Minister of State for Budget and National Planning, Prince Clem Ikanade Agba, has congratulated His Royal Majesty, Omo N’ Oba N’ Edo, Uku Akpolokpolo, Ewuare II, Oba of Benin on the return of stolen artefacts.
The congratulatory message was contained in a letter dated May 10, 2023, by the minister to the Oba, entitled: “LETTER OF CONGRATULATION ON THE RETURN OF STOLEN ART FACTS”.
The letter reads: “My family and I wish to felicitate His Royal Majesty, Omo N’ Oba N’ Edo, Uku Akpolokpolo, Oba Ewuare II, the Government of Edo State and the good people of Benin Kingdom on the historic formal decision of the Federal Government via an official gazette to domicile repatriated Benin artefacts at the royal palace of the great Benin Kingdom, thus affirming His Royal Majesty as the legitimate custodian of royal Benin arts.
“I am highly delighted to identify with the generous outpouring of joy and happiness by all true Benin sons and daughters, both at home and in the Diaspora on this historic development. The wisdom, sincerity, and calmness of His Royal Majesty throughout the period leading to the final decision of the Federal government is unparalleled and unprecedented.
“The return of all the artefacts, when completed, will be a great balm and relief to everyone as historically, Benin had no formal system of writing other than the stories told in cast brass and carved ivory. Art was the kingdom’s culture, its wealth, its literature, and its memory. When these artefacts were pillaged, it left behind only ashes where palaces and temples had stood for centuries.
Meanwhile, when accosted by journalists, consequent upon his tweet of the congratulatory message on his verified social media handles, on what the federal government was doing about the housing of the artefacts, the minister said that the federal government, through the National Commission on Museums and Monuments, had made provisions in the 2023 budget to the tune of N1.9 billion for housing the artefacts in the Royal museum.
Agba said that the federal government, having put it in the gazette that the Oba is the custodian of the artefacts, he would wish that the Commission, in consultation with the Oba of Benin, would determine where the Royal Museum would be built.
