The Oba of Benin, Oba Ewuare II, has revealed that the administration of former Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki, deliberately stopped funding the Benin Palace for seven months in an attempt to weaken the influence of the traditional institution.
The monarch made this known during a media interaction with journalists in Benin City. He said the palace had to take full responsibility for paying staff salaries and maintaining its surroundings after the government first reduced, and later completely withheld, its statutory allocation.
“We paid workers from our own resources. Even clearing the weeds around the palace became our duty,” the Oba said. “This was clearly an attempt to undermine the traditional institution.”
He added that despite the move, “God and our ancestors did not allow their plans to succeed.”
Oba Ewuare II also recalled a similar past experience when a former military governor—who once received help from the palace—disrespected the royal institution by erecting a storey building on a sacred site near the palace.
He vowed to reclaim all sacred lands that had been forcefully taken, saying the integrity of traditional and cultural sites must be protected.
The monarch also called for a constitutional review that would clearly define the role and powers of traditional rulers in Nigeria. He said doing so would help protect their authority, curb misuse, and preserve cultural values.
