The Oba of Benin, Ewuare II, has revealed how the immediate past governor of Edo State, Godwin Obaseki, withheld statutory funding to the Benin Palace for seven months, alleging that the action was a deliberate attempt to undermine the monarchy.
The monarch made the disclosure during a media parley with journalists in the state, explaining that the previous administration first slashed the palace’s budgetary allocation before completely stopping it for seven months.
As a result, the palace was forced to take responsibility for paying its staff and maintaining its surroundings, including clearing weeds.
According to the Oba, the withholding of funds was a calculated move to weaken the palace’s influence. However, he stated that divine intervention prevented the plan from succeeding.
“God and my ancestors did not allow the efforts of those that planned to undermine the palace to prevail,” he said.
The traditional ruler also recalled a past incident where a former military governor, whom the palace had previously assisted, allegedly disrespected the monarchy by constructing a storey building on a sacred site opposite the palace.
Speaking on the need for constitutional recognition of traditional rulers, Oba Ewuare II emphasized the importance of clearly defining their roles to prevent abuses of power. “We shall reclaim all sacred grounds forcefully taken over,” he declared. “Knowing what a traditional ruler means would help checkmate its abuses as well as make things right.”
