By Henry Oqua
The intervention of the Obaseki administration in Edo State expedited the process of restitution and return of stolen Benin artworks after over 12 years of discussions that yielded very little, the Governor has said.
Mr Obaseki made this statement when he received the German Minister of State for Culture and Media, Claudia Roth and members of a high-powered delegation in Benin City, on Monday, December 19, 2022, on a tour of the proposed Benin Cultural District.
Speaking to the press at the location of the Edo Museum for West African Art (EMOWAA) Pavilion, the excited governor said although the conversation around the return of the stolen artefacts had been ongoing for over 12 years before his administration came into office, the decision to actively engage international partners catalysed the process of the return which has now seen over 100 artefacts being returned to Nigeria.
“About 12 or so years before I came into office, the conversations had been on but we realised that it was not going to go anywhere except the Edo State Government stepped in and it was the intervention of the State Government that facilitated the returns of these works and the increased conversations around the return. So we are glad that we have been able to serve as a catalyst for all this.” Governor Obaseki said.
Lamenting the impact of the invasion of the Benin Kingdom in 1897, Obaseki said “these works belong to us, they were forcibly removed from this city and there was a lot of destruction and carnage that went with it and the minimum as part of that healing should involve first returning these works to where they belong.
“There’s so much we don’t know because of that disconnection (the invasion of 1897) about what happened, how we used to live, how we used to deal with our environment, we need knowledge, we need research, and these pieces coming back will serve as a point of contact to begin research work as to who we are as a people. Never again will we sit and allow outsiders to tell us about our history or explain to us who we are.”
Mr Obaseki stressed that restitution begins with return of ownership rights to the original owners of the Benin Bronze works which are on display in many western museums across the world.
“I’m very glad because people may not understand the importance and impact of what we are doing now but years to come, hopefully, Edo people and Nigerians will come to appreciate that we took the right decision.
“First to put pressure on those who are currently holding our prized pieces of art, that these works belong to us. What is most important is ownership. That these works don’t belong to those who are currently holding them. They belong to the Edo people and Nigeria, these works should come back to Nigeria.” Obaseki emphasised.
The British Museum declares that it has over 900 individual Benin artefacts in its collection, and Obaseki pointed to the conscience of the German government which was the first to show support for the campaign to restore the stolen artworks to their rightful owners.
“The Germans were the first to accept the argument to buy into this line of thought because they have a conscience and they are dealing with the issues of colonialism and the way they treated their colonies that has sparked public ethical and molar debates in Germany and we are glad that we have been able to extend that conversation to the issue of return and restitution of Benin works.” he concluded.
