Edo State Governor, Monday Okpebholo, has welcomed the return of Benin Bronzes from Switzerland, describing the restitution as a historic milestone and insisting that the artefacts belong to the Oba of Benin’s Palace.
Okpebholo stated this while receiving the Director-General of the National Commission for Museums and Monuments, Olugbile Holloway, the Consul General of Switzerland in Lagos, Conny Camenzind, Director of the Ethnographic Museum of the University of Zurich, Professor Dr Alice Hertzog; Curator at the museum, Dr Alex Malefakis; and other members of the delegation at the Government House in Benin City.
A statement released by the governor’s Chief Press Secretary, Patrick Ebojele, on Thursday said Okpebholo thanked the Swiss Government and other stakeholders for facilitating the return of the artefacts.
He said the Benin Bronzes were not ordinary objects but symbols of the history, culture and spirituality of the Benin Kingdom.
“First of all, let me thank you for this moment because this is a defining history in our land. To me, there is no point in playing politics with what belongs to the palace.
“We have culture here. I believe in our culture. Those bronzes are not just bronze; they are symbolic and spiritual to our kingdom. Wherever they are, they will all find their way back to Nigeria to Edo State,” he said.
Okpebholo stressed that the artefacts belong to the Oba of Benin’s Palace and should remain under the custody of the traditional institution.
