Benin crown prince seeks accurate reportage

As the Benin Kingdom today begins the funeral rites of the late Omo N’Oba N’Edo Uku Akpolokpolo Oba Erediauwa, the Benin palace has called for media support just as it commended the way and manner it has reported activities in the kingdom since the demise of the monarch, saying that the sanctity of its customs and traditions have been maintained.

The crown prince of the kingdom, Eheneden Erediauwa, stated this yesterday when members of the Edo Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), led by its Chairman, Sir Roland Osakwe, paid him a condolence visit where he assured that the palace would sustain the good relationship the late monarch had established with the council. “I want to particularly thank members of the NUJ. You have tried, keep up the good work.’’

I believe you have tried, keep up the good work. Many people don’t understand our cultural practices, our customs. It is only those practitioners involved that can say to some extent they understand their own part. Even those that are within the palace institution, they understand their own part, others don’t understand their own part, so it is a division of labour. It is only the Oba that understands understands everything because he relates with all the palace societies which is like departments. Our palace system is complex.”

Earlier, Osakwe said the Union would miss the late Oba who was the Union’s grand patron. ”We will miss his fatherly advice and above all we will miss his sense of humour which we all cherished anytime we had opportunity to meet him.”