The Oba of Benin, His Royal Majesty, Oba Ewuare II, has suspended the Isiekhure, the Chief Priest of Benin kingdom for negligence of duties and usurping the powers of the traditional stool, Leadership reports.

Addressing journalists on Tuesday at the Oba’s palace, the Benin Traditional Council explained that the duties of Isiekhure originally belonged to Ihama who travelled alongside Prince Oranmiyan from Ife to Benin City in the middle of about the twelfth century AD.

Chief Sam Igbe, the Iyase of Benin who spoke on behalf of other top palace chiefs said the Isiekhure ignored the Burial ceremony of Oba Erediauwa and the Coronation of His Royal Majesty, Oba Ewuare II by refusing to perform his traditional duties according to custom.

According to him, “He designated his house as a palace where he held court which he sometimes reviewed cases already felt with in the Oba’s palace.

“He used his position to influence new chiefs celebrating their investure to perform certain rites in his residence, during which monies, kolanuts and drinks were collected.

“Senior Chiefs were at times openly badmouthed and vilified by him, and during those times he declared that the chiefs were not senior to him and that he would not pay respect to them again as palace cultures demand.

” He turned himself to be a all and end all and a seeming authority in the Benin culture and tradition especially palace procedures. He even pronounced himself the head of the Royal Family.

“The profanities and denigrations that issued from him and his followers during the mourning period are better just forgotten.

” During Emwinekhua, (Royal Burial), he neglected and deliberately refused to perform his traditional duties before, during and after the event and has since remained infinitely unrepentant.

“We recommend in the circumstances therefore that he should be suspended, and with the authority of Oba Ewuare II he is with effect from today (yesterday) suspended indefinitely from performing the duties of Isiekhure title which he now bears. Those duties were originally performed by the Ihama of Benin. They will now revert to the Ihama N’Ihogbe”. He declared.