By Abuchi Obiora
Sometimes, you hear and read about certain things you wished that they were not true but you will be surprised and shocked to know that they are, after all, true. One of such things which happened recently took place in Benin City, Edo State.
In a recent courtesy call on the Omo N‟Oba N’Edo Uku Okpolokpo, His Royal Majesty, Oba Ewuare II, the Oba of Bini Kingdom, by Mrs. Folashade Tinubu-Ojo, the self-styled Iyaloja-General of Nigeria, the later announced her intention to extend her Iyaloja market system, that is, her control of market women associations hitherto known to operate only within the domain of Yoruba nation especially, in Lagos State, to Benin City. Maybe the First Daughter forgot that the land she stood was the pristine seat of domiciliation of the ancient culture and tradition of the Bini Kingdom, presently placed under the care of his Royal Majesty, Oba Ewuare II, by the authority of his forefathers.
In a response to Mrs. Folashade Tinubu-Ojo by Chief Osaro Idah who was detailed by the Oba to speak on his behalf in accordance with the tradition of the Bini Kingdom, the visitor was told in clear terms that market system in Bini as in any other place in Africa is an integral part of Bini culture.
The Kaleidoscope Archives would not have bothered to know what happened during a courtesy visit by anyone to the Bini Palace as is customary if not for the implications of the outcome of that visit both to the tradition and culture of the Binis.
The second reason for this discourse is that in spite of the fact that the Oba of Bini Kingdom quietly explained the inherent usurpation of his power if the authority being sought by Mrs. Falashade Tinubu-Ojo to control market women associations in Oba’s domain through a surrogate was granted, the visitor went ahead, through her agent/agents to execute her plans by levying the Bini market women.
The third reason for today’s discourse is to let political wayfarers like Mrs. Falashade Tinubu-Ojo to know what they may not actually have known about human socialization which originated from the diverse anthropological features which characterize people’s identity, so that these political wayfarers will desist from desecrating people’s culture and invading their traditions, not only in Bini Kingdom, but elsewhere.
In the words of Leopold Sedar Senghor (9th October, 1906-20th December, 2001), the Senegalese iconic poet, politician and philosopher who singlehandedly shaped that nation’s identity, who also served as the first President of Senegal after her independence (7th September 1960 – 31st December, 1980), I quote: “Civilization is the combination of facts and social phenomena, structure and values which characterize any given society …..
“Culture is within the framework of this ‘civilization’, the combination of its values, in one word, its spirit….
“It follows from this that each race, each ethnic groups, each nation, indeed each society has it’s own values….”
Following from the above and for the avoidance of doubt, let me recognize here that the market system, one of the many structures that firm up the specific identify of any group of people, is an integral part of the culture and tradition of any people. It is one of the things that defines a people’s value system.
Methinks this was the message Chief Osaro Idah, mandated by this Royal Majesty Oba Ewuare II, quietly delivered to Mrs. Folashade Tinubu-Ojo. I am surprised that either herself or any of her advised didn’t know this but my greater surprise is that she went ahead forcing her Iyaloja system on Bini culture in spite of having been tutored on Bini culture and tradition.
All social scientists of different disciplines know that the market system of any people represents the central hub of the people’s socialization wherefore it is guided by certain fixed and standard demands of the culture all of which have been synthesized through the development of customs and traditions via the route of harmonization of norms that survived the tests of time.
In the days of yore, and in some places up to now, people were/are invited to the market square by the town crier, in some places as in my town, with a huge musical instrument (Ekwe or Ikoro) that has been carved from a huge tree trunk.
In the market, very important decisions were made including the decision to levy wars against enemies or perform traditional rites preparatory to wars and for other rituals for the cleansing of the land, etc.
To put the above in the perspective of Binis, the ancient Bini kingdom started with the Ogiso Era, the pristine Bini dynasty believed to have been ‘Kings from the sky’ (this is the meaning of Ogiso). These kings who were said to have direct, divine connection with ‘Osanobua,’ the supreme creator in Bini mythology, were highly regarded.
All the Obas in the history of Bini kingdom have been known to be remarkable rulers but two of them clearly stand out as very daring and courageous. It must be noted that Binis believe in reincarnation, especially of the Obas and this explains the adoption of a kingly name after the rigorous and lengthy process of the coronation of an Oba.
The first daring and courageous Oba in Bini history that I want to mention here is Oba Ewuare the Great, the 15th Century Oba who expanded the borders of the Bini Kingdom through military conquests of the domains most of which, till date are the territories of the Bini Kingdom.
This great, daring and courageous Oba expanded the kingdom of Bini to Lagos which in Bini is called ‘Eko’ (and still called ‘Eko’ up till this day), parts of Delta State (which the Kingdom still retains till date), part of the present Ekiti, and Ondo States with connections in Congo.
Also, known as Oba Ewuare I or Oba Ewuare Ogidigan, this great warrior who is reputed to have built the legendary Bini moth with his human giants fought a total of 201 battles and won all of them. A great reformer, he is known to have shaped the Bini Empire into a powerful, cultured and organized Kingdom which extended to, as has been said, into ‘Eko’ from where Mrs. Folashade Tinubu-Ojo came to introduce her Iyaloja system. Oba Ewuare Ogidigan ruled Bini Kingdom between 1440-1473.
The next daring and courageous Oba that I will want to talk about here is Oba Ovonranwen Nogbaisi, the father of the grandmother of my wife, Princess Eghosa Obiora. Princess Eghosa was a great granddaughter of Oba Ovonranwen Nogbaisi, having direct link to Bini royalty through the maternal side.
In line with ancient practice, Bini’s recognize matriarchy in the same way they recognize patriarchy and accord almost the same respect and opportunities to both the maternal and paternal sides except on the core issue of ascension to the throne and some other special functions in cultural and traditional rites.
Much of the things I know are now right about the Bini kingdom were learnt through association with my in-laws who are distant cousins of the royal house, and also from some of the indigenous society of ancient Bini kingdom to which I belonged as a result of my privileged status as their in-law.
Oba Ovonranwen Nogbaisi was the 35th Oba of Bini Kingdom who ruled between 1888 till that fateful year in 1897 when the British government mounted a punitive expedition in the Kingdom and stole the ancestral wealth of the Kingdom including gold, bronze, other precious metals and ancestral works of arts.
Facing a superior fire power from Britain after the British Empire has lost massively both in men and ammunition, Bini kingdom was conquered. Oba Ovonranwen Nogbaisi, dressed richly in coral beads and with a huge entourage befitting His Royal Majesty, gracefully and majestically surrendered to the British on August 5th 1897. He was exiled to Calabar by the British government. His son Prince Aiguobasimwin succeeded him as Oba Ewaka II of Benin Kingdom.
My knowledge of the Bini culture and tradition is that the Oba does not speak to his subjects directly unless on very special occasions. There used to be an understanding in Bini during the eighties when I got married to Eghosa that the Oba’s teeth cannot be seen.
The Oba was not known to laugh in a public place no matter how hilarious the trigger maybe. Neither does the Oba cry. Most times, the Oba speaks through his Chiefs each of whom represents a certain function wherefore the Oba address an issue through the Chief in charge of that function or the domain.
Disobedience to the Chief who addresses an issue tantamounts to disobedience to the Oba and by extension disobedience to the Bini ancestral stool. In Bini culture and tradition, this is a very serious matter with dire consequences that are known to every Bini person, a consequence/punishment that is comparable to that meted to anyone who, knowingly or unknowingly breaks any of the beads hung in any part of the body of the Oba. For non-Binis, there can only be one and only one punishment for any of these offences and this punishment is known to every Bini traditionalist.
Everyone that I have spoken with in Bini in respect to the disobedience of the Oba by Mrs. Folashade Tinubu-Ojo is both surprised and shocked to the point of lacking comments to make. Some of them see the development as an affront by a woman that is even non-Edo while others blame the sad development on the abnormality of putting fixed traditional authorities which predate contestable political power under the supervision and control of State governments.
This abnormality which possibly gives political wayfarers the audacity to trample on ancestral traditional stools will constitute the subject matter of a discourse in the Kaleidoscope Archives.
As we get close to ending today’s discourse, my advice to Mrs. Folashade Tinubu-Ojo will be that she takes quick and immediate steps to rectify the dangerous impression already created around the world that an Oba of Bini Kingdom can be challenged in upholding the culture and tradition of the ancient Bini Kingdom.
We may not be interested to know how she does this. But it is very important she does it by reaching out to Chief Osaro Idah through whom the Oba spoke.
As for Pastor Mrs. Josephine Isi Ivbazebule who is said to be used in disrupting the culture and tradition of the Binis, my advice for her is to stay away from what she possibly may not understand. As a Christian, she should know when to flee in accordance with the advice of Jesus Christ.
Having gone deeply through Bini myself (as we used to say that ‘you can know Bini but yet not know Bini’), I have learnt to know when and where to draw the line between Christianity and the ancient values, norms, customs, culture and tradition of any people.
The silence of the Oba on the matter is understandable. That is Bini culture as understood by some of us who are conversant with Bini culture and tradition. But one thing is certain: the Oba may have called a meeting of some of his Chiefs in whose domain the matter resides, and I am sure that he must have given instructions on what the Chiefs must do in order to safeguard the culture and tradition entrusted in his care to guide and protect as the Chief custodian of the values that are dear to the Bini Kingdom.
In conclusion, my prayer is that next time we read about the issue, we will hear that the matter has been addressed amicably to break the ominous silence from the kingdom of Bini, a silence I would best compare with that of the grave yard.
My second advice to Mrs. Folashade Tinubu-Ojo is for her to leave Benin city alone or any other place for that matter and busy herself with the market women activities in the Yoruba nation, otherwise, her actions would be seen by historians of the Bini Kingdom and Bini traditionalists as a blunt attempt at reversing some of the fortunes of Oba Ewuare the Great.
Worse than this, for the fact that the Binis believe in the reincarnation of their Obas, it will be pitiable that such a reversal, a decline in the domains of Omo N’Oba N’Edo Uku Okpolokpolo would be happening during the second coming of Oba Ewuare the Great in Oba Ewuare II, the present Omo N’Oba N’Edo Uku Okpolokpolo of Bini Kingdom.
Abuchi Obiora is an Author, Journalist and Media Consultant. He is also a Biographer, Public Affairs Analyst and the Web Content Creator of a Channel called “The Master‟s Chamber”
The Kaleidoscope Archives: https://globalupfront.com/section/the-kaleidoscope
Website: https://abuchiobiora.com.ng
E-mail: abuchiobioraonline@gmail.com, abuchiobiora@gmail.com
