Incurring the Oba's Wrath

by 

Victor Osehobo
Benin City

Not many Binis will want to be on the wrong side of the Oba. In January 1999, the military administrator of Edo State, Navy Captain Ibe Anthony Onyearugbulem suspended the Oba of Benin as the chairman of the State Traditional Rulers Council. Almost at the same time, the rumour mill was rife about government's plan to create new or mini-kingdom out of the Benin Kingdom.

The Benin Kingdom today covers the seven local government areas of Edo, namely Egor, Oredo, Ikpoba-Oleha, Uhunmwoade, Orhionwon, Ovia North- East and Ovia South-West. The Oba is the paramount ruler over the kingdom which is politically, the Edo South senatorial district. Over time, the Oba appoints the dukes who lord it over the many settlements in the kingdom.

With the dukes subsumed under the monarch, it is a taboo for them to claim equality. Outside the dukedoms, the kingdom, I learnt, had some autonomous settlements which were never annexed even at the peak of the glory of the Benin Empire. Today's rulers of those kingdoms therefore refuse to see themselves as subservient to the oba. Egor and Usen, fall into this category.

The Ogiegor, Dr. Peter Ogiegor, has fought a raging battle dating to the Abacha junta years over the issue of stipend. He says it is an insult for him to go to the palace of the Oba of Benin to receive his stipend, being the only traditional ruler in Egor. He calls the Oba his nephew. He has written countless number of letters to redress what he calls an anomaly.

The Elawure of Usen treads the same path. He too put his agitation at the doorstep of history. Udo, a settlement on the outskirts of Benin, feels that is how it should be treated as well. Observers say the town does not deserve such a treatment. Historians have it that Oba Oguola who reigned about 1280 AD gave out one of his daughters to the ruler of Udo, Akpamgiakon. But the young maiden did not want to be the Udo ruler's wife, so she made her way back home. But Akpamigiakon, suspecting foul play declared war on Benin. He paid dearly as he was captured and beheaded. His chiefs and elders were drafted to Benin and executed.

Aruaian, the Oba's brother was one of the chiefs appointed by Oba Esigie to oversee Udo about 1504 AD. But he was stubborn. He drowned himself when his army lost the battle against his brother, Esigie and his eldest son, Oni-Oni was also killed. Iyare , his traditional prime minister offered to avenge the death of his leader. He lost as Bini warriors burnt down Udo. Those who survived the tragedy, sources say, headed for Ondo and never returned.

Oba Esigie then made a law that never will a Bini prince be made a ruler of Udo. He appointed a man from Udo to derive his authority from the Oba. William Aguononwau Udobor was not the next in line to be Iyase N' Udo. It was his elder brother Silonwu, who turned down the offer. While the Onyearugbulem/Oba face-off lasted, the Iyase was one of those agitating for the setting up of additional councils in Edo South. He is said to have reasoned that development was slow in going to Edo South because of the oppression of the traditional rulers in the area by the Oba.

But the Iyase denied going that far. He was reported to have merely asked how a senatorial district with seven local councils could have only one traditional ruler. But no sooner had the Iyase's alleged utterances become public than he incurred the wrath of the Oba. He was said to have committed a sacrilege-calling for another Oba in Benin. But the Iyase tried in vain to declare that all he asked for was for the upgrading of the lesser rulers in the kingdom, so they can claim their stipends from their councils directly and not from the Oba's Palace. For his 'sins' traced also to the Ogiegor and the Elawure, the Iyase is now on suspension.

Apologies and emissaries to the Oba from him have failed to lift the suspension running into its third year. In his place, Udo now has an Uwangue, who incidentally is the younger brother of the Iyase. For the Iyase's sins too his other brother, the Oviuroba of Benin, is also on suspension. Silonwu, the eldets son of the Udobor brothers who rejected the Iyaseship, tried to call a family meeting in July 2000. It never held. Sources say he wanted the brothers to close ranks and resolve a family matter.

The people of Udo and their well-wishers again tried in August 2000 to have a community conference on the issue, it failed to hold. I learnt that the Uwangue of Udo is leaving no stone unturned to ensure he remains in power at Udo. A source close to the Uwangue said that it was not the Uwangue's doing. "The Iyase has been told what to do, if he does it, he will get his position back as Iyase of Udo," a source said. A letter dated 5 January 2000, from the Secretary to the Benin Traditional Council (BTC), Chief S.O. Obamwonyi, is explicit on what the Iyase should do.

It says since the Udo Elders and Community have chastised you for the insult you passed on the Omo N' Oba, and your action has divided the entire Udo community, (a) you must first recant to your people and ask for their forgiveness and unite them. (b) If you succeed, you should get the community to accompany you to the Iyase of Benin before whom you should recant and beg for forgiveness. (c) If the Iyase of Benin accepts your apology, he will then present you and your community to a conference of all Benin chiefs before whom you should again recant and beg for forgiveness. (d) Finally, if the Iyase and the chiefs are satisfied with this, the Iyase and the chiefs will lead you and the Udo community to the palace to tender your apology to the Omo N'Oba and his chiefs. The letter warned the Iyase to adopt this procedure instead of wasting his time writing an apology letter. 

As at the time of writing, the Iyase did not appear ready to tow this line.