Architecture of Unforgetting

  THE DESTRUCTION OF GWATO, THE BENIN PORT Although it housed the first factory ever built on this side of the West African coastline, Ughoton (Gwato) wasn’t a big or busy port. As early as 1516, Oba Esigie closed down the factory, which was built by the Potoki as part of his ban on the European trade in humans.   Ughoton nonetheless was a critical port for Benin kingdom in its inter-nations trade in palm oil in particular, including palm kernels, pepper and non perishables like cloth. For this reason, Ughoton was one of the key places the British were keen to destroy in their 1897 invasion of the kingdom of Benin.                                              According to oral history, Ughoton was founded by Prince Ekaladerhan, the only child of Ogiso Owodo, the last Ogiso of the Ogiso dynasty of the Benin Kingdom (Oronsaye, 1995). From its rudimentary stage, Ughoton witnessed rapid social, political and economic transformation from early on due to its vantage position as a market, fac

  QUESTION: Jacob Egharevba caused this misinterpretation of Benin history but what is confusing is that in his book titled Short History of Benin was purportedly reviewed by the Oba of Benin, Oba Eweka II (ie read to him by the then edaiken). Is it therefore safe to say the king himself affirmed the works of the late historian despite the errors? RESPONSE: Jacob Egharevba had his sentiments been that not only where he grew up but he was a self confessed member of a certain ROF. A historian is also a human being he has his sentiments. Although Egharevba's book is not perfect because of the imperfections of man but he tried. His book is great because of his sources but unfortunately his sentiments as a human being came to play in some areas. Coming to what you said I will like to point this out: 1. When he gave his manuscript (Ekhere) for approval to Oba Eweka, he was advised him to edit or remove some materials but he didn't. 2. When both Ekhere and the first edition of Short

  A Public Letter. The statement below is quoted in current news media as coming directly from Mr. Abba Isa Tijani of National Commission for Museums and Monuments:   “One of the NCMM's concerns is that President Buhari has, inadvertently, undermined the rationale for any national collection. If the Oba's ownership of the Bronzes moves beyond the theoretical to the practical, does this not mean that every Nigerian traditional ruler or community is in charge of the treasures made by their ancestors?” 05/10/23 The above statement has to be the most illiterate conclusion from Mr. Tijani. Mr Tijani appears to be deliberately playing the fool for reasons best known to himself.  The fact is the Benin situation is unique history of direct, open warfare looting by the British. The British did not go with their best weapons by declaration of ‘expedition’ to loot the traditional works of any other place in Nigeria. Rather, unlike Benin, most of the works from other groups across Nigeria

  Adolo is not the subject of this 1987 article but it is interesting to note how mere mention of him supports the argument we are about to make here. For a nation so enamoured by arriving Europeans, Benin's history with various European nations was one fraught with recurring decisions by various Benin kings to block or ban trade with the Europeans. These objections — as we find with Oba Adolo, father of no other than Oba Ovoranmwen himself — were evermore frequent and to do with the same recurring reasons that Esigie had in that first and early ban a good three centuries back, which was the European nature and choice of what they the European increasingly preferred to trade in: human beings.  Benin’s decision in banning and withdrawal must and deserves to be seen as a gesture of the refusal (against the contemporaneous norm of what was expected of ‘African Kingdoms’) by the African. Was the Benin refusal the prevalent attitude of the kingdom or merely intermittent? Was it informed