The imposition of a leader on Edo State market women in the name of ‘Iyaloja General of Edo Markets’ by President Bola Tinubu’s first daughter, Folashade Tinubu-Ojo has continued to elicit angry reactions and solidarity for the Oba of Benin, Ewuare 11 against brazen usurpation of his role and desecration of Benin culture and tradition by the self-acclaimed Iyaloja General of Nigeria.
On Tuesday, a group of market women in Benin City, took to the streets to protest the installation of one Pastor (Mrs.) Josephine Ibhaguezejele as the Iyaloja of all markets in Edo by Tinubu-Ojo despite a clear message to her last year that such title was alien to Benin.
A statement on Monday by the chief press secretary to the Oba, Osaigbovo Iguobaro, said the women, who took their protest to the palace of the Oba, expressed solidarity with him for upholding Benin’s rich culture and tradition.
Newsmata.com.ng (NM) reports that when Tinubu-Ojo paid a courtesy call on Oba Ewuare, she was pointedly told that “Iyaloja is alien to us here in Benin. In Benin, you are in the home of culture; we have our culture here”, and it is that “It is not in our culture to have a general Iyeki. Iyeki is particular to each market. No one has right to control the other in another market”.
Speaking on behalf of the market women on Monday evening at the Oba’s palace, Madam Florence Ahunwan, said they were in sync with Oba Ewuare for his prayers and goodwill to Nigerians in defence of Edo heritage.
Responding to the market women who sang praises of the Oba and thanked him for being a beacon of support to his loyal subjects, Chief Osaro Idah, the Obazelu of Benin, joined by other Palace chiefs who received the group on behalf of the Palace, acknowledged the comments made by the market women.
He assured the group that their goodwill message would be communicated to the Oba and cautioned them against violence while carrying out their trades at the various markets.
This is not however the first time Edo market women would be protesting Tinubu-Ojo’s decision to foist a leadership on them.
NM recalls that on Thursday August 15, 2024, market women, in their numbers, led by Madam Blacky Ogiamen, President of the Edo State Market Women Association, had thronged the palace on a thank-you visit to Oba Ewuare for rejecting the planned installation of Iyaloja in the state.
Speaking to journalists, Madam Ogiamen, said that they were at the palace to express their appreciation to the Oba for prevailing on the alleged plan to introduce another “Iyeki’ in Edo.
She said: “We came to say thank you to our royal father and grand patron, Oba Ewuare II, the Oba Benin for his intervention that led to the stoppage of the planned imposition of another market women leader (‘Iyeki’) in Edo by Folashade Tinubu, the daughter of Mr. president”.
The women vowed to continue to resist and reject any attempt to impose a new market leader ( Iyeki) on the association in the state.
