The House of Representatives has taken decisive action by establishing an ad hoc committee to address the ongoing conflict between Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo State and Oba of Benin, Ewuare II.
This resolution, made on Tuesday, stemmed from a motion of urgent public importance presented by Billy Osawaru and four other members. In the motion, Osawaru highlighted concerns about a deliberate effort to fragment the kingdom into smaller chiefdoms.
Osawaru emphasized that the Oba of Benin holds authority over the entire Benin South Senatorial District, appointing chiefs to oversee the management of various regions.
“The Oba of Benin (with the support of Chiefs appointed by him) exercises his customary dominionship over the Benin Kingdom through the Benin Traditional Council, as the only competent traditional authority in Edo South Senatorial District,” he said.
He expressed worries that the move by the state government is an attempt to create a parallel customary council.
“Without any cause, the Government of Edo State has announced its intention to institute a “new regime” by creating new traditional councils in the said seven Local Government areas of Edo South Senatorial District.”
Consequently, the House resolved to set up an Ad Hoc Committee to interact with the Government of Edo State and the Benin Traditional Council with a view to resolving the conflict brought about by the plan of the State Government.
The House also mandated the ad hoc committee to also interact with the National Security Adviser (NSA), the Nigeria Police Force and all other Federal Government Security Forces in Edo State to sensitize them on the need to avert any violent breakdown of law and order in Edo South and Edo State as a whole, following the plan of the State Government.
The committee was directed to report back to the House not later than one month.
