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Francis Onoiribholo
Founder, Fecha Projects, Mr. Alex Eguakhide, has warned those politicizing the return of the stolen Benin artifacts to desist from it, saying that, they are not trophies of politics but sacred symbols of the identity of the Edo people. The cultural heritage needs to be preserved.
Mr. Eguakhide disclosed this while speaking in respect of the ongoing crisis rocking the Museum of West African Arts (MOWAA) in Benin.
Eguakhide said he is not speaking on political ground but as an Edo man whose identity and culture are traceable to the artifacts.
According to him “I speak to you not because I am a politician, but because I am a son of the soil, born of the lineage of the Edo people. Our story, our culture, our identity are bound inextricably to the artifacts, the royal regalia, the bronzes, the customs of our ancestors.
“We are the heirs of the great Kingdom of Benin, a kingdom that stood not on conquest alone, but on craftsmanship, on ceremony, on spiritual life, on a shared identity. The bronzes, the ivory tusks, the royal symbols they are not mere objects. They are our memories. They are our voice. They are who we are.
“So when the conversation arises about returning artifacts, about museums, about who controls them, about what name they bear, let us be clear: this is not politics. This is not bargaining. This is not some ephemeral game of power or prestige. This is our heritage. This is our identity.
“When someone says: “Let us rename this, let us reposition that, let us reposition the power structure,” I ask: whose culture are we talking about? Whose identity is at stake? Not just a government’s name. Not just an individual’s ambition. We speak of the lived legacy of generations of Edo men, Edo women, Edo children.
“To take from us our artifacts or to dispute their return on political grounds is to take from us our roots. To question our right to preserve our cultural heritage is to question our right to exist as the Edo people”.
The founder of Fecha Projects and organiser of Edo Cultural Heritage Heroes Award, added that every right thinking Edo sons and daughters would always stand up to defend their cultural heritage.
“So I call on all of us gathered here: let us hold firm. Let us insist that our culture, our heritage, our artifacts are not for negotiation. They are non-negotiable.
“We must demand that every artist, every specialist, every museum, every governmental body recognise that the returned items are not trophies of politics they are sacred symbols of our identity. If they are to be displayed, they must be displayed with dignity. If they are to be named, they must be named with respect. If they are to be cared for, they must be cared for by our people, in a way that honours our tradition.
“And to those who would use our cultural heritage as a tool for political gain, for name-change campaigns, for ego-driven agendas: we say no. Stand aside. Let our identity be restored, let our culture breathe again, and leave politics out of what belongs to the Edo people.
“In closing, I reaffirm this: we are royalty by birth, we are guardians of a tradition older than many modern states. Let us reclaim our heritage. Let us reclaim our identity. And let us move forward not by the will of others but by the will of those whose ancestors carved the bronzes, who chanted the rituals, who held the crown”, Eguakhide declared.
