As the Coronavirus disease continues to ravage the world, the Benin Monarch, Oba Ewuare ll, Tuesday called for the divine intervention to end the pandemic.
The Benin Monarch made the call at a press conference in Benin City, the Edo state capital.
According to him, “t is my fervent prayer that God Almighty and our ancestors will protect us all in these perilous times and remove the scourge of the COVID-19 pandemic from our society and the world at large.
“We wish all safety and good health to enable each and everyone contribute to the development and growth of our society”, he said.
The monarch who spoke through Sam Igbe, the Iyase of Benin Kingdom, however, warned residents against taking advantage of the COVID-19 lockdown to engage in unwholesome activities.
He urged all individuals, groups, and villages that have genuine complaints arising from disputes that fall under the purview of the Benin Traditional Council to maintain peace and refrain from making any form of trivial complaints to security agencies.
“These complaints and claims are being communicated to the palace to make the needed clarifications as they border on Benin traditional customs and norms which fall directly under the purview of his royal majesty.
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“In line with the foregoing, it is expected that all pre- COVID-19 arrangements maintain the status quo as we all patiently await the lifting or relaxation of the various lockdown protocols and the subsequent resumption of activities of established palace structure charged with dispute resolution and adjudication of complaints emanating from individuals, groups, and villages,” he said.
“It is pertinent to more than failure to heed to this word of caution may lead to a situation where erring individuals and groups indicted for such delinquency will be made to bear the consequences of their actions as stipulated by the provisions of extant laws of Nigeria, and attendant sanctions in line with Benin traditional customs and norms.
He stressed that the restraint and maintenance of the peace were the minimum sacrifices that everyone was expected to make to ensure that the COVID-19 pandemic, currently ravaging the entire globe, is contained for the safety and security of lives and the assurance of public health, pending when activities revert back to normal.
