The questions about how do Western Museums and collections deal with the fact that they show and collect artefacts, which were looted and stolen from the Benin kingdom in 1897? And: How does the Nigerian society and the Benin kingdom deal with the loss of their cultural heritage?, These were questions the investigation team wanted answers for. The revered Benin monarch pointed out in his palace in 2018, when he underlined the perspective that the looted artefacts also function as CULTURAL AMBASSADORS of the rich cultural heritage of the Benin kingdom, hence many of them should stay in the Western museums, where visitors from all over the world could see them.
The Oba’s position is not a halt to the continued diplomatic agitation for the return of the looted pieces which some academics calculated were up to 90 per cent of the important artefacts that were taken away from Africa during colonial times. Most of these heritages landed in Western museums and private collections all around the world. So, the Benin Bronzes stay pars pro too symbolic for the whole Africa continent. These artefacts are of course priceless as a cultural heritage but, that does not mean we should forget their pure monetary value, which is estimated to be over $1billion.
Dr Lutz, who is Chairman of Pan-African-European organisation, AFRICA VAGABONDS, believes that at the moment, the term “universalism” of the artefacts is often being misused by museum curators, experts and directors in the West as an argument against return. But obviously they have not understood the philosophy of universalism, which is based on justice, morally, equity and equality; also, on partnerships and partners talking on eye level. This is by far not the case in the discussion about the Benin Bronzes. The discussion about them has been very often chauvinistic and contains a lot of post-colonial attitudes. Evidently, it still contains racism to an unbelievable extent. It is on record that a lot of involved people still question the capability of Africans to deal with these artefacts in the right way, which cultural activists view as an ignorant insult to the rightful owners who created the works, kept and maintained them for centuries before they were looted.
The Oba of Benin is the rightful owner of the looted objects, and the team had embarked on the investigation code-named the Benin-bronze-project to establish that, and ensure that justice prevails following discussions about healing historical injustice regarding Benin Bronzes, which the people believe needs smart cultural diplomacy as well as hard talk, hence the Oba of Benin and intellectuals of Nigeria must not compromise about the kingdoms stolen heritage, and not leave Westerners alone with their arrogance.
