final place of abode for the returned looted Benin artefacts.
The government had planned to house the artefacts expected to be returned from Europe in the proposed Edo Museum of West African Arts (EMOWAA) under the entity of Legacy Restoration Trust Ltd, which was vehemently opposed by Oba Ewuare.
In a meeting he held with Palace Chiefs and Enigies on the Repatriation on July 9, 2021, which was reported by Alltimepost.com with the headline: Looted Benin Artefacts Not State Govt’s Property, Must Be Returned To Benin Palace – Oba Ewuare, the Great Benin King resoundingly maintained that the looted Benin Artifacts are not the property of Edo state government or any private corporate entity that is not a creation of the Benin Kingdom and that they must be returned to the Benin Royal Palace, their original place of abode.
The Benin Monarch insisted that the priceless treasures must be housed in the Benin Royal Museum, as pronounced by his father, Oba Erediauwa.
Oba Ewuare advised “that anyone, group, organization, or government – national and international that is dealing with any organization or artificial group in the process of returning the looted artifacts from the Benin Kingdom would be doing so at their own risk and against the will of the people of the Benin Kingdom.”
“The right and only legitimate destination for the artifacts to be repatriated as already pronounced by my father is under the aegis of the Benin Royal Museum that will be sited within the precinct of the Palace of the Oba of Benin from where they were looted, and also, the proper traditional institution that is also the custodian of all the cultural heritage of the Benin Kingdom.”
He called on the Federal Government of Nigeria to take custody of the artifacts on behalf of the Palace until the Benin Royal Museum is ready for their collection, emphasizing: “Under no circumstances should custody of our age old artifacts be handed to any privately contrived entity like the Legacy Restoration Trust.”
The issue of where the looted artefacts would be housed has since been resolved with the intervention of the Federal Government under President Muhammadu Buhari which agreed to receive and transferred all returned looted Benin artefacts to their original home – the Palace of the Oba of Benin.
