East Africa - Informer East Africa News

Two universities became the first institutions in the U.K. to restitute Benin bronzes to Nigeria this week. Jesus College at the University of Cambridge and the University of Aberdeen each staged handover ceremonies of Benin artifacts on Wednesday and Thursday, respectively.

An entourage of Nigerian signatories traveled to the U.K. to receive the treasures during ceremonies, including Abba Isa Tijani, director of the National Commission for Museums and Monuments, and Prince Aghatise Erediauwa, the brother of the crowned Oba of Benin, Ewuare II.

The Jesus College Benin bronze that has finally found its way home is a bronze cockerel, known as Okukor. The sculpture was donated to the Cambridge college in 1905 by a student’s father. The college announced in 2019 that it would return the artifact that was looted from the royal court of Benin, which is a part of Nigeria today, by a British punitive expedition to Benin in 1897.

Sonita Alleyne, the master of Jesus College, said the restitution of the Benin bronze “is the right thing to do.”

“We are proud to be the first institution to simply act, to just do it. This Benin bronze, this Okukor, does not belong to us,” she said.

Prince Isa Bayero, a Prince of the Kano Emirates, Chief Charles Uwensuyi-Edosomwan, the Obasuyi of Benin and Prince Aghatise Erediauwa, the younger brother of the current Benin monarch. Courtesy of the University of Aberdeen.

The Benin bronze that was housed at the University of Aberdeen is a sculpture depicting the head of an Oba, or the king. It was among the thousands of cultural treasures stolen by the British colonial troops in 1897 during the destruction of Benin City, where the royal palace was burnt down. The university acquired the sculpture at an auction in 1957, and it was later concluded that the piece was “acquired in immoral circumstances,” the university said. The university announced in March this year that it would return the work.

“Over the last 40 years, the Benin Bronzes have become important symbols of injustice,” George Boyne, principal and vice chancellor of the University of Aberdeen, said in a statement. “It would not have been right to have retained an item of such great cultural significance that was acquired in such reprehensible circumstances.”

“Regardless of the resistance in some quarters, the return of stolen art is the right thing to do,” said Ewuare II in a statement, who also thanked the University of Aberdeen “for this noble act of returning our bronze work.”

“We hope that other institutions worldwide will see the injustice when they insist on holding on to items which in fact should be a reminder to them of the great injustice that was inflicted on a people so far away and so long ago,” Ewuare II added.

French President Emmanuel Macron inspects the Benin bronzes at Quai Branly museum in Paris. © musée du quai Branly – Jacques Chirac, photo Thibaut Chapotot.

Institutions in continental Europe have been working on returning the Benin bronzes. Germany will restitute those from its public collections next year. This past week, French President Emmanuel Macron presided over a handover ceremony while visiting the Benin treasures that are on show at the Quai Branly museum in Paris one last time before they make their way home. The 26 pieces were looted in 1892 by French troops and will be returned to the Republic of Benin after the show concludes on October 31.

“The restitution is more than a restitution. It is an entire program of cooperation,” Macron said at the ceremony on Wednesday. By Vivienne Chow, Artnet News

Details: East Africa; 29 October 2021; 509

An undated photo collage of Chief Justice Martha Koome (left) former CJ Willy Mutunga FILE

Chief Justice Martha Karambu Koome has termed as malicious, unfounded and irresponsible calls by Willy Mutunga asking judicial officers to go on strike in solidarity with the six judges that President Uhuru Kenyatta refused to appoint to the respective offices.

In a statement to newsrooms on Friday, October 29, CJ Koome stated that she does not approve of such actions by the Judiciary, adding that it is imperative that the holders of those offices examine the implications of that regrettable incitement that she says would disrupt access to justice for Kenyans.

The CJ further stated that Mutunga should know better since he has served as the country's first Chief Justice under the Constitution of Kenya 2010 and that he took an oath to diligently serve the people and the Republic of Kenya and to impartially do justice.

The CJ added that Mutunga should realize that going on strike will not solve the issues the Judiciary and the Executive are having and in the end, Kenyans who walk through the corridors of justice, will be the victims.

Lady Justice Martha Koome while she delivered judgments and rulings of the Court of Appeal via Skype on April 24, 2020.

FILE

"Though since retired, this solemn affirmation normatively transcends the life of every retired Chief Justice to secure, guide and protect the right of every Kenyan to access justice and indeed the substratum of the Constitution," the statement read in part.

"The implications of calling for a judicial strike are far-reaching. It is in part, calling for the suspension or dismemberment of the Constitution by excluding one arm of Government from the constitutional operations of our democratic state."

CJ Koome stated that every person is entitled to their own opinion the remarks by Mutunga threaten the lives and livelihoods of millions of Kenyans and called for judicial officers to stand together to find lesser damaging alternatives.

She stated that during Mutunga's tenure as Chairperson of the Judicial Service Commission President Uhuru Kenyatta refused to appoint 25 judges the JSC had recommended and he only appointed 14. CJ Koome recalled that Dr Mutunga resolved to negotiate with the Executive and even withdrew a case that had been filed.

"To deal with the impasse, Dr Mutunga adopted a diplomatic approach that included a plea to Kenya Magistrates and Judges Association to withdraw a suit filed on the same matter to allow negotiations," Koome stated.

She also called out Mutunga for interfering with her officer yet during his time as CJ he did not approve when three Supreme Court Judges were indicted with allegations and moved sought to go on strike.

"It is on record that while serving as Chairperson of the Judicial Service Commission, Dr Mutunga disproved any action by Judges to down their tools when three Supreme Court Judges were indicted with allegations to down their tools."

"He did that by laying charges before the Judicial Service Commission calling for the removal of Justice Mohammed Ibrahim, Justice J.B Ojwang’ and Justice Njoki Ndung’u, a position he maintained even in Court. Although the Judges have since been cleared of those allegations by the High Court," CJ Koome said.

The Chief Justice termed Dr Mutunga's remarks as regrettable and accused him of asking judges to abscond their duty which in effect, will affect the operations of the entire justice sector.

CJ Koome revealed that she had held a conversation with the retired Chief Justice and expressed her deepest disapproval of his remarks to the judges and noted that the judiciary has a lot of backlog cases that need to be cleared ad that is her first priority.

" So far, 700,000 cases worth billions of shillings and impacting millions of people and families are pending in the Judicial system. Clearing this backlog remains our top priority. We, therefore, cannot afford to abandon our judicial mandate owing to a matter that is pending before the Court of Appeal and which will be accorded the centrality that it deserves," CJ Koome stated.

"I urge Judges to disregard this pernicious call and focus on the progressive reforms that we have committed to pursue, central to which is finding mechanisms to reduce case backlog," she continued.

Former Chief Justice Willy Mutunga at Spice FM during the interview on February 11, 2021. By MUMBI MUTUKO, THE STANDARD