I posted this yesterday and whilst I am happy that some persons adopted the flag, I was very very provoked that some of our brothers and sisters who are suffering from the psychological problems of ethnical, cultural and social identities came out openly to condemn this flag using a foreign parameter as their yardstick. They decried it as fetish,diabolical, violence-projecting and pagan. If I may ask, do they really understand the imports of the symbols and colors of the flag before jumping to conclusion. Let me help them at least;
(1) QUEEN IDIA MASK:
The mask obviously is the head of the Edo warrior queen-mother Idia,the mother of Oba Esigie known as the wise King. Recall that Oba Esigie ruled over the whole of Bendel,Lagos,half Yorubalands,Onitsha and even some parts of today's north central. He was a great emperor and the first to receive a diplomatic mission from Europe and also the first black Ruler to set up an embassy in the land of the whiteman. He attained these feats with the help and encouragement of a mother who is now recorded by local and foreign history as one of the most dynamic and strongest women that ever came out of Africa. Why do you think her mask, not that of Queen Amina of Zazzau or any other historical Nigeria woman was adopted by the country in 1977 as the national symbol in that international festival of arts and culture? Even till date, the mask is still used by the country to project the viability of our culture, the virility and strength of the nigerian woman. Idia is the most popular of all the Edo powerful women on historical record and her mask dignifies the flag in the same way the head of queen Elizabeth does the currency of Britain and many of the English national monuments.
(2) THE RED COLOUR:
First note that we have the colors in two separate version here. In the horizontal rectangle and in the three stars. In the rectangle, it is self explanatory. It signifies the precious blood shed by our heroes in building the great empire we are all so proud of. Surely, you wouldn't want them to be forgotten by their descendants who are today enjoying the peace they gave their lives for. Also recall that Ghana and Ethiopia have this red colour in their flag too and for the same reasons-memory of their fallen heroes. We can never forget easily the Benin massacre of 1897. A pogron that so much decimated our population that the Edo people who by the 19th century were the largest nation in West Africa rain forest is today regarded as a minority group. As for the stars, it highlights the beauty of the Edo nation.Rose the king of flowers ( ododo) is red. 3 stars signify the current people of Benin,Esan and Afemai who are direct offshoots of the great empire. We are beautiful and united family, aren't we?
(3) THE GREEN COLOUR.
(3) THE GREEN COLOUR.
This simply depict our geography and vegetation. We are in a rain forest which is ever green. Mark my words, oil or no oil, Edo nation can never lack of food because God in his mercy has been partial in favoring us with much agrarian gifts and resources. Edo and Ondo contributed most in the production of the agricultural wealth that built the old western region. Cocoa,rubber and palm oil, we remain número uno.
(4) THE WHITE COLOUR:
White is for peace and we are a very peaceful people unless we are unreasonably dared. We should stop using campus cult violence to define us. Every campus is populated by people from all ethnic groups in Nigeria not only Edo people. It is wrong to attribute the cult activities in AAU and Uniben to only Edo student. How many Edo persons were involved in the most violent activities in Nigeria...Niger Delta Militancy,Maintesina uprising and Boko haram insurgency..nil
(5) THE STATELY SWORD:
Need I explain this. Edo people are the most royal of all the nations in West African sub-region nay,the whole of Africa. We have a royal institution that is as old as the British monarchy, older than the sefewa dynasty and outlived the French empire. We are a dignified race ruled by majestic and honourable kings. Oba Eweka 1 was not a tyrant like Caesar Borgia of Rome,Oba Ewuare was not a homosexual like King James of England and Oba Ozolua the conqueror was never a pervert like Napoleon of France.
(7) THE MATCHET:
This has nothing to do with violence but simply depict our traditional professions. We were and still largely warriors, hunters and farmers. So the other sword or rather the matchet is a tool not an object of negative violence.
On a final note, it is an indisputable fact that rituals, violence and occultism has been practiced and executed by Christianity and Islam than any our indigenous religions. This should be another topic for another day..
Via NL