A New Benin Nation Is Possible: A Goodwill Message To The Benin Summit Group

By Senator Ehigie Uzamere

Good morning, my people, my dear brothers and sisters.

I feel extremely humbled being called upon to give a goodwill message at this august gathering of great Benin minds. When I got the invitation, I was initially skeptical of accepting until I was assured by the organizers that it was not a political gathering.

I must confess that this is the first time in all of my adult life that I am invited to give a goodwill message at such a significant gathering aimed at restoring our pride of place by reminding us of who we were, and who we can be tomorrow. I salute the foresight and tenacity of the organizers. Perseverance will take us to the desired destination.

Today, I do not speak only as Ehigie Uzamere. I speak as a son of Benin, as a Nigerian, as one who carries in his veins the blood of a proud and ancient people and the responsibility of a new generation. An undiluted Benin man.

A new dawn is upon us. A fresh morning has come. The shadows of the night are fading, and the light of hope is breaking upon our land. But the question before us is clear: Will we rise to meet this dawn, or will we remain shackled to the chains of yesterday?

Yesterday is gone. Today is here with us, while tomorrow beckons. I declare with courage, with conviction, and with faith: A New Benin nation is possible.

For too long, pride, envy, jealousy, and strife have held us back. Too long have we allowed division and backbiting to weaken us. My people, hatred is more expensive than love. As Nelson Mandela said, “Resentment is like drinking poison and then hoping it will kill your enemies.”

In truth, that poison kills only the person who drank it. If we must move forward, we must let go of resentment. We must let go of unbridled pride. We must forgive. We must reconcile. We must walk together. We must understand the full meaning of forgiveness and embrace peace.

We must respect leaders in authority and stop casting aspersions on our leaders and our sole traditional ruler, His Majesty, Omo N’Oba N’Edo Uku Akpolokpolo, Oba Ewuare II, Oba of Benin, in conventional media, beer parlours, and social media. He is the embodiment of the dignity, integrity, spirituality, and awesomeness of the Benin nation.
This is the rationale for the concept “Obaruyiedo”.

According to the British common law doctrine, the King can do no wrong. He is immune from criticism. Our Oba remains revered.

Abraham Lincoln reminded us that: “A house divided against itself can not stand.”

My brothers and sisters, we, the Benins, can not rise if we remain divided. Benin nation can not flourish if envy divides us. The Benins can not prosper if we fight ourselves. Unity is not a weakness. Unity is strength. It is only through strength that progress can be achieved.

Yes, our history is glorious. The bronzes of Benin astonished the world. The moats and walls of Benin showed our genius. Our forefathers were warriors, builders, diplomats, and visionaries. But let us not be prisoners of our past.

Winston Churchill once said, “The price of greatness is responsibility.” Our ancestors paid their price. Now, it is our turn to live, and we must learn from the past; avoiding any inherent mistakes therein.

The Benins today face many challenges: hatred, insecurity, gossip, poverty, and a lack of trust in ourselves. But my people, these challenges are not the end of our story. They are the root cause of our division, and with collective unity, they shall be surmounted.

We must carry forward the dignity of our ancestors while adding our own chapter. A chapter of modern greatness, youth empowerment, good governance, and economic renewal. A chapter of positive continuity. More than 60% of the Benin population is made up of young people. The future belongs to them. But we must not only tell the youth that they are leaders of tomorrow; we must equip them to lead.

We must allow them space to co-exist and function. As Barack Obama once said, “The future rewards those who press on. I don’t have time to feel sorry for myself. I don’t have time to complain. I’m going to press on.”

We must build a system where our young people can press on, through quality education, entrepreneurship, and opportunities to serve in leadership.

A New Benin nation is possible when our youths are not only job seekers but job creators. A New Benin nation is possible when our young men and women are not pushed out by frustration but pulled up and pulled in by opportunities. A new Benin nation is possible when the comfortable and privileged lend the have-nots their shoulders to lean on. A new Benin nation is possible if looking down towards the poor is only to admire the colour of their footwear and not to laugh at them in derision. A new Benin nation is possible when we do not see other tribes as less human but created by God as equals. A new Benin nation is possible when we stand for what is right. A new Benin nation is possible when we pull in our younger ones as partners in the journey of life. A new Benin nation will not be built by tearing each other down. It will be built by lifting one another up. Too often, we criticise loudly and envy in silence. This must change.

Let us reward good deeds. Let us celebrate noble actions. Let us honour those who serve selflessly. As Theodore Roosevelt said, “Far and away the best prize that life has to offer is the chance to work hard at work worth doing.” When we celebrate our own, we inspire more people to rise to the challenge.

When we encourage goodness, we multiply greatness. My people, I say it again: A New Benin nation is possible. It is possible if we choose unity over division.

It is possible if we choose hope over despair. It is possible if we choose courage over fear. It is possible if we choose truth over falsehood. It is possible when we embrace genuine brotherhood. It is possible when we hold our heads high with confidence.

Martin Luther King Jr. declared, “The time is always right to do what is right.” My people, the time is now. Not tomorrow. Not next year. Now! The morning is upon us. The dawn is here. Let us not waste the broken dawn. Let us not sit idly and watch the evolving dawn. We must up and seize the day.

The heroes of tomorrow are not locked in the pages of history. They are here among us today. They are you. They are me. They are us. From our schools, our markets, our churches, our mosques, our villages, and our cities, new heroes will rise. But for them to rise, the soil must be fertile.

Just as the great iroko can not grow in barren ground, greatness can not emerge from the barrenness of hatred and division. We must cultivate love, unity, and encouragement.
We must stop the blame game.

If this summit is not to end as a mere talk show, we must follow up with an action plan or a pathway to the new Benin nation of our dream, a Benin nation that is once again powerful, prosperous and famous.

It is my humble suggestion that this summit sets up a think-tank to develop a workable blueprint for the actualization of our vision of A NEW BENIN NATION.

CONCLUSION

My brothers and sisters, the bronzes of Benin, tell the world of our past. The palace tells the story of our dignity and sovereignty.

The moats tell the story of our strength. But the story of our future has not yet been written. Let us not only sing of our heroes past; let us raise heroes present and heroes yet to come. Let us not only celebrate where we came from; let us also create where we are going to.

And so, with faith in my heart and courage in my spirit, I declare once more:
A New Benin is possible.
It is possible because we believe.
It is possible because we dare.

It is possible because we unite.
And yes, Ivbiedo N’uzomo, by the grace of Almighty God, the guidance of our ancestors, and the collective will of our people,
A New Benin nation is possible, and yes, it is possible!

Oba ghator kpere, Isee.

Long live the Benin Summit Group!

Long live The Benin Nation!!

Long live Edo State!!!

Long live The Federal Republic of Nigeria!!!!