NEWS/INFO

Our Vision

Engr. Isaac Igbinosun, President of Organisation of Great Benin Kingdom Worldwide (OGBK) speech at the Organisation’s Inaugural Meeting in Toulouse, France, on Saturday July 20th, 2019.

Our Royal Father, Omo N’Oba N’Edo Uku Akpolokpolo Oba Ewuare ll, Members of the Organisation of Great Benin Kingdom Worldwide, Distinguished Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen.

It is indeed a great delight to welcome you all to this auspicious and epoch-making event in the history of the Great Benin Kingdom. Before I proceed to elaborate on the main reason for our convergence today, permit me to quickly relay to our guests a brief history of our Organisation, what we represent and hope to achieve, as well as to point out a few things we have done since the inception of this rather young Organisation.

The Organization of Great Benin Kingdom Worldwide was set up primarily as a machinery for the promotion and sustenance of the enviable heritage and values for which Benin is historically and globally renowned. The Organisation seeks to bring together reputable sons and daughters of Benin Kingdom who cherish this heritage and who are prepared to commit their time and other resources to ensure that the pride of Benin and of the people of Benin is re-established, sustained and promoted; this having become absolutely necessary in this present age of globalisation and its attendant consequences on a peoples’ history, identity and culture. It was in this regard that after months of intense meetings and consultation with various stakeholders in Benin, Europe and America, on the 3rd of November 2018, the Organisation of Great Benin Kingdom was born. As at today, the Organisation of Great Benin Kingdom is fully registered in Europe and in Nigeria and boasts of an expanding membership of enterprising sons and daughters of Benin spread across Nigeria, Europe, the Americas, Scandinavia and the United Kingdom. Being a global assemblage of sons and daughters of ‘Idu’- an appellation that encompasses all people, tribes and cultures that owe their ancestry to Edo, we shall by the same token stand as a bastion and a veritable umbrella association with the purpose of collaborating with and integrating efforts by other entities that share our ideals and objectives of the promotion of Edo heritage.

OGBK is essentially a socio-cultural organization and we shall strive to bring the children of Igodomigodo together in unity, brotherliness and mutual respect to confront and address the social ills, as well as some of the economic and developmental challenges which Benin Kingdom is currently grappling with. We shall also engage in regular cultural awareness and promotional and enlightenment initiatives by which we seek to amplify and propagate the positivity and richness of Benin history, values, art and its great people. There is no gainsaying the fact that Edo is the hub of art, sports, education, innovation and tourism in Africa and OGBK is committed to ensuring that Benin’s pride of place is restored and maintained in this regard. These objectives are very dear to our heart and we have lined up a variety of initiatives and programmes geared towards achieving them in the coming years. At this point may I state very clearly that the Organisation of Great Benin Kingdom as a body is, and shall always remain politically neutral, religiously accommodating and socially accepting of all the children of Igodomigodo who are proud of their heritage and ancestry.

The Organization of Great Benin Kingdom has established a strong and active presence in the online and mainstream media, and shall host yearly conferences in different countries of the world in order to establish the identity, propagate the legacy and create positive footprints of the Kingdom of Benin in all corners of the earth – all these being done, while not forgetting our roots, because as they say, our charity must always begin at home. To accomplish this enormous but absolutely necessary task to which we have voluntarily committed ourselves, the Organisation of Great Benin Kingdom seeks the blessings of our Father, His Royal Majesty, Omo N’Oba N’Edo, Uku Akpolokpolo, Oba Ewuare II, The Oba Of Benin Kingdom, as we recognise him as our Grand Patron. We are confident that his fatherly prayers and guidance will be our strength.

In the next couple of months, we shall be opening an office in Benin City, which shall be the OGBK Secretariat and liaison office in Nigeria. As soon as the Secretariat is established and functional, we shall embark on investment and developmental projects that will foster educational and economic opportunities for our people. Our immediate focus will be investment in agro-allied ventures, the provision of academic scholarships and grants to our children based on need and academic performance, and the promotion of Edo language and history in our primary and secondary schools.

OGBK participated actively and prominently in the last Edo Festival as well as in the celebration of the Iguẹ Festival which took place in December 2018 in Benin City, where we were ably and proudly represented by delegates sent to Benin City strictly for the purpose. We shall always be grateful to the Commissioner for Arts, Culture, Tourism and Diaspora Affairs, Hon. Osaze Osemwengie Ero who was present, for the colourful nature and high quality of the Festival and for the warm reception and hospitality accorded our delegation to the said Festival. We look forward with enthusiasm to this year’s Festival and we want to assure you that we shall always make our presence felt at such occasions.

Before I close this speech, kindly permit me to enumerate some of our aims and objectives, some of which include:

1. To unite all indigenes of Great Benin Kingdom Worldwide.
2. To promote and showcase the rich Benin cultural heritage.
3. To propagate the learning and speaking of Edo language, the cultivation of our age long values and traditions, and to support research and studies on Edo history and culture.
4. To promote healthy relationship and integration by fostering cooperation and mutual understanding with all other Great Benin Associations worldwide to achieve the common goal.
5. To contribute to the cultural and socio -economic development of Great Benin Kingdom.
6. To serve, protect and defend the Benin Kingdom by preserving and retaining our heroes’ works.
7. To render charity and humanitarian support to deserving persons and groups within Benin Kingdom and worldwide.
8. To collaborate with countries and institutions in Europe, America and the rest of the world in ways that engender mutual support and benefit between Benin Kingdom and our host communities across the globe.

Finally, I want to thank all OGBK members around the world who have contributed immensely towards the progress of this Organization. Your dedication and contribution made it all a success. Special thanks also go to all the dignitaries and members here present for taking the time to honour our call. May you all be richly blessed.

Oba gha tọ kpẹ re! Isẹ!!

Inaugural Speech

Some morning salutations in Benin language

Organisation of Great Benin Kingdom Worldwide has warned political jobbers and their minions to henceforth desist from maligning the reputation of the Benin Kingdom and its monarch, His Royal Majesty, Omo N’Oba N’Edo Uku Akpolokpolo, Oba Ewuare 11, Ogidigan in their dirty political games.

The President of the Organisation Engr. Isaac Igbinosun,wish to express his gratitude to our revered monarch for bringing the warring political parties to a roundtable to broker peace towards a peaceful governorship election in the state in a couple of days time.

However, this Great Organisation frowned at the need stock-in-trade of the politicians and their paid hands to resort to propaganda and in the process drag the reputation of the revered monarch into their survivalist game.

Thus in issuing the warning the OGBK reiterated that the Omo N’Oba’s intention is noble and within the boundaries of peace and conflict resolution but objected to the grandstanding that has now characterised the issue even as a lot of bile has also been injected into it.

The Organisation of Great Benin Kingdom (OGBK) warned on such ill-advised write ups and commentaries by anybody or from any quarter should cease just as Omo N’Oba made it clear that his intention is to ensure that Edo State is safe and crisis free in the coming days.

As such we are carefully looking out with a view to checkmate such crisis generating comments and actions so that do not lead to a full blown tug-of-war. We will henceforth resist it and take the necessary step to address it.

Any Sons and Daughters of the Benin Kingdom found wanting and unleashing fake political propaganda on social media to bring down the reputation and sovereignty of His Royal Majesty ọmọ nọ ba nẹ do uku a kpọlọ kpọlọ Ewuare 11 will receive adequate responses henceforth, as His Royal Majesty have made it clear that Palace does not involve in politics.

Ọba gha tọ kpẹre i sẹẹ.

*DISCLAIMER !!!*

Mr. Christopher Enogieru, former OGBK Worldwide General Secretary was dismissed from this Organisation for betrayal of trust, hijacking of OGBK platforms, conspiracy, gross misconduct and insubordination.

His dismissal was ratified by the Executive Council of the Organisation of Great Benin Kingdom Worldwide on the 30th of May 2020.

OGBK Worldwide is also aware that Mr. Enogieru has been using the hijacked platforms to promote illegal activities in the name of OGBK. This issue has been reported to law enforcement agents and appropriate authorities in the Countries where OGBK was duly registered as an authentic Organisation.

Organisation of Great Benin Kingdom Worldwide (OGBK) hereby dissociate herself from all activities involving the said Christopher Enogieru. He does not represent the interest of OGBK worldwide.

The General Secretary of the Organisation of Great Benin Kingdom Worldwide (OGBK) is Dr. George Idusuyi in the United Kingdom.

Signed : Engr. Isaac Igbinosun.
President/Head of the Executive Council.
Organisation of Great Benin Kingdom Worldwide (OGBK)