THE air in Benin City is thick with a long-awaited perfume—a blend of ancient incense, the redolence of history, and the unmistakable scent of victory. For decades, the soul of the Benin Kingdom was held hostage in the sterile, air-conditioned catacombs of European museums.
These were not merely “artefacts” or “bronzes”; they were the displaced ancestors, the silent witnesses to a civilization that defied the tides of time. Today, they have returned. But their return is more than a diplomatic triumph; it is a profound moral pivot, marking the end of a sordid era of local administrative hubris and the dawn of a new, dignified order under the steady hand of Governor Monday Okpebholo.
The spectacle of the Benin Bronzes returning to the Palace of the Oba is a clarion call to memory. As they are repatriated, they look upon a land that has been bruised by the vanity of its former custodians.
To speak of the restitution of these treasures without acknowledging the contrast in leadership is to ignore the very heartbeat of our current political reality. We stand at the intersection of a ruthless past—defined by the erratic, warmongering fisticuffs of Godwin Obaseki—and a future that breathes with the promise of cultural sanctity and administrative maturity.
The Architect of Ruin: A Legacy of Vices
Godwin Obaseki’s tenure will be studied by historians, not for its architectural or social breakthroughs, but as a cautionary tale of how a state’s resources can be systematically bled dry by the ego of its pilot. His governance was a tapestry of erratic impulses, a loose, unanchored vessel navigating the turbulent waters of Edo State with no compass other than self-aggrandizement.
The fiscal hemorrhage witnessed during his years was not an accident; it was a symptom of a destructive attitude. While the people yearned for infrastructure, for education, and for the preservation of our crumbling heritage, the former governor was busy engaging in intellectual and physical skirmishes with the very institutions that define the Benin identity. His was a brand of leadership that viewed tradition as a hurdle and historical continuity as an inconvenience.
What was most morbid about the Obaseki era was the ease with which he squandered the state’s potential. Resources meant for the empowerment of the grassroots were diverted into the bottomless pit of political brinkmanship. He operated with a stingy spirit regarding the public good, yet was lavish in his pursuit of personal vendettas. He treated the state as a private fiefdom, often posturing from the safety of international corridors while his policies at home withered, scorched by his own lack of vision.
The former governor’s tendency toward “warmongering fisticuffs” was the antithesis of the stoic, noble carriage expected of an Edo leader. He viewed dialogue as a form of surrender and compromise as a sign of weakness. In his pursuit of absolute dominance, he fractured the social fabric, alienating the traditional pillars of our society and leaving a trail of institutional wreckage that would take years to mend.
The Rebirth: Okpebholo and the Dignity of Tradition
In stark contrast, Governor Monday Okpebholo has ushered in a refreshing atmosphere of humility and purposeful clarity. The recent ceremony, where he formally received the repatriated Bronzes, was not merely a diplomatic exercise; it was a reclamation of our collective dignity.
Unlike his predecessor, who seemed intent on dismantling the symbolic power of the Oba’s Palace to heighten his own, Governor Okpebholo understands that a governor’s strength lies in his ability to serve as a custodian of the people’s heritage. By declaring unequivocally that these artefacts belong to the Oba of Benin, and that they must remain outside the sphere of political manipulation, Okpebholo has silenced the petty bickering that once paralyzed our governance.
This is a comprehensive, solid leadership style. It is celebratory, not in a sense of shallow pageantry, but in the restoration of a cultural integrity that had been eroded by the former governor’s cynical revisionism. Okpebholo’s approach is the antithesis of the previous administration’s slash-and-burn- tactics. He does not need to manufacture conflict to feel powerful; he does not need to pick fights with the traditional institution to project authority.
When the Governor stood before the Swiss delegation and the representatives of the National Commission for Museums and Monuments, his message was clear: We have a culture. I believe in our culture. This is not just a policy statement; it is a declaration of identity. He has treated this process with the solemnity it deserves, ensuring that the return of these Bronzes is handled with the grace, the decorum, and the honor that befits the greatness of the Benin Empire.
Repudiating the Sons of Perdition
The “sons of perdition”—those who sought to profit from the erosion of our history and the mismanagement of our coffers—will find no refuge in this new chapter. For too long, the narrative of Edo State was dominated by the antics of those who viewed public service as a mechanism for personal gain or a platform for historical vandalism.
We recall, with a stinging sense of betrayal, the comments made by Obaseki regarding the Benin throne—the revisionist claims that sought to diminish the stature of the Oba to inflate the importance of his own lineage.
Such remarks, delivered from the comfort of the United Kingdom, were the ultimate insult to a people who have sacrificed so much to maintain their sovereignty against colonial plunder. To be told by a leader who was effectively “looting” the state of its future that the traditional institutions were of no account was the final, sordid chapter of his failed governance.
But today, we have turned the page.
The return of the Bronzes is a victory over the forces of greed and instability. It is a win for every Edo citizen who values the roots from which they grow. Under Governor Okpebholo, we are witnessing the end of the fisticuffs era. We are moving toward a period where the government and the Palace work in tandem, where resources are utilized for the collective upliftment of the state rather than the sustenance of a political war machine.
The Path Forward: A Future Built on Honour
As we look to the horizon, the path for Edo State is one of consolidation and growth. The solid foundations laid by this administration’s respect for our heritage must now be mirrored in our economic and infrastructural endeavours.
The lessons of the past are simple: A leader who forgets his people’s history, who disregards their traditions, and who treats their resources with indifference is a leader who is destined to fail. Godwin Obaseki proved this formula to be true with tragic precision. His fall from grace was not due to political opposition; it was the inevitable collapse of an edifice built upon the shifting sands of arrogance.
Governor Okpebholo has demonstrated that there is another way. He has shown that a modern, progressive state can exist alongside a vibrant, traditional culture. He has shown that one can govern without being a bully, and that one can lead without being a warrior of pettiness. The return of the Bronzes is the first major fruit of this new philosophy.
As these treasures find their way back into the sacred precincts of the Palace, they do so under the gaze of a leadership that respects their provenance and bows to their spiritual significance. We, the people of Edo, hold our heads high. We have emerged from the shadows of the sons of perdition. We have reclaimed our past, and in doing so, we have secured the moral authority to build a better future.
The Bronzes are home. And for the first time in a very long time, the soul of our state is at peace, guided by the steady, honourable, and respectful hands of those who truly understand what it means to be a servant-leader. The reign of chaos is over; the era of restoration has begun.
Erasmus Ikhide contributed this piece via: ikhideluckyerasmus@gmail.com