Oba Ewuare 11
The Oba of Benin, Oba Ewuare 11 has distanced the palace, the Benin people from the organisations that are formally catering to the return of hundred years old artefacts by the English and German colonialist who stole them the Benin Kingdom.
He said the artefacts belong to the royal royalty from whom the europeans stole them. centuries ago and so should be returned to their proper owners who will rehouse them in the Benin Royal Museum rather then the ones reportedly being planned by the federal and state governments with the support of Germany.
The Royal father also stated that there was neither a disagreement with Edo State governor, Godwin Obaseki over the the return and warehousing of the artefacts, adding that what people have refered to as controversy was probably and information gap or misunderstanding that can be corrected.
“The artefacts do belong to the Benin people. The struugle to return them was started long ago by my father and he said once they were returned, they should be kept in the Royal Museum. So I am not the one who made that statement and that is the truth. The artefacts belong to the palace and that is where they would be kept on their return.” he said on Friday.
During the week, the Germans promised to return all 1,130 Benin artefacts scattered in museums across the European country.
German Minister of State for Culture, Professor Monika Grutters has disclosed that 1,130 artefacts would be returned to Nigeria from the beginning of 2022.
The assurance came after Nigeria’s Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, demanded what it described “a full and unconditional” return of the 1,130 Benin Bronzes on Wednesday, during separate meetings with Professor Grutters, and the German Foreign Minister, Heiko Maas, in Berlin, Germany,
A statement issued on Thursday by the Special Assistant to the Minister (Media), Segun Adeyemi, said Mohammed was reacting to comments by Grutters that Germany was ready to make “substantial return” of the 1,130 looted artefacts.
Grutters reportedly said ”the way we deal with the issue of Benin Bronzes is important to addressing our colonial past”, describing the issues as ”an important personal concern”.
She assured his Nigerian counterpart that the 1,130 artefacts “would be returned to Nigeria from the beginning of 2022”.
Gutters said that the fact that Germany has twice sent delegations to Nigeria for talks over the planned repatriation “is an indication that both sides have moved beyond mere talks”.
She said all the Museums in Germany that are holding Benin Bronzes have agreed to cooperate.
Mohammed, who led the Nigerian delegation to the talks, said the return should be whole rather than substantial.
He also said the issue of provenance, which has to do with the place of origin of the artefacts, should not be allowed to unduly delay the repatriation of the art works.
”That they are known as Benin Bronzes is already a confirmation of their source of origin (which is Benin)”, the Minister said.
While stressing the need for the parties to commit to definite timelines for the return of the Benin Bronzes, Mohammed said it was necessary to conclude all necessary negotiations in a very short term.
According to him, the ongoing discussion between Nigeria and Germany on the return of the art works is not just the end of an era but the beginning of a new vista of stronger relations, pivoted by cultural diplomacy, between both countries.
Alhaji Mohammed thanked the Government of Germany for taking the lead in the global efforts to repatriate all artefacts that were looted from Nigeria and indeed from the African continent.
The Governor of Edo State, Godwin Obaseki, who is also a member of the Nigerian delegation, said a ”transformational” museum is being built in Benin city to house the artefacts upon their return, as part of a new cultural district in the city.
