Benin traditional council faults pleas on Igbinedion’s suspension

The statement, signed by 12 palace chiefs, cautioned that there were traditional mechanism for settling disagreement between any chief and the palace.

The statement alleged that some market women, believed to have been sponsored, recently embarked on a plea mission before the Oba of Benin, Omo N’Oba N’Edo Uku Akpolokpolo, Oba Erediauwa, for the recall of the suspended Esama without the “usual respect and protocol of informing the palace of their intention before embarking on their ill-fated mission.

“The women, apparently sponsored by interest groups that do not mean well for the kingdom, found it convenient to go first to the King’s Square to make their spurious appeals to our revered Oba in the full glare of television cameras before attempting to go to the palace of the Oba”.

The statement added: “These sponsored marches constitute an affront on the palace, the Benin culture and traditions. Besides, the method of these self-styled trouble-shooters has no precedent in Benin history. There has never been a case in our long history where women were called in or volunteered to settle any difference between the palace and any erring palace chief.

“For the avoidance of doubt, we want to make it abundantly clear that there is nothing to settle between the Omo N’Oba and Chief G. O. Igbinedion. The decision to suspend the Esama for whatever reason was taken by the chiefs in council. There are well defined mechanisms in the Benin system to resolve such issues”.

Some market women led by Mrs. Josephine Omoregie went to the palace to plead for the lifting of the suspension placed on Igbinedion as Esama of Benin Kingdom.

She said they embarked on the plea as women and appealed passionately with the monarch to “forgive and lift the suspension on him” so that the entire kingdom would remain indivisible.

Similarly, a Benin socio-cultural group, Benin National Congress (BNC), penultimate week called on the Benin monarch to recall Igbinedion.