Architecture of Unforgetting

REGARDING THIS IMAGE here, Humans of Edoland is absolutely correct: They started with Great Benin Obaship title and moved to Benin royal sword of Authority (Ada and Eben) and now going for the Great Benin red beaded crown.   With this beaded crown that this current ooni is today wearing, tomorrow they’ll start carrying new lies about how it’s all theirs, how it’s simply ‘yoruba’; just like how they took the word ‘Oba’ ie the original Edo word and title for ‘emperor’ to mean a Yoruba word ‘king’. Today we hear of all sorts of ‘kings’ attaching ‘oba’ to their already existing particular title. The first creation of the title of ooni as ‘king’ was the election of Aderemi, a  charismatic politician by the British who made him ‘ooni king of the yoruba’ in 1930 when Ademiluyi the priestly holder of the title passed on that same year. Before Aderemi, there was no ‘oni, king of Ife’. Rather ‘ooni’ a priesthood title of Ife. The previous guy, Ademiluyi, was merely a ‘priest’. When Leo Frobe

  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