By Monday Ajogun
Governor Monday Okpebholo of Edo has described the return of the Benin Bronzes as “a historic milestone and significant moment” in the history of the Benin Kingdom and state at large.
Okpebholo said this on Wednesday in Benin, when he received the Director-General of the National Commission for Museums and Monuments (NCMM), Olugbile Holloway.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Consul General of Switzerland in Lagos, Conny Camenzind; Director of the Ethnographic Museum of the University of Zurich, Prof. Alice Hertzog; Curator at the museum, Dr Alex Malefaother, were in the delegation.
The governor commended the Swiss Government and other stakeholders involved in the restitution process.
He said: “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.
“We have culture here. I believe in our culture. Those bronzes are not just bronze; they are symbolic and spiritual to our kingdom.
“There is no point playing politics with them. They all belong to the Oba’s Palace. We have only one Oba Palace in Edo,” he said.
Okpebholo explained that the Benin bronzes represent the cultural heritage of the Benin people and should remain under the custody of the traditional institution.
He reflected on the history behind the removal of the artefacts, saying the British expedition to Benin was driven by the global recognition of the greatness of the Benin empire.
“The British that 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 theirs.
“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,” the governor said.
He also said that the gesture, though significant, would attract greater goodwill and blessings.
Earlier, the NCMM Director-General said the visit was to strengthen collaboration with the Edo Government and mark another step in the international restitution of Benin artefacts.
“As you are aware, with the topic of restitution and the return of the Benin bronzes, Benin is ground zero when it comes to that aspect, and NCMM is at the forefront of the battle for restitution,” Holloway said.
He said that the commission was working with the Palace of the Oba of Benin, Oba Eware II, to ensure that more artefacts taken abroad were returned.
He further disclosed that the delegation would proceed to the Oba’s palace “to symbolically present some of the returned artefacts to the Oba of Benin for ceremonial blessings”.
According to him, all the artefacts returned by Switzerland have arrived in Nigeria and are currently in Lagos.
Speaking on behalf of the Swiss Government, the Consul General described the restitution as “a major milestone in the relationship between Switzerland and Nigeria”.
Camenzind expressed pride in Switzerland’s role in the process, saying that the collaboration with the NCMM and the museums involved had been successful.
She said that the restitution represented the beginning of a long-term partnership, adding that she expected the relationship between both countries to continue to grow. (NAN)
