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

 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.