Group Faults Obaseki’s Intervention In Oba Ewuare, Dukes’ Dispute

A Benin-based group, Edo National Voice (ENV) has described Governor Godwin Obaseki’s move to broker peace between some dukes (Enigies) and the Benin monarch as an “aberration and sacrilegious.”

It alleged that the governor masterminded the legal suit against the Oba of Benin.

The group’s claims followed the move by Obaseki on Wednesday to initiate a peace building process to resolve the issue between Oba Ewuare II, the Oba of Benin, and some suspended Enigies (dukes).

Obaseki at a meeting with some of the dukes at the residence of Prof. Gregory Akenzua had explained that the meeting was aimed at understanding the issues to broker peace and ensure reconciliation of all the aggrieved parties.

However, one of the suspended dukes and uncle to the revered monarch, the Enigie of Evbo-Obanosa, Prof Gregory Akenzua exonerated the governor of the allegations that he asked the dukes to take the Oba of Benin to court.

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But EVN at a press conference convened by its president, Mr. Iyamu Culture, secretary, Comrade Osaghae Amadin, and other members insisted that the contentious issues between the Oba of Benin and the dukes had been settled by the monarch adding that anybody dabbling into the matter is tantamount to an insult on the palace.

The group said, “ We are once again compelled by the meeting Obaseki held with the suspended Enigies yesterday wherein he promised to broker peace between the palace and the suspended Enigies which he used to initiate the sacrilegious court case against our revered palace and the good people of Benin Kingdom to address the issues.

“For Obaseki to say he wants to broker peace between our revered palace and the suspended Enigies is an aberration, sacrilegious, and insult to the good people of Benin Kingdom.

“It is an abomination for anyone to even think of dabbling into a matter that has been settled by our revered palace or is Obaseki not aware that he can’t call our revered Oba of Benin Kingdom to negotiate with his subjects?

“It is on record that our revered palace suspended the defiant Enigies but Obaseki by his utterances and actions still recognises them as Enigies which is contrary to the customary law of the land.

“If we may ask, can a commissioner or minister take a governor or president to court because he or she was suspended by their appointer, that is governor or president? The answer is no”, the group said.