No fewer than 60 Benin Dukes (Enigie) have denied an alleged plot to bring down the heritage of Edo people, arising from calls by some Dukes on the Edo State government to create a parallel Benin Traditional Rulers Council (BTC) for the seven local government areas in Edo South Senatorial District the state state.

While denying any plot to break up Benin Kingdom, the loyal Dukes in a recent letter to Governor Godwin Obaseki leaked to journalists, said the request by aggrieved Dukes who have been rejected by their people, adding that it is a threat to “the very source of our creation”.

The loyal Dukes in their letter, dated May 22nd 2023 came a few months after some Dukes allegedly conspired and petitioned Obaseki in November 2022, seeking the creation of Benin Traditional Council (BTC) across the seven local government areas.

They urged the Governor to confine the petition by ‘rebellious Dukes’ to the waste bin of history.

Signatories to the recent letter to the Governor, including HRH. Osagiede Festus (Enogie of Iguogbe), HRH. Igbinidu Idurobo Ernest (Enogie of Uwan-Esigie), HRH Alfred Osagie Erhauyi (Enogie of Iyanomo), HRH. Anthony Osagie (Enogie of Umegbe) and others, pledged their loyalty to Oba Ewuare II.

They urged the state government not to grant the request, accusing the petitioners of lacking courage of their own conviction and were out to undermine peace and cohesion in Benin Kingdom in particular and the state at large.

The loyal Dukes also clarified that, “For some forms of autonomy, devolution of powers and independence of His Royal Majesty, Ewuare II, CFR, Oba of Benin whose forefathers and by definition our ancestors that initiated the structure of Enigie and still appoints Enigie till date be decentralized and whittle down.

“Arising from the above, we the undersigned have since realized that we erred and have also gone to the palace for atonement for our sins and apologized physically to His Royal Majesty, Omo N’ Oba N’ Edo, Uku Akpolokpolo, the Oba of Benin, for this our regrettable misstep borne out of inadequate knowledge of the subject matter and mistakes by allowing our signatures to be collated for a wrongful use without circumspection.

“As Enigie, who are fully aware of the whole essence of the letter, and what it seems to achieve, we the undersigned hereby disassociate ourselves from the letter and peregrinations of the Enogie of Egbaen/Siluko and insists that our signatures were obtained fraudulently for misrepresentations of facts about the actual intent.” (Daily Independent)

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