From Tony Osauzo and Ighomuaye Lucky, Benin
Sixty Dukes (Enigie) of Benin Kingdom have dissociated themselves from calls by disgruntled Dukes on the Edo State government to create parallel Benin Traditional Rulers Councils (BTC) for the seven Local government Areas in Edo South Senatorial District of the state.
Recall that some Dukes had conspired among themselves and petitioned His Royal Majesty, Ewuare II, CFR, Oba of Benin, to Governor Godwin Obaseki in November, 2022, seeking the creation of BTC across the seven Local Government Areas.
But denying their involvement in any plot to break up Benin Kingdom, the 60 Dukes in a letter to the Edo State governor, Mr Godwin Obaseki, dated May 22, 2023, described the request by aggrieved Dukes who have been rejected by their people, as absurdly illogical and a threat to “the very source of our creation”.
They urged the Governor to confine the petition by ‘rebellious Dukes’ to the waste bin of history.
Part of the letter of the aggrieved Dukes to Governor Obaseki had requested that “For some forms of autonomy, devolution of powers and independence of His Royal Majesty, Ewuare II, CFR, Oba of Benin whose forefathers and by definition our ancestors that initiated the structure of Enigie and still appoints Enigie till date, be decentralized and whittle down”.
But haven realized their trespass, the 60 repentant Enigie said in their letter to the Governor that “Arising from the above, we the undersigned have since realized that we erred and have also gone to the Palace for atonement for our sins and apologized physically to His Royal Majesty, Omo N’ Oba N’ Edo, Uku Akpolokpolo, the Oba of Benin 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 insists that our signatures were obtained fraudulently for misrepresentations of facts about the actual intent. We have reunited with His Royal Majesty, the Oba who is our father, and as his subjects, we have sought for forgiveness and same has been granted us unequivocally. We never left him as he remains our source”.
Signatories to the letter to the Governor include HRH. Osagiede Festus (Enogie of Iguogbe), HRH. Igbinidu Idurobo Ernest (Enogie of Uwan-Esigie), HRH Alfred Osagie Erhauyi (Enogie of Iyanomo), HRH. Anthony Osagie (Enogie of Umegbe) and others.
They pledged their loyalty to the Oba of Benin, and urged the State Government not to grant the request by contemptible interlopers who lack the courage of their own conviction, to undermine peace and cohesion in Benin Kingdom in particular and Edo State at large.
