The Oba of Benin, Oba Ewuare II has formally received 18 Benin artefacts that have been in the custody of Switzerland government over the past 125 years, insisting that cultural royal objects are not just for curiosity, but they represent record of governance, spirituality and the artistry of Edo people, taken by force.
The objects, include an ancestral head of Benin Oba looted during the 1897 punitive expedition against the Benin Royal Court by British Forces in modern day Edo State, Southern part of Nigeria.
The first Class traditional ruler made the assertion when he received Switzerland delegation led by the Director General of National Commission for Museums and Monuments, NCMM, Holloway Olugbile on Thursday evening at the Oba Palace in Benin City.
Oba Ewuare, sent a message of gratitude to Switzerland government, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Olugbile with members of his team, Governor Monday Okpebholo and other stakeholders for their effort towards the restitution process that led to the recovery of the priceless treasures.
“The Benin bronzes are not curiosity. They are records of governance, spirituality and curiosity of the Edo people taken by force. To delay their return is to continue dispossession by other means,” according to Oba Ewuare.
The royal personage also confirmed that the Benin Royal Court has received over 150 original looted Benin cultural objects since he ascended the throne of his forebears, while giving historical account of the restitution process that began during the reign of his grandfather, Oba Akenzua, the second, after his father received the first batch of repatriated Benin artefacts, after Oba Eweka, the second had rebuilt Benin Royal Palace that was breached by the British military invaders.
He called on the German government to honour the 2022 agreement it voluntarily entered with the Nigerian government to return over 1000 Benin artworks and finalize logistics and keep them, ahead of the repatriation of the artworks.
The monarch also charged officials of other Museums in other Countries that are illegally in possession of the looted Benin artefacts to address the colonial injustice against the cultural identity and values of Benin people.
The traditional ruler particularly commended former President of Nigeria, late Muhammadu Buhari and President Bola Tinubu profoundly for their unwavering commitment to Nigeria’s cultural sovereignty and their invaluable support for the repatriation of looted artefacts back to their original abode.
Oba Ewuare who made a rare move and danced around the cultural objects, added: “I commend the National Museum and Monuments and its Director-General, Mr Olugbile Holloway for their steadfastness in securing the return of the looted artefacts”.
Earlier in his remarks, the National Museum and Monuments and its Director-General, Mr Olugbile Holloway and leader of the delegation, congratulated Oba Ewuare during the symbolic presentation of the artworks for keeping fidelity in NCMM.
He said, “I must say at this point that the Swiz throughout the entire process, was extremely cooperative, extremely transparent. And they did everything within their powers to ensure that thisday come sooner than later.
“Today, we brought with us a total of 18 objects. Your Royal Majesty, as we have promised, we are committed this artefacts, the ownership has long been put to bed. It is our wish that the National Museum and Monuments will continue to earn the trust of your Royal Majesty”, Holloway said.
Addressing the Benin throne, the Consul-General of Switzerland Embassy in Nigeria, Conny Camenzind, expressed gratitude to the Oba of Benin and the government of both Nigeria and Switzerland for the historic return of the repatriated artworks, which she said symbolises mark of better things in future.
A Director from one of the Museums in Switzerland, Prof. Alice Hertzog, commended Oba Ewuare for setting them on the right track in 2021 when the recovery process began, just as the Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Blessing Agbebaku who was joined by the Secretary to the State Government, Musa Ikhilor and members of the Edo State Executive Council to receive the artefacts, described the event as homecoming.
He disclosed that the artefacts symbolizes Benin history, identity and cultural pride of the Benin people, vowing that the state government will sustain advocacy for the return of additional treasures.
