In a bold move that has stirred controversy, the living Perfect Master and founder of the One Love Family, Satguru Maharaj Ji, has strongly condemned the recent actions taken against the Oba of Benin, His Royal Majesty Oba Ewuare II.
According to Maharaj Ji, it is an absolute taboo to sue the revered Oba of Benin, who he describes as the "mouthpiece of the Creator and the revered Royal Father of the kingdom." The controversy stems from two suspended dukes, Gregory Akenzua and Edomwonyi Iduozee Ogiegbaen, who have filed a lawsuit against the monarch at the Edo State High Court, challenging their suspension from their positions.
In his scathing rebuke, Maharaj Ji asserted that the throne of the Oba of Benin is "highly revered by the Bini people over whom the Oba exert rulership and influence," extending far beyond the borders of Benin. He emphasized that the authority and relevance of the Oba's throne are deeply rooted in traditional myth and superstition, and that "whoever will dare myth and superstition must be ready to see the Oba!"
Maharaj Ji went on to describe the actions of the suspended chiefs as a "desecration of our values and a grave insult to the Benin people and our traditional institutions." He stressed that kingship is an institution of God, and that relating to kings requires "a high sense of modesty, courtesy and respect."
Addressing the involvement of the current Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki, Maharaj Ji questioned whether the Christian governor's presence has led to the "tradition being blazingly desecrated by politicians, whose span of tenure are limited, while our Obaship stool remains eternal."
In a bold move, Maharaj Ji has given the suspended chiefs a 7-day ultimatum to apologize for their "disrespect to the monarch." He emphasized that the Edo heritage is one of the world's most appreciated traditions, and that the strength of the Benin people lies in the "efficacy of those rites and prestige associated with the Obaship stool from time immemorial till date."
This controversy has struck at the heart of the Benin Kingdom's cultural and traditional values, with Satguru Maharaj Ji's strong stance highlighting the deep-rooted reverence and taboo associated with challenging the authority of the Oba of Benin by the State Governor, his family members or anybody else.
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