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| Oba Ewuare II, 40th Oba of Benin Kingdom |
(By EdoFolks.com) - The Uzama are the most ancient and the highest ranking order of
Chiefs in Benin. The origin of Uzama dates back however to the era of Eweka I.
In the thirteenth century. They perform the function of crowning the king, The
idea that they make a king by crowning him may be correct but they do not
choose a king as the Oyomesi of Oyo Empire who can make and unmake a monarch.
Eweka I ordered that every Oba of Benin should be crowned by Chief Oliha, the
most senior Uzama, because it was he who led the team of elders to Uhe (Ife) to
persuade Izoduwa to return to Benin, to rule.
Oliha also performed a rare function of preserving the seven lice
given to the team by Izoduwa for three years. No wonder he was given the
appellation Ogele mun iru (he indeed preserved the lice). Today he is still
called Oliha No Gele. Izoduwa (Oduduwa) remembering the circumstances
that led to his banishment refused to send his son. But after much persuasion,
he agreed on the condition, that the people would subject themselves to, and
pass a test of their ability to care for his son. The test was to give them
seven lice to care for.
Oliha
preserved them in the hair of his slaves for three years to the delightful
surprise of Oduduwa. The other Uzama are Edohen, Ezomo, Ero, Eholo-nire, Oloton
and Edaiken. Six of them were created by Eweka I, and made hereditary. The
seventh, Edaiken, which is held by the eldest son of the Oba and Heir-apparent
to Benin throne was the creation of Ewuare the Great. Immediately the Edaiken
becomes Oba, the title of Edaiken automatically devolves on his eldest son.
So too any of the other Uzama titles when the holder dies. One of the Uzama,
Oloton was one of the courtiers who accompanied Prince Oronmiyan from Ife. He
was left in Benin among others to look after the young Eweka 1. This explains
why he is the only Uzama who can be initiated into the Iweguae society. All
other Uzama are initiated into the Iwebo society. The Uzama occupy unique
positions outside the inner wall on the western side of Benin City. Of these
Uzebu, Urubi and Uselu belonging to the Ezomo, Ero and Edaiken respectively are
considerable villages. Idunmwoloton is a ward in Benin City, while ldunmwoliha,
Idunmwedohen and ldunmweholo consist of little more than the immediate
dependents of the Chiefs.
Each Uzama enjoys a large degree of independence in his own
domain. He keeps a court with palace associations organized on similar lines to
those of the Oba, though on a smaller scale. This does not apply to Oloton
however because titles at ldunmwoloton are conferred by the Oba at the time of
his installation. Some titles are still held at Uzebu, Urubi but the Palace
societies have ceased to function. When the Edaiken moves to Uselu all the
Palace societies are restored and begin to function just as those in the Oba
Palace.
Apart from this specific role of the Uzama during the coronation
of an Oba, some of them had individual responsibilities in the past, With the
advent of colonialism some of these responsibilities have since faded into
insignificance. The Ezomo, for instance, was the senior war Chief or General.
He was undoubtedly the wealthiest and the most influential of the Uzama. Ero
was the guardian of the North-Western gate-way to the City and had some
responsibility for the Edaiken and the Queen mother near whose Palace his own
domain is situated. Oloton is the keeper of the shrine of Azama, at which
special sacrifices are made at the naming of the Oba's eldest son and on other
occasions. The Uzama therefore occupy a unique position In the social and
political set up of the kingdom.
Oba Ewedo was crowned in
about 1255 A.D. Prior to his coronation, he had become apprehensive of the
power and influence of the Uzama who were almost equal to the Oba. He felt that
the Uzama would constitute a great check to his political power, and so, to
avoid this situation, Oba Ewedo decided to move the seat of his administration
from Usama which was surrounded by the residence of the Uzama, to the present
site of Oba Palace in the centre of the town. He made all necessary
arrangements for the removal without informing the Uzama chiefs until the day
of his coronation.
But alas the centre of
the town he was moving to had as many powerful individual sectional leaders as
the Uzama behind the moat. During the interregnum powerful individuals had
sprung up and had carved out areas of influence for themselves all over the
town centre. One of such powerful leaders was lsekherhe who laid claim to that
part of the town surrounding the area now known as Ibiwe street. Another was
Enekighidi of Ogbelaka off Sapele Road. The most powerful and leader of them
all was Ogiamien whose father, Evian, had opposed the mission to Uhe in search
of Ekaladerhan. And since post-interregnum Obas lived behind the moat, the town
centre leaders felt reasonably secure until Oba Ewedo decided to move into
their midst.
On the eventful day, Oba
Ewedo left Usama shortly after the ceremonies and the first of the powerful
leaders he encountered en route was lsekherhe who refused to allow the Oba pass
through his "territory". But after the Oba (who had a fowl hanging
from his neck) had explained his mission Isekherhe let him pass but not before
the Oba had paid Isekherhe a fee of a wife and the sum of "Ugiamwen"
(equivalent to 65 kobo in modern currency). But the leader of them all, the
powerful Ogiamien was waiting only a short distance away and he called on Oba
Ewedo to return to where he came from.
The Oba explained that he
was going to offer sacrifice with the fowl on his neck. But when Ogiamien
pulled this off, the Oba and his followers became indignant. Fight broke out and
Ogiamien fled but throwing a challenge to the Oba to meet him in battle at
Ekiokpagha in seven days time. Ekiokpaha (Okpagha market) is situated along
Sokponba Road near the St. Matthew's Cathedral Church.
In the subsequent
engagement at Ekiokpagha, Ogiamien was defeated by the Oba. He later
surrendered and made peace with the Oba. A symbolic treaty was established
between them by which Ogiamien surrendered his claim to the ownership of land
to the Oba to whom he also pledged loyalty. Ogiamien was in return made a Chief
by the Oba and was allowed to retain his nick-name, Ogiamien, as a title and to
retain authority over that part of the land he occupied subject to the
superiority of the Oba.
The Isekherhe
confrontation and Treaty of Ekiokpagha have since then become significant
events in the coronation of every Oba of Benin. He has to cross a bridge and
engage in mock quarrel with Isekherhe and Ogiamien in front of lsekherhe's
house at lbiwe Street, and on the seventh day, engage in a mock battle with Chief
Ogiamien at Ekiokpagha. It is also on record that Evian the father of Ogiamien
had earlier tried to prevent Oronmiyan from entering the kingdom on his way
from Uhe. But this attempt was foiled by a ferry man at Ovia river.
Also at the time of Eweka
I the son of Oronmiyan, a similar attempt was made by Ogiamien the son of Evian
to prevent him from entering Benin City from Ego. War ensued between the people
of Ego and Ogiamien at Isekhere leading to the defeat of the forces of
Ogiamien. Therefore the engagement at Ekiokpagha between Ewedo and Ogiamien
marked the final phase of the series of resistance put up by Ogiamien to
prevent the establishment of the Monarchy in Benin City.
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