Benin Traditional Council – Palace Press Release, Ref. No. BTC.A66/VOL.IV/262 dated 28th August, 2006.
“Our attention has been drawn to the practice in which some persons in correspondence to the Palace and publications in the newspapers and magazines refer to Benin as ‘Bini’.
It is hereby stated for the information of the general public that our correct ethnic name is Benin and not ‘Bini’, and that our people are to be referred to as Benin people or simply Benins. The Omo N’Oba requests that the use of ‘Bini’ should stop forthwith. Individuals, government agencies, corporate organizations, print and electronic media, and the general public should please take note”. Signed (actual signature) Chief S. O. U Igbe, MON, Iyase of Benin. On behalf of all Benin Chiefs. The Institute only took up the campaign because our people say; ‘ama kuenma orhe obodafen, agha kuen, ama kpe, orhe obo ibieguae’
“That the Institute for Benin Studies have also not helped in ascribing things their proper significancies” as claimed by Okhaemwen Obasuyi N’Oghaevbo is because he did not take into cognisance series of workshops/seminars the Institute has organised over the past decade. Specifically, Edo Language Workshop for Producers/Presenters in Electronics Media, Art-page Editors, Scripture Translators and Education/Culture Supervisory Councillors in Local Government Councils was organised by the Institute for Benin Studies and co-sponsored by the Solomon Iyobosa Edebiri Foundation at Bishop Kely Pastoral Centre, Benin city in March, 2009. All participants paid no fees.Prof. Union Edebiri, Dr. Imasuen, present VC of UNIBEN, Dr. V. E. Omozuwa and numerous others from the academia brainstormed vigorously with titans like late Ikponmwosa Osemwegie, Pa Uwabo Osemwota, Dr. O. S. B Omoregie, Dr. Ekhaguosa Aisien, Mr. G. O. Obaze, Chief Nosakhare Isekhure, Okhaemwen D. U. Edebiri and others from outside the academic environment.
Issues relating to grey areas in our spoken and written language constituted main theme at the workshop which produced such word as “isuakpara-eghodo’ instead of ‘esakpaeghodin’ long held as representing – great, great grand child in Edo language. For the year 2011, the proposed Edo Language Skill Enhancement Workshpn scheduled for February / March could not hold for reasons of paucity of funds. Therefore, the Institute may not be correctly labelled; considering these deliberate fora created for streamlining issues as propagating, “a facile construction bereft of the benefit of rigorous analysis”
Though we hold dear, the Benin saying, “Ai waen se, erhi ho emwin mwen yi”, the Institute went further to authenticate other articulated reasons that may have informed the Press Release from the Palace, and they include (though not exhaustive);- In considering “culture, tradition, history et al” we invariable must talk of Benin … and not Bini history etc. Historical documentation has known us for centuries as Benin History and not Bini History. It must be conceded that that some early chroniclers of Benin have propagated the word Bini, but it should also be realised that the age of one wrong doing does not shield it from being corrected if discovered that the existing practice has some defect(s). The word Benin itself is the standardized form of either or both of the words, ‘ubini or ibinu’ when you transpose the first and last letters. The word Bini restricts the scope of the coverage that the word Benin assumes. Once you say Bini, then the comm unities outside the seven local government areas sand excluded. Whereas people in as far-flung communities as in Ekiti could claim Benin origin but not bini origin.
Similar lack of stamping deserved authority regrettably created the loss of many vasal state at the turn of the penultimate century.- We stand therisk of losing that identity to the Republic of Benin if we continue to hold tenaciously to the word Binin at the expense of the more internationally known Benin. We shall inevitably become less known as Benins while our ‘off-springs’ as it were claims all the glory. Already, most of the recent dictionaries, especially since the new millennium only refer to Benin as – a small West African French country. Nothing absolutely is said about us being Benin too. Whereas, older editions recognised Benin as – a powerful African kingdom of the rain forest, South West, Nigeria. Incidentally the book, “FROM BIRTH TO DEATH” was written by the Iyase Edo hia himself and was reviewed by another respected Eghaevbo N’Orre – now Okhaemwen C. U. E, Obasuyi N’Oghaevbo yet the issue of Benin / Bini eluded resolution.
We hope this little input has laid it to rest but in the event of further inquiries or ‘queries’ we offer ourselves ready to seek appropriate clarifications and make public our findings.
Thank you,
Oba ghato, okpere……. Ise.
Aiko. Obobaifo.
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