By Sir Ralph Okhiria

The leadership of the Association of Community Newspaper Publishers of Nigeria, ACNPN, Edo State Chapter, has congratulated the Omo N’Oba N’Edo Uku Akpolokpolo Oba Ewuare II CFR N’Ogidigan, the Oba of Benin, on the auspicious occasion of the Royal Majesty’s 10th year coronation anniversary, remarking that “this first decade of the Omo N’Oba’s reign has witnessed positive impacts on the ancient kingdom and its people.”

In a statement signed by the Edo State chairman of the Association, Comrade O’Ray Osawe, the ACNPN noted that the relative peace in the kingdom, these past ten years, has engendered remarkable growth and development in the socio-economic and political lives of the people.

According to the ACNPN’s statement, “we want to commend the Royal Majesty for the landmark impacts he has made in the traditional administration of the kingdom, in particular, and in the broader impact on the state, in general.

“Of particular mention is the Monarch’s firm stand against irregular migration, a notorious development that had ravaged and stigmatized the pride, honour and integrity of the Benin and Edo nation.

“Before he ascended the throne, there were rampant cases of irregular migration of, especially Benin and Edo girls, who were being lured and sponsored abroad under stringent exploitative traditional oaths-taking exercises, especially to Italy, for, allegedly, prostitution purposes and for other demeaning menial jobs.

“The Benin Palace was outstanding in its abhorrence and fight against this social plague which eventually culminated in the issuance of potent traditional curses on such activities and sponsors. This royal step, no doubts, significantly reduced, if not altogether eradicated such irregular migration.”

The ACNPN’s statement further thumbed up for Oba Ewuare II for stamping out the so-called Community Development Association, CDAs, in Edo South communities, insisting that “the CDAs had become a negative, well-oiled machinery for coercive land grabbing activities and extortion of land developers and prospective investors in the kingdom.”

While emphasizing that there were several other notable achievements of the Benin monarch’s in the last ten years, the statement wished the Royal Majesty “endearing health and more impactful contributions to the progressive sustenance of the kingdom, and in furtherance of humanity, in the years ahead.”