4 weeks ago
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•Oba Ewuare II reaffirms: lone marketplace women, not politicians, take Iyeki
By Ozioruva Aliu
BENIN CITY – FOR the past weeks, the media person been inundated with the inauguration of an Iyaloja of Edo Market and the consequent sojourn to the palace of the Oba of Benin wherever His Majesty, Omo N’Oba N’Edo Uku Akpolopkolo, Ewuare II told the delegation led by the girl of President Bola Tinubu, Mrs Folahsade Tinubu-Ojo that the rubric of Iyaloja was alien to Benin customs and tradition.
But what they did not officially archer the Oba was that they had already done the inauguration earlier visiting the palace adjacent though they had written to the palace and the authorities authorities arsenic acold backmost arsenic April and July past twelvemonth but they did not get immoderate authoritative reply from the 2 institutions.
The missive to the Oba sighted by Vanguard showed that determination were governmental inclinations to the program arsenic it was written nether the aegis of National Market Council of Nigeria (NAMCOM), a sanction that is not fashionable successful immoderate mode successful the state.
In the missive which was addressed to Oba Ewuare II, dated April 30th 2024 and titled “Introduction of the Edo State Iyeki-elect, Pastor Josephine Isi Ibhaguezejele,” the introductory paragraph: “Your Majesty, my sanction is Chief Dr Mujudat Folasade Tinubu-Ojo (FCIML), the Iyaloja-General of Nigeria, and the First Daughter of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu (GCFR).”
She past introduced Ibhaguezejele arsenic Iyeki-elect and told the monarch that she would beryllium successful complaint of the time to time moving of each markets successful the authorities and appealed to the Oba for enactment for her to succeed.
It is nevertheless mostly believed that the motive down their enactment was to galvanise enactment for President Bola Tinubu’s 2nd word predetermination successful 2027 due to the fact that of the immense fig of women successful the markets and their power connected the electorate.
But this seemed to person failed successful Edo State due to the fact that of the presumption of the palace and Oba Ewuare II who has ne'er hidden his presumption connected ensuring the sustenance of the customs and traditions of his radical undiluted erstwhile helium laid it bare earlier Tinubu-Ojo and those who accompanied her that determination was nary azygous pistillate controlling the full markets successful Benin Kingdom and the authorities and if determination was any, it was evidently for the governmental involvement of politicians. He said each marketplace successful Benin has its Iyeki that is chosen by the marketplace women and brought to the palace for blessing.
The Oba of Benin past summoned a gathering of each the iyeki successful each the markets successful Benin City and directed, done his chiefs, that each the iyeki successful immoderate of the markets successful Benin wherever determination are nary 2 leaders, with 1 appointed by Ibhaguezejele and the different by Blakky Ogiamen who was seen arsenic protagonist of the past medication of Godwin Obaseki, should proceed to function. But successful immoderate marketplace wherever determination are 2 leaders loyal to the 2 women, they should beryllium dissolved and a caller 1 picked by the marketplace women for submission to the palace.
Investigations by Vanguard indicated that determination are immoderate palace chiefs who are supporting Ibhaguezejele taking into information her boldness successful going up with her activities contempt protests against her particularly the assertion that she is not from Benin and that the civilization and traditions of Esanland wherever she comes from are not the aforesaid with that of Benin and truthful would not beryllium capable to relation arsenic the caput of immoderate marketplace successful Benin Kingdom.
For alleged pecuniary reasons, these chiefs person not told her that she would conscionable a ceramic partition successful her ambition to person 1 azygous person of marketplace women successful the full state, which it is believed whitethorn person encouraged her to invitation Tinubu-Ojo to inaugurate her.
Protests
There was a program to instal Ibhaguezejele earlier the September 2024 governorship predetermination successful the authorities but it could not clasp due to the fact that of protests. When the program resurfaced a fewer weeks ago, immoderate women nether the name, Edo State Market Women Association (ESMWA) protested against it. They said she is not of Benin extraction and that it was a negation of their age-long signifier of having a Benin pistillate who understands the civilization and contented of Benin arsenic their leader.
A missive signed by Mrs Florence Ahunwan, their coordinator and 5 others claimed that the alleged imposition of Ibhaguezejele was an injustice and a taboo “where a non-Benin, with nary known inclination to the Benin contented and custom, has been imposed to ...
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