Benin Traditional Council, BTC, has suspended six palace functionaries for allegedly presenting themselves as the palace’s emissaries before the Ooni of Ife in a function.
A statement signed by Chief Sam Igbe, Iyase of Benin kingdom, on behalf of BTC, and made available to newsmen in Benin City on Saturday listed the suspended palace functionaries as Johnbull Igbinosun, Iduhonre (Ihogbe), S.E. Aigbiremwen, Efesieoghoba (Ogbelaka),
The statement also listed Ogbeide Osagie and Osamudiame Edo among the suspended functionaries.
He said they were suspended for allegedly engaging themselves in a “sacrilegious show of shame and falsehood against the Benin Custom.”
“These individuals not only declared themselves subjects of the Ooni, but also rendered an inaccurate and disjointed account of the connection between the Benin Royal Dynasty and the Ooni-ship of Ife,” the statement added.
He explained that the offence of the suspended functionaries was contained in video clips circulating on social media.
He noted that the palace considered the conduct of the functionaries as “inappropriate, sacrilegious and calculated to ridicule traditional history, and to bring disrepute to Benin custom.”
He, however, advised the general public to refrain from having anything to do with the suspended functionaries as traditional functionaries in Benin kingdom throughout their suspension.
He also urged the general public to disregard the inaccurate accounts rendered by the ill-bred individuals named above.