Oba of Benin Places Curse On Groom For Dancing With Royal Scepter
The Oba of Benin, Oba Ewuare II, has expressed his displeasure at a video that shows a groom and his friends dancing with the traditional Eben (Royal Scepter) at his wedding ceremony.
The video, which has gone viral on social media, shows Izoduwa Imasuen and his groom’s men twirling the Eben in the air as they celebrate his marriage to his bride.
The Oba of Benin, who is the paramount ruler of the Benin Kingdom, has condemned the act as a disrespect and violation of the Benin customs and traditions.
In a statement issued by the Esere of Benin, Chief S. O. Obamwonyi, on behalf of the Oba, the monarch said that only chieftaincy title holders are allowed to twirl the Eben while paying homage to him and that it is never a part of the wedding ceremony.
The statement described the action of the groom and his friends as an abomination, aberration and a distortion of Benin traditional marriage processes and procedures.
The Oba of Benin also warned the general public, especially those planning traditional marriages, to adhere to the acceptable norms and values of the Benin Kingdom, and avoid any act that could bring curse or disgrace to themselves or the royal institution.
The statement said that the Oba of Benin has instructed the Ewaise group, a group of traditional priests and priestesses, to place a curse on all those who are undermining and bringing into frivolities and disrepute the highly valued age-long tradition of the Benin Kingdom.
