The advocacy for the return of stolen artifacts from Benin Kingdom during the 1897 invasion has recieved a boost with the proposed building of a world class royal museum inside the Oba’s palace in Benin City and discovery of where they can be located.

To fast track this initiative to recover the stolen artifacts, the Edo state government is working with the amiable Benin Monarch, Oba Ewuare 11 to build the museum where they will be safely kept, thereby countering the arguments of art collectors who are still in possession of the stolen artefacts.

The curators had maintained that the safety of the artifacts are not guranteed if they are returned to Benin kingdom where they rightly belong. But the decision to establish the world class museum which will be the safest place in the world will no doubt encourage curators across Europe and in other parts of the world to be confident and support the advocacy for the safe return of the stolen artifacts.

Two experts in Benin history who were in Benin city, Prof. Nicholas Thomas of Cambridge University and Prof. Annie Coombes of the University of London affirmed that the advocacy for the safe return of the stolen artifacts will be sustained until the art works are safely returned.

Edo state governor, Mr Godwin Obaseki, who hosted the two Professors, thanked them for their advocacy for the safe return of artifacts of the Benin Kingdom looted away and he noted that when returned they will assist generation yet unborn to understand who they are, as a people and how they have dominated the environment in the past.

Interestingly, when they visited Igun street, the home of bronze works, they confessed that they were seeing for themselves first hand the place where the historic stolen artifacts are fashioned.

In the words of Prof. Thomas, true knowledge about artworks is not in university museums but lies in the makers, creators and communities where these works are created.

While the two advocates for the return of these stolen artifacts back to Benin Kingdom were in Benin city, the Commissioner for Arts, Culture, tourism and Diaspora Affairs, Hon. Osemwegie-Ero was in Europe where he was able to locate the museums where the Benin artifacts are domiciled. He was in London and Germany where he held town hall meetings with Edo people in diaspora and met with prospective investors who declared their interest to come to the state because of the conducive environment now prevalent in the state.

In Germany,Berlin, the Commisioner told this columnist how he met with a German photographer, Dr. Lutz Imoekke,who has been making documentaries on the stolen artefacts in the past 30 years.
“We discused the artifacts and he actually gave me some of the current photos of the artworks in their present locations in museums. These are real pictures of our artifacts,like the Queen Idia mask that was stolen in 1897. He said they are original pieces as they are in the museums.

“With this revelations, I told him that because of these pictures we are going to have a photo exhibition of about 500 to 1000 artifacts in December when we are doing our Edo festival of Arts and Culture. I was glad that while I was abroad, the governor hosted two Professors from Cambridge University and University of London who have been championing the return of our artifacts. It shows that it is time and they are aligning with what we are doing. I came with some of the pictures to show the governor,” he added.

The Commissioner hinted that at the exhibition, CNN and the world media will be invited to inform them about the current location of the artifacts across the globe, noting that, “this will further help our advocacy and exposure where these artifacts are located. I was very happy when the governor and His royal majesty, Oba Ewuare 11 decided to build a museum in the palace, so when they say we do not have a place to keep the artifacts, it is not correct because the palace will be the safest place, nobody will go there to steal them. The photo exhibition in December will buttress the fact that we know where these artifacts are located.”

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Eubaldus Enahoro is Assistant Editor with The NIGERIAN OBSERVER