By Eben Enasco Kingsley Benin City
The Much Awaited median edition of Edo Heroes And Heroine organized by Edo Forum Patriots, EFP, was held in Benin City, with the Theme; Edo Nation, A Great Past, Speaking To A Prosperous Future-The Legacies Of Oba Ewuare The Great” delivered to honor grand-breakers of Edo Nations.
In his opening remarks, the Chairman of the occasion the Iyase of Benin Kingdom, Chief Sam Igbe, commended efforts of the organizer while calling on the members to be more focus in its aims and objectives, as it should not be seen as mere rhetoric.
“It’s a thing of joy to me that this project is standing. The Oba (Erediauwa) was much into it before he joined the ancestors. He kept on worrying me over it and it is sad that he would not be around to witness it. I can assure you I will give my full support to the course,” he remarked
The convener/Chairman interim management committee of the forum Mr. Aiyamenkhue Edokpolor harp on the needs to resuscitate the ethical values as a recipes for unity and greatness for Edo indigents and as a nation at large, adding that special attention must also be showed to sons and daughters who have made tremendous contributions to the development of the state to encourage others.
Mr Edokpolor however established that as a forum, the main objectives was to advance the unity of its indigents through a systematic approach of harnessing the socio- cultural initiatives that will promotes scholarly exchange among the diverse Edo professionals with accurate information dissemination on events and development across every stratum in the state.
His words:”It is a great honor to deliver this address before the very eminent personalities at this auspicious epoch lectures envisioned to chart a sustainable path for our seemingly enduring value system which was the bedrock of our greatness as an empire. As a non state actor it seeks to foster the unity of Edo sons and daughters at home and Diaspora through unifying socioeconomic and cultural initiatives and issues bordering on development of the state”.
He added, “Based on several evaluations of the organic problems plaguing Edo nation, we came to the unanimous conclusion that a systematic desecration of our age-long value system of merit and excellence account significantly for the drift from humane hard work to our present dysfunctional dispensation of social and political of justice.
Relatedly, one of the guest speakers, High Priest Osemwingie Ebohon could not hide his admiration for the event when he pointed out that the legacies attained by our heroes and heroines has immensely crave a path way for the ethical institutional development that all have benefited from today.
Chief priest Ebohon maintained that the feat and thoughtful steps of the BFP will exhume them from their unbefitting shallow graves and rebury them either in pebbles to become diamonds that will live forever.
He was absolute to categorize heroes and heroines into the dead and the living during his lectures; describing Oba Ewuare The Great, Queen Iden and Idia N’ Iyesigie as most notable posthumous greats that will live in the memories of the people forever.
Ebohon conclusively submitted that it was about time that people must revert to their cultural values looking at legacies of selfless, love and patriotism volunteered by these greats in pursuant of peace that we enjoy.
On his part, chief Mike Ozekhome SAN, the Enobakhare Ode of Benin Kingdom brands the event triumph of tacit, adding, “as we spend this blessed day together our cord of cultural commonalities and communalities of the past and present will be reanimated to create a network of shared vision and undaunted hope for the full manifestations of an already great Edo nation which will further bequeath to posterity.
His Royal Highness,HRH, Onojie Okolo N’ Ogbidi of Urhomi and Michael Imoudu were the recipients of the posthumous awards of excellent presented by the forum in honor of their courage and loyalty exhibited by them through the trying periods.
