Iyaloja structure: CHRICED applauds Oba of Benin’s position
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"Oba Ewuare II’s response was clear, courageous, and culturally grounded. He reaffirmed that Benin markets are governed by the Iyeki—leaders chosen by traders and confirmed by the palace."
Centre for Human Rights and Civic Education (CHRICED) has applauded the position taken by Oba of Benin, Oba Ewuare II, that his town’s culture does not favour the ‘Iyaloja’ structure.
CHRICED commended Ewuare for what it called “his bold and principled rejection of the imposition of the alien ‘Iyaloja’ structure on Edo State’s markets. This decision marks a pivotal moment in the defence of indigenous governance and democratic accountability in Nigeria.”
The group said this in a press statement signed by its Executive Director, Comrade Dr. Ibrahim M. Zikirullahi, and sent to PMNEWS on Sunday in Lagos.
It condemned the proposal championed by Mrs. Folashade Tinubu-Ojo seeking to install Pastor Josephine Ivbazebule as Iyaloja of all Edo markets.
According to the group, such an attempt was “to transplant a Lagos-Yoruba-rooted title into the sacred commercial spaces of the Benin Kingdom, disregarding centuries of tradition and spiritual order.”
He described the Oba’s response as courageous and culturally grounded.
“Oba Ewuare II’s response was clear, courageous, and culturally grounded. He reaffirmed that Benin markets are governed by the Iyeki—leaders chosen by traders and confirmed by the palace.
“These figures are not mere administrators; they are custodians of sacred shrines and emissaries of the Oba’s spiritual authority. Unlike the centralized Iyaloja-General system prevalent in the South-West, particularly in Lagos, the Benin model is decentralized, rooted in communal consensus and spiritual stewardship.
“To undermine this system is to desecrate the very identity of the Benin people,” the statement said.
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