Breaking: FG To Take Possession Of Returned Benin Artefacts, Snubs Obaseki, Monarch

The controversy between Governor Godwin Obaseki and the Benin Royal Palace over the possession of the soon to be returned Benin artefacts from Germany has been resolved with the Federal Government declaring that it would take possession of the valued artefacts.

Minister of information and culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed who made the declaration on Saturday said that negotiations with Germany were essentially between the Nigerian state and the German authorities.

He declared that 1,130 Benin bronze artworks would be returned to the country in August, 2022 with the agreement on the return expected to be signed in December 2021.

He, however, did not declare where the Benin artworks would be housed.

 GreenWhiteGreen GWG had reported the unprecedented press statement issued by the Oba of Benin, Oba Ewuare II where he rebuked Governor Obaseki over his plans to handover the artefacts to a private institution for safekeeping.

Speaking on the development on Saturday morning, Alhaji Lai Mohammed who has represented Nigeria in the negotiations with German authorities said:

“The most remarkable progress in our quest to repatriate our looted artefacts has been recorded in Germany, which is currently working with us for the repatriation of 1,130 Benin Bronzes to Nigeria. As you are aware, I recently led a high-level Nigerian delegation to Berlin, Germany, to iron out the modalities for the repatriation.

“We agreed to have a definitive timeline for the repatriation of the artefacts because Nigeria is tired of an indefinite timeline. Therefore, we resolved that the agreement on the repatriation should be signed in December 2021 and the repatriation should be concluded by August 2022. I told the Germans that Nigeria is averse to attaching pre-conditions to repatriating the Benin Bronzes. These are our properties, do not give us conditions for releasing them. We therefore agreed that the release will be unconditional, neither will it be staggered.

On the controversy over the possession of the returned artefacts, Alhaji Mohammed said:

“Gentlemen, the Federal Government is aware of the widely-reported controversy on who will take possession of the Benin Bronzes when they are returned from Germany.

“Let me state clearly here that, in line with international best practice and the operative Conventions and laws, the return of the artefacts is being negotiated bilaterally between the national governments of Nigeria and Germany.

“Nigeria is the entity recognized by international law as the authority in control of antiquities originating from Nigeria. The relevant international Conventions treat heritage properties as properties belonging to the nation and not to individuals or subnational groups. For example, the 1970 UNESCO Convention, in its Article 1, defines cultural property as property specifically designated by that nation. “This allows individual nations to determine what it regards as its cultural property. Nevertheless, the Nigerian state –  through the Federal Ministry of Information and Culture and the National Commission for Museums and Monuments – has in working assiduously over the past years to repatriate our looted artefacts carried along our important traditional institutions and state governments.

“What I am saying, in essence, is that the Federal government will take possession of these antiquities, because it is its duty to do so, in line with the extant laws. But we have always exercised this right in cognizance of that culture that produced the artworks.”

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