By Ken Asinobi
The century long cold war between the Ogiamien Royal Dynasty of Igodomigodo (now known as Benin Kingdom) and the Oba of Benin has assumed a new dimension with the Ogiamien calling the Chiefs and Enegies under the Benin Traditional Council as ‘inconsequential elements’ and dismissed a recent press conference organized by them as null and void.
In a press statement signed by the Director of Information and External Affairs of the Great Ogiamien Royal Dynasty, High Chief Esotericist Monday Wehere JP, the Ogiamien Dynasty said the so called press conference held on Thursday, June 23, 2022 in respect of the Ogiamien Chieftaincy brouhaha being sponsored by the Benin traditional Council was inconsequential as according to him, the Ogiamien is not a chief under the Oba of Benin.
“The Chiefs and Enigies under the Benin Traditional Council are minors and have no locus standing to talk about our revered King, His Imperial Majesty, Rich Arisco Osemwengie JP, OOS, the current 24th Ogiamien of Benin (Utantan)”, Wehere stated, adding that replying them will make them look relevant.
Wehere who disclosed that Ogiamien had similar categories of Chiefs and Enigies in Utantan Traditional Council Wehere, accused present Oba of Benin, Akpolokpolo Ewuare II of reneging on an ancient peace treaty struck between Ogiamien and the Benin Kingdom.
HC Wehere said the Great Ogiamien Royal Dynasty has given the Chiefs and Enigies 24 hours to withdraw the apology in which they purportedly requested their monarch, Ogiamien Rich Arisco Osemwnegie JP, OOS to tender to the Oba.
He said the monarch who was infuriated by the request of apology, has threatened that he would invoke their ancestors on them if they fail to withdraw the request for apology.
Wehere noted that the Benin Traditional Council, whom he called ‘tenants’ had no right to challenge their landlord, reminding them of what the great renowned historian Professor P. A. Igbafe, said in his book, Benin Under Colonial Administration.
Hear him: “The belief that land belongs to the Oba is a mistaken conception of the theory of Benin land tenure system. In reality It is difficult to see how they could make such claims vis-à-vis the customary presents which each Oba sent to the Ogiamien on occasion in acknowledgement of the permission granted to the founder of the present dynasty to settle on a foreign soil”.
