Oba Ewuare II of Benin was last Wednesday frowned at the alleged assault on 80
-year- old orthopaedic surgeon, Dr C.O.Ogiugo, by some palace guards, last
Thursday, after he was walked out of the palace and has resolved to investigate
the matter.
Ogiugo was said to have escorted a relation to the palace of the
Oba but incurred the wrath of palace chiefs when he failed to kneel down and
pay homage to the monarch.
He was immediately walked out of the palace by
palace guards who placed curses on him.
The incident attracted the attention of
people when the old man, after he had been bullied out of the palace gate,
knelt down to cry to God to save him. He explained that he could not kneel down
to greet the Oba because he was suffering severe arthritis but that he bowed to
the monarch to pay his respect which was viewed by the chiefs as a great
disrespect. “I tried to explain to them but I was not given the opportunity”,
the old man said.
However, a statement by the Chief Press Secretary to the Oba
of Benin, Desmond Agbama, said “The attention of the Palace has been drawn to
the news making the rounds on social media about a man who was sent out of the
Palace of the Oba of Benin on Thursday 17th August, 2017.
For the avoidance of
doubt, the man in question is not a Chief in Benin Kingdom as has been ascribed
to him. The man came to the Palace in company of those who had issues to
resolve at the Palace, but he violated the norms of the Benin custom and
traditions and was found carrying on his personal abominable objects forbidden
by Benin custom and tradition. At no time did the Oba order the man to be
manhandled.
The persons who escorted the man out of the Palace may have
overreached themselves in their efforts to protect the tradition and culture of
the Benin people and the sanctity of the Palace. However, the Oba of Benin has
ordered a full investigation into the incident”.
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