Oba of Benin position is sacrosanct — Edo government

• The Edo State government reaffirmed Oba of Benin’s leadership, addressing claims of reduced subvention and increased funding under Governor Obaseki
• Administrative issues led to temporary warehousing funds; resolved now, N1.3B is distributed among traditional rulers across the state

The Edo State government has reiterated that the Oba of Benin, Omo N’Oba N’Edo Uku Akpolokpolo, Oba Ewuare II, is the undisputed leader of the state’s traditional rulers and chiefs.

The government stated that the subvention to the monarch has increased since Governor Godwin Obaseki took office and has not been reduced in any way, contrary to what mischief makers claim.

According to a statement issued by the commissioner for communication and orientation Chris Osa Nehikhire, funding has increased since the start of Governor Godwin Obaseki’s administration because the Value Added Tax (VAT) and excess crude components have been included.

It said:

The Oba of Benin’s position as the permanent head of all the traditional rulers in Edo State remains sacrosanct in the state government’s implementation of the traditional rulers and chiefs edict of 1979, especially as relates to section 45 of the edict.

Recently, in the wake of some disagreement among some traditional rulers in the state, the traditional rulers agreed with the state government to temporarily warehouse the fund in a central pool until the administrative issues were addressed. This was between April 2023 and July 2023.

It is important to state here that against the false information that the fund was withheld from July 2022 to July 2023, all statutory payment was paid until April 2023, when it was agreed for the funds to be warehoused till date for the resolution of outstanding issues.

These administrative issues have now been resolved by the Edo State Government and the palace delegation led by the Iyase of Benin, Chief Sam Igbe, and this pool of funds is now being disbursed to the various traditional rulers across the State as well as the Benin Traditional Council.

The total amount now being disbursed to all the traditional rulers in the state is N1,316,746,764.13. Of this amount, N639,269,245.26, goes to the traditional rulers in Edo South Senatorial District.

While the Benin Traditional Council (BTC) gets N319,634,622.63, the balance of N255,707,698 s distributed to the traditional councils in the seven local governments in the senatorial district, while N63,926,924.52 left is reserved for any emergency in the councils.

In the same vein, Edo North traditional rulers get N377,642,592.6 while Edo Central traditional rulers receive N299,834,926.27

It is therefore shocking to hear mischief makers trying to stir a phantom crisis between the Edo State Government and the palace of the revered monarch, with many of them making completely false statements and spreading misinformation on social media.

We call on Edo people to be wary of misinformation and know that everything is being done according to the law and the accounts of the traditional rulers are being credited.

In all of these, we want to by this medium restate that His Royal Majesty, Omo N’Oba N’Edo Uku Akpolokpolo, the Oba of Benin, remains the permanent chairman of the Edo State Council of Traditional Rulers and Chiefs as well as the permanent chairman of Benin Traditional Council (BTC).”