Benin National Congress

The Report of the Fact-Finding Committee (FFC), Instituted by the BNC, to Review and Settle the Rift between Mr. Eno-louis and Mr. Razaq Bello-Osagie over the Botched Benin Bronze Festival.

INTRODUCTION

The issue of the botched Benin bronze festival first came to the knowledge of the Congress when on Saturday 19th November 2006, the Congress President (Mr. Aiyamenkhue Edokpolo) in company of the Congress Correspondence Officer, Mr. Iroghama Ero overheard some chiefs in the Palace discussing the matter involving the aforementioned illustrious sons of Benin in connection to monies received from donor agencies and individuals. Worried by this development and its propensity to spell doom for future programs of Benin nation, the Congress president resolved that the Congress would investigate the issue in due course. Subsequently, at an executive session of the Congress on Friday 24 November 2006, the president was mandated to preside over a Fact Finding Committee (FFC) that will study the issues and make appropriate recommendations accordingly.

INVESTIGATION AND FINDINGS

On Wednesday 29 November 2006, the Congress President had a meeting with Mr. Eno-louis regarding the Benin National Merit Award as a recipient. He Eno-louis raised the issue and said he believed, the congress could ask Razaq Bello- Osagie how much he received and settle the matter amicably. In the course of time (some days later) Mr. Eno-louis told the FFC to ensure that Mr. Razaq gives him the sum of #2.7million being Ten percent they got from donors. He also asked the FFC to assist him security-wise to ensure his-own voice of Bronze (a version of the planned Benin Bronze Festival) was done. The congress actually gave him the security support as requested.

Mr. Bello-Osagie’s Company, Party Kingdom Limited which had been accredited as Co- organizer and Chief Marketer of the Festival’s maiden edition showed the FFC a copy of a crafted Template (blue-print) detailing the various activities, comprehensive budget, draft festival brochure, T-Shirts, Face Caps, decorational materials, various expenditure receipts which covers traveling, Venues for the festival activities (Museum ground and Oba Akenzua Cultural Centre) as well as Fliers. He also presented evidence of payments made for Office apartment at 9, Igun St. including payments for its refurbishments. He also showed the FFC team the logistics for marketing teams set-up in Lagos to solicit sponsorship and some responses of Banks who advise that they could not be part of the event at that time due to budget constraint. In which case the alternative was to move the event forward to 2007. Mr. Bello-Osagie claimed that as an event specialist, allowing a festival like the Benin Bronze brand with the little resources available which was not enough for the project will bring ridicule and odium to our much cherished Values because the outcome would be a colossal failure. He said his suggestion to postpone the event was to allow corporate sponsors who had shown interest to be part of the historic event make commitments. This he claimed was the crust of the matter because Mr. Louis Enobakhare refused inspite of the intervention of some prominent Benin personalities including the Iyase of Benin. He, (Mr. Razaq) all the same bought the idea to allow Mr. Louis organize a hitch-free program because the latter had vowed that he will not do the program with Bello-Osagie. Mr. Razaq was also cautioned not to undermine the Congress commitment to peace and rancor- free Bronze project of Eno-Louis. On the day of Mr. Eno-Louis program, he called the BNC president and claimed that some protesting youths from Igun were mobilized by Mr. Razaq to disrupt his program. The FFC called Mr. Bello-Osagie to Chief Isekhure’s Palace to defend himself on the issue. Before the Chief Priest of Benin Nation, Mr. Razaq claimed that for well over seven days, he has been avoiding Igun St. and King’s Square area so that no body will allege “anything of this nature” against him. When the FFC moved into Igun St. it was obvious that the Youths were demanding comprehensive explanations from Eno-Louis over the need to exhibit their Art works. They claimed they have been used in the past without benefiting from similar gestures. Mr. Louis upon realizing that his alarm (that Mr. Razaq deployed thugs to disrupt his program) was false apologized to the BNC president and the FFC and later in the day, the FFC members attended the Louis’s program at the Museum. The FFC expressed its displeasure at the low turnout of attendance at the occasion. The FFC equally advised Mr. Razaq to put the past behind and prepare ahead for a standard Bronze Festival, which he claimed he was committed to.

In the final analysis, the FFC went to government House and other sources and made enquiries from individuals. It was clear that what Mr. Razaq got from verifiable donors could not have been more than N6.5 million and not the sum of N27million that Eno-Louis claimed. However, the FFC succumbed to the plea made to it by Eno-Louis to secure some assistance from Razaq Bello-Osagie to enable him pay the over-draft he allegedly took from Oceanic Bank. The Committee did put pressure on Mr. Bello-Osagie to release some money to Mr. Louis for his package. A cheque in the sum of N500, 000.00 was subsequently released to Eno-Louis thru the Congress President which has since been encashed by the beneficiary (Eno-Louis).

The Congress at an Executive Session on the 21st of December 2006 reviewed the issue, in the spirit and need to sustain the integrity and peaceful disposition of this case do resolve as follows.

(1) That considering the false alarm (the allegation that Mr. Bello-Osagie was in possession of #27million; and that he bought a Hummer jeep from it and its misleading implications) raised by Mr. Louis Enobakhare and for which he secured the sum of N500, 000.00, is unfortunate and regrettable. The Congress wish to state that, that sum should be viewed as a donation to Eno-Louis by Mr. Razaq Bello-Osagie because the latter has declared that it was his contribution to support the promotion of our cultural heritage through Eno-Louis.

(2) That, for Equity, Fairness, Probity and Posterity, Mr. Razaq Bello-Osagie should host a Benin Bronze festival so that the donors will be satisfied that the purpose for which the funds were donated was not defeated. The Congress has therefore set, 11th May 2007 as realistic deadline for the project. We wish to humbly and most respectfully appeal to His Royal Majesty to consider a convenient date for the organizers within the period under reference.

(3) That, for the interest of peace, and Benin national interest, Mr. Enobakhare Louis and Razaq Bello-Osagie should let this matter be put to rest, once and for all and by so doing refrain from any act capable of denigrating the Benin cherished Values and image as the Congress will not sit back and watch fortune seekers and opportunists catching on this issue in whatever guise.

(4) The Congress wish to state that since the purpose of raising the funds was not to Share, it would be fraudulent and an Image-denting plot to support the sharing of funds raised for the Bronze program by the duo. It is hereby stated that no further payments from the festival receipts should be deployed other than the official purpose.

(5) The Congress wishes to appeal to His Royal Majesty, The Oba of Benin, the Executive Governor of Edo State, the donor agencies, Public Spirited Individuals and other Concerned stakeholders to consider this matter resolved. Mr. Louis Enobakhare has been advised to excuse the office premises (9, Igun St Benin City.) for Party Kingdom Limited to utilize for the purpose of achieving a hitch-free Festival.

We do solemnly declare that these resolutions were taking in the best interest of the parties as well as the watching public. And the Congress is of the view that this intervention will be appreciated by all and sundry to the extent that it will make a statement on crisis management as a virtue.

Aiyamenkhue Edokpolo - President.
Efosa Atoe - Chief Action and Mobilization Officer.
Iroghama Ero - Chief Correspondence Officer.

---

Cc;

His Royal Majesty, Omo N’ Oba n’ Edo uku Akpolo kpolo, Oba Erediauwa CFR. The Oba of Benin.
His Excellency, Chief Nosakhare Igbinedion, Governor of Edo State. His Excellency, Chief Odigie Oyegun, 1 Executive Governor of Edo State.
The Iyase of Benin .
Chief Nosakhare Isekhure JP, The Isekhure of Benin.
Barr. Osagie Ize-Iyamu, Secretary to the State Government.
Capt. Hosa Okunbor and all members of the Board of trustees of BNC.
All Donors to the projects.
Benin Leaders of Thought and council of Enigies.
Benins In Diaspora Organisation (B.I.D.O.).