BY: EBEN ENASCO KINGSLEY(BENIN CITY)
A governorship aspirant of the All
Progressives Congress (APC) in Edo State, Godwin
Obaseki, has sparked off a heated controversy among the
Benins by arrogantly adding insults to injury by his
statement that the Benins (Oba Ovonramwan
N’gbaisi) suffered defeat at the hands of the British
because they did not heed the advise of his grandfather,
Chief Agho Obaseki, who many people in Benin believe
actually betrayed the Oba.
According to Mr. Godwin Obaseki who is also the Head
of the failing economic team of the discredited
Oshiomhole government, he said that the Bini indigenes
of the state suffered humiliation in the hands of British
colonialists in 1897 because they failed to listen to the
advice of his grandfather, Chief Agho Obaseki.
Mr. Obaseki recalled that when the British entered Benin
Kingdom and attempted to do ‘business’ with Benin, his
grandfather advised the then Oba of Benin, Oba
Ovonramwen Nogbaisi, to sign a treaty with the
foreigners. But all available evidence suggest that the
British did not intend to do business with any of their
eventual colonies rather they were on a colonial
mission as they did also with Jaja, Nana, Attahiru and
Kosoko, among others.
Mr Obaseki regretted that the Benins did not heed his
grandfather’s advice hence the war of 1897 otherwise
called Benin Massacre and Benin Punitive Expedition.
According to Mr. Obaseki, the result was Britain’s
invasion of Benin Kingdom, burning down of the Benin
civilisation and the looting of its prized treasures and
artefacts.
Obaseki, who is also the Oshiomhole-endorsed APC
gubernatorial aspirant spoke yesterday in Benin City, the
Edo state capital, when he hosted some of his family
relatives
This statement by Obaseki, at a time when the Benins
are trying to come over the backwardness that that
defeat of 1897 caused the people, has provoked many
people and sparked off bitter memories and many people
have termed the statement arrogant and insulting.
According to Princess Roberta Williams (great-great grand
daughter of Oba Ovoramwen) , “Mr. Obaseki lied to the
people because Chief Agho Obaseki deceived Oba
Ovonramwen to go on exile to Calabar where he
eventually died 0n 13th Jan, 1914!”
Speaking further, Princess Williams claimed that Chief
Agho caused a lot of chaos to Oba Eweka II because
“Chief Agho Obaseki wanted to be crowned as the Oba
of Benin, an attempt to truncate the millennia old
primogeniture tradition of succession of father to son in
Benin Kingdom. But loyal chiefs & the vigilant Edo people
kicked against that sacrilege & insisted that
Ovonramwen’s son should succeed the throne. The
British had to succumb to the people’s demand and
forced Oba EwekaII to make Chief Agho Obaseki the
Iyase of Benin, but he (Obaseki) never paid homage to
the Oba because he felt he (Obaseki) deserved to be
king. It’s good to tell history as it is no matter how
bitter!!”
Venting her angst at the effrontery of Obaseki to make
such provocative revision of history, Princess Williams,
who made more statements today in Edo State’s most
popular social media platform, Edo Political Forum
(EPF), the Benin princess had this final words for the
Obaseki family….
“It’s not true that, “the binis rejected Chief Agho’s (The
Obaseki of Benin) advice!!!! Matter of fact, it’s most likely
Chief Agho Obaseki plotted the death of Oba
Ovonramwen as well because history has it on record
that whilst the Oba was on exile in Calabar, Chief Agho
sent his son to serve the Oba. Chief Agho Obaseki’s son
returned to Benin after Oba Ovonramwen’s death!!!! A lot
of deception was at play during that sad period in Benin
Empire.”
