Edo State Governor Monday Okpebholo has declared the return of the Benin Bronzes a historic milestone for the Benin Kingdom, insisting the artefacts belong solely to the Oba of Benin’s Palace and must not be politicised.
The governor made the statement on Wednesday during a meeting with the Director-General of the National Commission for Museums and Monuments (NCMM), Olugbile Holloway, and a Swiss delegation at Government House, Benin City.
The delegation included Swiss Consul General in Lagos, Conny Camenzind; Director of the Ethnographic Museum, University of Zurich, Alice Hertzog; Curator Alex Malefakis; and other officials.
Commending Switzerland and other stakeholders in the restitution process, Okpebholo said the return of the bronzes was a defining moment for Edo.
“First of all, let me thank you for this moment because this is a defining history in our land. To me, there is no point in playing politics with what belongs to the palace,” the governor said.
He described the bronzes as more than metal objects.
“We have culture here. I believe in our culture. Those bronzes are not just bronze; they are symbolic and spiritual to our kingdom. Wherever they are, they will all find their way back to Nigeria, to Edo State,” Okpebholo stated.
“There is no point playing politics with them. They all belong to the Oba’s Palace. We have only one Oba Palace in Edo State,” he added.
Reflecting on how the artefacts left Nigeria, the governor recalled the 1897 British expedition.
“The British who came here came for a reason. They heard something about the Benin Empire. That is why they came here. They found these things very interesting and took them out of this country to their own.
“So now, I am happy that the Swiss Government has decided to say, ‘Yes, let’s return these back to the owners.’ I want to thank your government for taking this initiative in bringing these bronzes back to our palace.”
READ ALSO: Gov Okpebholo’s Claims On MOWAA Project Misleading — Obaseki’s Aide
He said the gesture would yield greater blessings. “It might look small to you, but the blessings ahead are huge,” he said.
NCMM Director-General Holloway said the visit was to deepen collaboration with the Edo Government and advance the international restitution of Benin artefacts.
“Benin is ground zero when it comes to restitution, and the National Commission for Museums and Monuments is at the forefront of the battle for restitution,” Holloway said.
He said the commission was working with the Palace and His Royal Majesty, the Oba of Benin, to return more artefacts. The delegation plans to proceed to the Oba’s Palace to present some returned items for ceremonial blessings.
Holloway disclosed that all bronzes returned by Switzerland had arrived in Nigeria and were currently in Lagos.
Consul General Camenzind described the restitution as a major milestone in Nigeria-Switzerland relations. She expressed pride in Switzerland’s role and said the exercise marked the beginning of a long-term partnership.
“I expect the relationship between both countries to continue to grow,” she said.
Also at the meeting were Deputy Governor Dennis Idahosa; Secretary to the State Government Umar Ikhilor; Head of Service Anthony Okungbowa; Commissioner for Information Prince Kassim Afegbua; Chief of Staff Musa Yakubu; and other senior officials.
READ ALSO: Okpebholo Decries ‘Lack Of Transparency’ In MOWAA Project
The immediate past administration under Godwin Obaseki had created the Edo Museum of West African Art (EMOWAA) to house the artworks.
But the Oba’s Palace opposed the move, arguing that the bronzes – looted from the royal court during the 1897 British expedition – are sacred items that belong to the Benin Royal Museum within the palace grounds.
In 2023, the Federal Government issued a presidential gazette declaring the Oba of Benin as the sole custodian of all repatriated Benin artefacts.
Late last year, Okpebholo claimed there was a lack of transparency in the EMOWAA project in the state.
“The controversy surrounding MOWAA stems from the lack of openness by the previous government.
“It is curious how the project evolved from the Benin Royal Museum to the Edo Museum of West African Art (EMOWAA) and now to the Museum of West African Art (MOWAA), without clarity or consultation with our revered traditional institution,” Okpebholo was quoted as saying in a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Fred Itua.
He set up a committee to ascertain the true legal and operational status of the project.
However, Obaseki’s aide, Crusoe Osagie, said the claims were untrue and misleading.
“On Governor Okpebholo’s claim that the Museum of West African Art (MOWAA) project was handled with a ‘gross lack of transparency’, this assertion is entirely false,” Osagie said in a statement last year.
“Everything concerning MOWAA and its relationship with the Edo State Government was clearly spelt out, just like every other initiative of the Godwin Obaseki-led administration, in the over 800-page Transition Committee Report prepared at the end of the Obaseki administration and handed to Okpebholo and his team in both soft and hard copies,” he added.
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