All Hail Queen Emotan Of Benin Confronting Nigeria’s Elusive Unity In Accord Concordia (Part 29) By Mike Ozekhome – TheNigerialawyer

 INTRODUCTION

The fight to relegate women to the background in nation-building
has been on for centuries. Women are, most times, erroneously
regarded as chattels to be inherited like mere cutlery ornaments or
furniture. Some customs are so barbaric, fiendish and diabolical
that a woman is compelled to drink the contaminated and oozing
water with which her deceased husband is bathed. All this to prove
her innocence-that she did not have a hand in her husband’s death.
Some hapless women are made to lie down with the corpse of a
deceased husband on the same bed or mat. Women’s God-given pleasure
treasures are savagely decapitated through crude circumcision of
their private parts, yanking off their clitoris. Many women are
driven out with their children into the wilderness by the dead
husband’s greedy relatives. An innocent woman would suddenly become
a witch who killed her husband just because he died in a ghastly
accident or in his sleep. Many women are degraded and dehumanized
either as sex objects, or as hewers of wood and drawers of water.
Many are trafficked to foreign lands like common prostitutes. The
girl child is subjected to gruesome labour, hawking “tarodo”,
“tatashe”, tomatoes, groundnut, “pekele” and pure water, along
dangerous streets and alleys. In the midst of this societal
vilification of our mothers, daughters and sisters, some women
have, from time immemorial, bluntly refused to succumb to such
chauvinistic shenanigan. Such is the case of revered Queen Emotan
of Benin, the steely woman of uncommon courage and daring bravado.
There is therefore the need to adequately highlight such women of
sterling qualities who have navigated the nation’s history and
stood out, rather than their confinement only to home affairs. Such
heroines as, Hajia Gambo Sawaba in the North, Queens Idia and
Emotan of Benin, Madam Tinubu of Lagos, Margaret Ekpo of Calabar,
Dora Akunyuli, of Agulu Anambra State, Funmilayo Kuti of Abeokuta
and Dr Ameyo Adadevoh, from Lagos, etc, had all played vital roles
in shaping the Nigerian nation since pre-colonial times, till date,
especially in politics, administration, the professions,
military and business spheres. They have all at different times,
played major roles in the historical, social, cultural, commercial
and political evolution and development of Nigeria.Permit me today,
therefore, to pay homage to an unusual heroine and icon in Edo
land, Queen Emotan of Benin. Some African women have been held in
very high esteem, recognized and in some cases, even
deified.Cultural heritage and traditional renaissance are the
uncommon virtues and unique signature of the Benin people. Queen
Emotan of Benin epitomised them.

 EARLY LIFE OF
QUEEN EMOTAN OF BENIN

Emitan, means “lazy bones” in Benin
language.The name was subsequently corrupted to be
“Emotan”. She was originally named
Uwaraye by her parents. Emotan was born in a
village called Eyaen, between 1380 and 1400, close
to the present day Aduwawa cattle market area, along the
Benin-Auchi Road. Emotan has been variously described as a
“woman amongst women” whose unassailable exploits in Benin
Kingdom revibrate till date. Her love and care towards children
endeared her to her people. A young vibrant woman, she later got
married to Chief Aragua, the man who was in charge
of measuring the volume of annual rainfall in the Kingdom. This is
why she was nick – named, ‘Aragua N’ Dame’ (Aragua
who measures the rainfall). She was Aragua’s second wife. Uwaraye
was considered sluggish by her husband because she could neither
cook nor even get pregnant. Chief Aragua´s first wife,
Arabe, handled the domestic chores and gave birth
to all the children of the household. Emotan was however known for
helping to cater for the offsprings of the household. But, when
Aragua died, Emotan could not return to her parents, because by
that time, she was already an orphan. Rather, she set up a little
hut to live in at a place opposite the Oba market place.

EMOTAN’SLEGENDARY EXPLOITS AND EMERGENCE ON THE NATIONAL
SCENE

Emotan was an ordinary petty trader who sold foodstuff at Oba
market during the reign of Oba Ewuare the Great. Historians have
placed this period at about 1440. Ewuare (1440 – 1473) was a great
king, a magician, reputable leader and warrior. He made many
enemies and one of those was his brother, Uwaifiokun, whom he
overthrew in a violent coup; a coup that destroyed much of Benin
City. Ewuare was expansive in territorial conquests. He forstered
arts, cultures, festivals, customs and reformed the political
structures of Benin Kingdom. It was against this back drop that
Emotan became helpful. Ewuare’s brother, Uwaifiokun who was still
reigning, had conspired with his chiefs to have Ewuare murdered.
Emotan got wind of their plan and, took the risk to unveil it to
Ewuare. She not only intimated Ewuare about their evil plan to
murder him, but actually joined to protect and hide Ewuare from
being killed. Emotan had actually been trading since the reign of
Oba Uwaifiokun, who reigned before Ewuare. Emotan was credited to
have founded the first informal daycare centre in Benin, as her hut
was a popular make-shift nursery for the children of poor families
patronizing the market. Being childless herself, she requested
other women who came for trading to keep their children with her,
while they went about their businesses. This, she did happily and
without any cost attached.

Nigerians, thank you for keeping faith with the Sunday Sermon on
the Mount of the Nigerian Project by Chief Mike Ozekhome, SAN, OFR,
FCIArb, Ph.D, LL.D, even as you await the next explosive
dissertation.

Subscribe ToNairalaw News!