No conflict between government, Oba of Benin, says Obaseki

Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, yesterday, said there was no dispute between the state government and the palace of Oba of Benin, Oba Ewuare II, over the return of looted Benin artefacts.

Obaseki 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.”

Speaking on the impact of looted artefacts on the state, the governor said the invasion of 1897 shocked its system and it’s taking the state almost 100 years to recover.

He added: “Just imagine a civilisation 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 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 the core mandate of EMOWAA is to support the preservation of West African heritage and culture.

Ihenacho further said the project would help to empower contemporary creatives by providing infrastructure, research, education and career-building experiences for professionals in the cultural and creative space.