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Prominent Nigerians on Friday paid tribute to the Oba of Benin Kingdom, His Royal Majesty, Omo n’Oba n’Edo Uku Akpolopkolo Erediauwa, who has passed on following the announcement by the kingdom.
A Yoruba leader and former Minister of Finance, Chief Olu Falae, described the late monarch as a man of dignity worthy of the throne.
He said, “He was one of my seniors in the civil service. He was deputy secretary in the cabinet at the time and we knew him as Prince Akenzua. Later, he became Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Health.
“He comported himself with dignity, even in those days in the civil service. He was very quiet and spoke very little at meetings. He was very friendly and brilliant. He was a very worthy Oba.
Each time important people like him pass away, there is sure to be a vacuum to be felt by the whole society. But in the fullness of time, God in His infinite mercies would bless us with people like him.
“The traditional institution has the potential for intervening positively in the affairs of society as exemplified by the late Oba. Therefore today’s traditional rulers must aspire to assume the type of role the Oba of Benin played during his lifetime.”
A former governor of Old Kaduna State, Alhaji Balarabe Musa, also described the passing on of Erediauwa as a great loss to Nigeria as a whole.
“He should rest in peace; I offer my condolences to the people of Benin Kingdom,” he said.
In his reaction, the National Leader of the pan-Yoruba sociopolitical group, Afenifere, Rueben Fasoranti, said the vacuum left behind by the late monarch would be difficult to fill.
“He was a very outstanding scholar who made a lot of people proud,” he said, describing him as highly educated.
“His place will be difficult to fill but I hope and pray that whoever replaces him will continue with his legacy of excellence.
“I don’t know the stuff his son is made of, but I am sure he must have been properly groomed for the demands of the throne left by his late father. The Oba was a highly educated person; his place would be hard to fill. We have lost a very valuable asset. He was an administrator and leader per excellence.
“The late monarch was a very astute and calm person who ruled his people very well. There was no crisis during his reign. We all looked forward to visiting Benin all the time because of the way he administered the kingdom.”
The Emperor of Greater Iwo Empire, Abdulrasheed Akanbi, described the passing on of Erediauwa as a “great loss to the children of Oduduwa because he is part of us.”
Akanbi, who offered his condolences to Erediauwa and the entire people of Benin, prayed to God to accept the late monarch to paradise.
“This is a great loss for us all because Benin Kingdom is part of Yorubaland,” he said, describing his life as worthy of emulation.
“Therefore, he will be greatly missed because he was a wonderful king, who was good to his people. I offer my condolences to his family and the people of Benin Kingdom and pray that God accepts him to paradise. His life is worthy of emulation; his loss will leave a great vacuum.”
A prominent Edo State indigene and a former Minister of Information and Culture, Prince Tony Momoh, described the passage as a great loss because the late monarch, according to him, valued and promoted the culture of Benin Kingdom.
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