When Reverence Becomes a Chain: How Excessive Centralization Around the Oba Is Holding Bini Communities Back
By Dr. Odimientimi Agbedeyi
Global Egberi Media International
For centuries, the Benin Kingdom has stood as one of Africa’s most celebrated civilizations, admired for its history, artistry, and well-structured monarchy. The Oba of Benin remains a powerful cultural symbol, deserving of respect and honour. However, a hard truth must now be spoken with courage and clarity: when reverence crosses the line into fear, and respect turns into silence, development becomes the first casualty.
Today, many Bini communities are unintentionally working against themselves, not because they lack intelligence, resources, or leadership capacity, but because they have surrendered too much authority to a single centre of power. This over-centralization has created a system where autonomous communities are unable to fully breathe, grow, or be recognized unless filtered through the Oba-in-Council.
Fear, Not Tradition, Is the Real Problem
Respect for tradition is noble. Fear of tradition is destructive.
Across Edo State, several indigenous Bini communities possess their own histories, ancestral rulers, cultural institutions, and local governance structures. Yet, in practice, their traditional rulers are rendered politically invisible because government recognition flows almost exclusively through the Oba of Benin.
As a result:
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Legitimate traditional rulers remain unrecognized
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Communities struggle to access government presence
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Developmental projects are delayed or denied
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Local leadership is weakened
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Youth voices are suppressed
All because no authority is seen as complete unless it bows entirely to the centre.
This is not how strong societies are built.
Centralization Has a Cost: Underdevelopment
The consequences of this system are visible everywhere:
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Roads abandoned
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Schools neglected
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Healthcare facilities absent
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Youth unemployment rampant
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Local disputes unresolved
When communities cannot directly engage government as autonomous stakeholders, they become permanent dependents, waiting endlessly for approvals that may never come.
Ironically, this excessive concentration of power does not strengthen the Benin Kingdom. It weakens it. A kingdom is only as strong as its communities. When the base is stifled, the crown stands on fragile ground.
The Oba Is a Cultural Father, Not a Developmental Bottleneck
This conversation is not an attack on the Oba of Benin.
The Oba is a revered cultural father — not a local government chairman, not a development agency, and not a constitutional gatekeeper for every community’s survival.
No monarch, no matter how respected, should become the only doorway through which millions must pass to access recognition and development. That model belongs to the past, not to a modern democratic society.
True strength lies in shared authority, not absolute control.
Why Bini Communities Must Wake Up
The danger is no longer external.
The danger is internal silence.
Many Bini sons and daughters know the truth but whisper it in private. Publicly, they remain quiet — afraid of being labelled rebellious, disloyal, or disrespectful. But progress has never been achieved by silence.
Other ethnic nationalities in Nigeria respect their kings, yet allow their communities to thrive independently:
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Their traditional rulers are recognized
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Their communities negotiate directly with government
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Their development is decentralized
Why should the Bini be different — and disadvantaged?
A Call for Reorientation, Not Rebellion
What is needed now is not confrontation, but reorientation.
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Respect the Oba, but empower communities
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Preserve tradition, but embrace decentralization
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Honour history, but correct its excesses
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Strengthen the centre by strengthening the base
Government must also wake up to this imbalance. Autonomous communities deserve direct recognition, and traditional rulers should not be reduced to ceremonial figures waiting endlessly for validation from above.
Conclusion: The Future Cannot Be Built on Fear
No people can develop where fear replaces dialogue.
No society can grow where silence replaces truth.
No kingdom can endure where its communities are stifled.
The Benin Kingdom’s greatness was built on innovation, courage, and adaptability — not blind reverence.
It is time for Bini communities to honour their heritage without imprisoning their future.
Respect must remain.
Fear must go.
Development must begin.
Dr. Odimientimi Agbedeyi
Global Egberi Media International
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