ENA
and the Benin/Ife Connection: The
Facts
Published
by
The Nigerian Observer and
The Vanguard
on
July 19 and July 21
2004 respectively
Our
attention has been drawn to the public statement of the people of Egbe
Omo Oduduwa (
Lagos
State
) regarding their reaction to the memoir of Omo NOba NEdo, Uku
Apolokpolo, Oba Erediauwa II, the Oba of Benin.
Though they have the right to comment as they deem fit on
consequential matters of history, they certainly do not have the right
to tell
Edo
people their history. For
this reason, we have no recourse but to denounce the nature, tone, and
content of the public statement.
We
understand Egbe Omo Oduduwa people are proud of their Oduduwa heritage,
but they should understand, as a matter of simple reciprocity, that we
are also proud of our heritage and luxurious history that spanned from
the first Ogiso to the present time of Oba Erediauwa II, the reigning
Oba of Benin. We also understand that this group of the Yorubas and
those who have reacted negatively are merely trying to protect and
preserve what they have accepted and tendered as the origin of the
Yorubas race. However, it
is necessary to point out that the preservation of ones heritage and
history should and must be done within the realm of factuality and
reasonableness. Not to do
so is to be overly and unreasonably ethnocentric. As our response and
vehement condemnation of the public statement of the people of Egbe Omo
Oduduwa (
Lagos
State
) in this sensitive matter, we submit that:
Edo people are the descendants of the great
Benin
Kingdom
, and the Oba of Benin is the spiritual,
cultural, and paramount ruler of the
Edo people. He is primus inter pares
(the first among equals). He is not Oba by act of recompense for
affected indulgence and munificence or twist of politics.
He is Oba by divine right and laws of primogeniture, granted and
sanctioned by God Almighty. In
Edo land, the Oba must first be a prince and heir
apparent, during which period he is cultured and schooled in the proper
mien that befits a royalty. The
Oba of Benin is a first-class Oba and carries himself with humbleness of
mind and humility of self. Unlike most political Obas, the Oba of Benin
exudes grace and dignified aura of majesty.
The language employed by the people of
Egbe Omo Oduduwa in their public statement directed at the Oba of Benin
is uncouth and unacceptable. These
people need to caution themselves in the use of unpleasant language when
addressing the Oba of Benin. In
light of the above, we want to make it clear that only those who prefer
to pawn reason for absurdity and facts for myth and fiction with the
claim that Oduduwa is from the source or descended from the sky on
chains at Ife, are the ones truly confused or genuinely ignorant about
their own origin.
The claim by some Yorubas that the
heads of our departed Obas were taken to
Ife
for burial is as facetious and senseless as
the claim of a deity who dropped from the sky and turned human.
Archeological excavations have failed to validate such claim and
arrant falsehood. Since the
people of Egbe Omo Oduduwa and those sympathetic with their selfish
cause cannot proffer proof and practical details to support their claim,
they need to desist from making denigrating and provocative remarks in
reference to the Oba of Benin and
Edo people.
The people of Egbe Omo Oduduwa lack
true conversance of the
Edo culture, tradition, and history.
For the record, the Oba of Benin is the provenance and custodian
of
Edo history and culture and does not need any
clarification from anyone within the Yoruba traditional establishment in
matters of
Edo culture, tradition, or history. What is more,
the Oba of Benin is not Yoruba and does not follow any of the Yorubas
established traditional channels for seeking clarification or resolving
cultural issues and kindred matters.
Even if such channels exist, they exist for only the Yoruba
people. Those of Egbe Omo
Oduduwa and all others should be aware of this fact.
We recognize the historical link
between the
Benin
royal family and the legendary Oduduwa.
The link exists because of the divine fate that befell
Ekaladerhan, the fugitive
Edo Prince, who was to be put to death but spared
by his executioners, and then wandered around and ended up at a place
called Uhe, which is known today as
Ife
in the Yoruba land.
Aside from the brief history of
Ekaladerhan, which the Oba of Benin presents in his memoir, there is
nowhere in the book in which he states or suggests, expressly or
indirectly, that the Yoruba race originated from Benin, in sharp
contrast to the inaccurate interpretation ascribed to it by most Yorubas
and the Yoruba controlled press or media.
The Oba of Benin uses the book to correct the deliberate
omissions in the history of
Edo people, which was hitherto manipulated and
written by the tendentious historians and scholars among the Yorubas.
Time has finally caught up with the great falsehood of history because,
no matter how old, truth neither
rusts nor rots.
Edo people are not interested in who originated
from whom or who is culturally superior to whom.
We are concerned with the correct presentation
of our history. We will
continue to re-write it to make right all the errors and
deliberate omissions that were masterminded by Yoruba historians. We are
not concerned with or interested in re-writing the history of the Yoruba
people. The Yorubas are
free to believe whatever they want about the origin of their own race.
For this reason, the statement of the people of Egbe Omo Oduduwa
that it is too late now to re-write history is nothing but an attempt to
avoid the truth in this historical matter.
Some of the notable Yoruba traditional
rulers, including the Oba of Lagos, Rilwan Aremu Akiolu I and Olugbo of
Ugbo, Oba Mafimisebi, hold claims and positions, which are clearly at
odds with those of the Ooni of Ife that are rooted in fable and
mythology. Although the Ooni of Ife has reacted in unsettled manner
unbefitting a royal father, he is yet to render meaningful response to
the revelation of the Oba of Benin.
Therefore, the commendations showered on him by his people can
only be characterized as ingratiating and misplaced.
The people of Egbe Omo Oduduwa should
learn to be dispassionate in matters of historical origin, which
ought to be allowed to translate to greater affinity between the
Edo and Yoruba people. They need, as a matter of
necessity and knowledge of history, to first of all acquaint themselves
properly in this matter,
respond to the varied claims and positions of some of the notable Yoruba
traditional rulers, and then come out to contribute meaningfully. It is
not enough to mount the stage and blow hot air.
At the Egbe Omo Oduduwas website,
www.geocities.com/yorubacountry, there is a map of the purported Oduduwa
country. The map,
reprehensible as it is, includes
Edo land as part of the devious scheme.
In absolute repudiation of the ill-conceived plan as it
affects
Edo people, we condemn the purported map of the
said Oduduwa country with vehemence and disdain.
We
will not condone and will not tolerate any attempt by individuals or
groups to drag
Edo into their foolishness.
Egbe Omo Oduduwa and its people can continue to agitate for
separate country for the Yoruba people.
However, they need to understand in clear terms that
Edo people will not have anything to do with
unwholesome, self-absorbed intrigue or goal.
The world, especially the international community, should be
reminded that
Edo was an independent sovereign nation before
the British amalgamation of the different ethnic nationalities to form
Nigeria
. While we stand resolved and prepared to
prosecute any eventualities, we also want to make it abundantly clear
that
Edo is not Yoruba and will never be part of the
Oduduwa country or republic.
It
is preposterous that people, at this day and age, still prefer to
embrace myth rather than fact and fiction rather than reasoning.
The book of the Oba of Benin has brought to fore the reality of
the earthbound origin of Oduduwa, as opposed to the mythical story that
has been told for years. The
people of Egbe Omo Oduduwa and those misguided about historical facts
must endeavor to look elsewhere now, but not too far from
Ife
, for the true identity of Oduduwa. The story
of the descent on chains from the sky is too awry and no longer tenable
for the purpose of knowledge and true history.
In light of the ensuing developments therefore, we of the Edo
National Associations in the Americas (ENA) hereby caution the people of
Egbe Omo Oduduwa and all other persons or groups to entertain restraint
and desist from activities that will further aggravate the situation or
cause disaffection between
Edo and Yoruba people.
Oba
ghator okpere!
Benson
Uwomarogie
Felix Iyoha
Secretary
General
Chairman
ENA
ENA
UNIC CLUB OF TORONTO CANADA
