Benin monarch round off coronation anniversary, preaches honesty

The Oba of Benin, Omo N’Edo Uku Akpolokpolo Oba Ewuare II, yesterday concluded his one year coronation anniversary with a thanksgiving at the Holy Arousa Cathedral, where he charged traditional rulers on truthfulness.

Speaking through the Chief Priest (Ohen-Osa) at the Holy Aruosa Cathedral, Harrison Okao, he advised traditional rulers, palace chiefs, Ohens and community leaders to be truthful and honest while relating with the Benin royal father so as to promote peace and harmony in the kingdom.

In his message titled ‘Truthfulness’, he said people must be truthful in their dealings with others, even when the odds are against them.

The Ohen-Osa told the congregation a parable of a king, who in a bid to know who was honest among his subjects, decided to give them grains of maize to plant. “Unknowingly to them, the grains of maize were parboiled. Some of them after waiting and seeing that their maize did not germinate, went to buy grains from the market and planted them.

“Those bought from the market were planted. When the king came to find out how the sowers were doing with their crops, some of them showed him their maize already growing,  while one of them cried out to the king that his own has refused to grow. It was right there the king told them that the grains given to them were already cooked and that the one whose own refused to grow and came out to say it was the person who was honest among them all.”

Some of the worshippers present at the thanksgiving included Edo State governor, Godwin Obaseki; Eze Otuwarikpo, the Eze Igbu-Upata of Ahoada in Rivers State; and Enogie of Ukhiri, Godwin Aigbe.