His Imperial Majesty, the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, and the Emir of Kano, Alhaji Aminu Ado Bayero met with the Oba of Benin, His Royal Majesty, Oba Ewuare II.
The exclusive meeting took place on Saturday in Benin City, the capital of the Edo state, inside the palace of the Oba of Benin.
In his remarks following the meeting, Oba Ewuare praised President Muhammadu Buhari for protecting the traditional institution which has remained intact.
He recalled the futile attempts of cultural imperialists to end African heritage, notably the invasion of Benin Kingdom and the looting of Benin Bronzes more than a century earlier. However, the Royal father expressed his satisfaction that some of the artifacts that the invaders had stolen away at the time had begun to return to their original location.
He said: “When the white man came and tried to disrupt our traditional institution, you will all agree with me that they failed. So, they left our traditional institution intact. That is why we are still here.
“They took away our artifacts to remind them of their visit. But the artifacts are coming back. I want to use this opportunity to thank Mr. President, Muhammadu Buhari for his strong stance in supporting the cultural, the traditional institution; Preserving the Culture of Nigeria.
“We may not know what His Excellency has done for us, but Nigerians will know; perhaps later.”
The Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, recalled the historical connections between the Benin Kingdom and Ile Ife in Osun State, adding that the purpose of his visit to the palace of the Oba of Benin was to express his people’s well wishes and inquire about Oba Ewuare II’s well-being.
Alhaji Aminu Ado Bayero, the Emir of Kano, also paid homage to the Benin kingdom and pledged to uphold the traditions of his ancestors as well as to strengthen the connection between the Benin Kingdom and the Kano Emirate.
