A coalition of Benin Socio-cultural Organizations, a Benin pressure group, accused Edo State Governor Godwin Obaseki on Saturday of endangering the peace in the Benin Kingdom by wanting to house the recovered artefacts in a proposed Edo Museum of West African Arts.

The group indicated that it was expected that the artefacts would be stored in the Benin Royal Museum, which would be developed with help from the state government and funded by the monarch.

They claimed that despite his prior assertion that he had no issues with the palace, Obaseki’s conduct showed that he harbored animosity toward it.

Obaseki, on Thursday, while addressing participants at a stakeholders’ engagement and unveiling of Phase one of EMOWAA in Benin City, said there was no dispute between the state government and the Palace on the issue of artefacts.

However, at a press conference, the Coordinator General of the group, Mr. Osazee Amas- Edobor, said the artefacts belonged to the palace, and that it was the rightful place for the works to be kept.

He said: “During the 1897 invasion, the entire Benin people defended that palace, and once again the entire Edo race is ready to defend what concerns that palace, and anything contrary to the Benin Royal Museum is tantamount to trying to re-loot the looted artefacts, and that will not be allowed.

“We also would like to inquire from His Excellency, why you reneged on your earlier promise regarding the Benin Royal Museum in 2018 when you supported the idea of a Benin Royal Museum before the EMOWAA idea came from the blues,” he added.

Reacting to the development, the Custodian of the Institute of Benin Studies, Peter Obobaifo, reacted said, “Did the governor say that the Benin Royal Museum will be stopped in favour of EMOWAA, I am not sure the governor said that.

“There is nothing that can stop the erection of the Benin Royal Museum. The government has no power to stop the Benin Royal Museum project. The Oba’s position is permanent. Any governor that comes has a time limit, but the Benin Royal Museum is going to be permanent as far as the monarchy remains, which means forever. There shouldn’t be any dispute between the two so the artefacts rightly belong to the Oba of Benin and whichever location or museum he chooses to house them is his prerogative.”