Benin Bronze: ''We fit borrow our artwork wey full museums for Europe'' Edo Govnor
Nigeria goment officials don tok say dem no go mind chance to borrow thousands of Benin Bronze wey colonial masters tiff go museums for Europe over one hundred years ago.
Benin warriors for battle, dis artwork old reach late 17th century British soldiers carri thousands of artwork from di former Benin Kingdom afta dem defeat Benin warriors for battle and raid di palace of Oba Ovonramwen Nogbaisi for 1897. Britain don drag many kontris wey dey push for full return of dia artwork wey dem steal wey include; Nigeria bronze dem, Ethiopia Magdala treasures, Greece Elgin marbles and odas. British authorities dey claim say na law wey dey block museums to return dis stolen collections to dia true owners dey give dem headache unto dis stolen art mata. Oba Ovonramwen Nogbaisi and im family for exile in Calabar Godwin Obaseki, wey be govnor for Edo state, south south Nigeria, wia di old Benin Kingdom tanda today tell Reuters say im don begin tok wit European museum officials wey first bring di idea come. Obaseki tok say, ''We dey open to any agreement we go bring dem back so we fit relate our experience and relate to dese artworks wey be part of our culture''. Na from Britain African treasures begin waka Di Benin collection include thousands of metal decorations wey show tori of palace life as well as ivory and wooden carvings. Sabi pipo don tok say dis African art na treasure dem be. Colonial soldiers first tiff dem go Britain and na from dia di treasures begin travel go museums and houses of rich pipo for mainland Europe and even as far as New Zealand. In June 2014, Mark Walker return two Benin bronze wey im British soldier grandpa carri comot for Benin Obaseki tok say im dey discuss dis borrow borrow idea wit Nigeria goment officials for di National Commission for Museums and Monuments (NCMM) wey dey in charge of dis kain mata. ''Some of dis artwork fit be permanent loan, some fit be for just small time dem go allow us parade dem and odas fit be work dem wan return to us make we keep'' according to Obaseki. NCMM tok say na dia senior officials dey do meeting with representatives of European museums to discuss dis borrow borrow. "Nigeria no go strong face to dis idea of borrow borrow of our treasures," according to NCMM tok tok pesin. NCMM officials tok say di current Oba of Benin, Oba Ewuare ll,don already choose di site wia im go build three storey museum to keep di collection wen e return back. Di plan of di Oba na to show di history of one of great kingdoms for West Africa to im fellow kontri pipo and visitors from all over di world. Oda goments wey include Ethiopia and Greece no gree unto any borrow borrow idea, instead dem want full surrender of dia property wey dem claim say dem tiff. Di British Museum, wey borrow one of Ethiopia ''Elgin marbles'' to St Petersburg's State Hermitage Museum for Russia in 2014, tell Reuters say dem never see any official letter from Nigeria goment. For statement di museum tok say, ''We dey ready to consider any proposal wen dem bring am come and we still dey follow NCMM tok''.