Oshiomhole declares 5 day public holiday to mourn monarch

Flags will also be flown at half mast across the state during the mourning period.

The commissioner of information, Kassim Afegbua said it will give residents of the state to pay their last respect to the late monarch.

Leadership reports that an All Progressives Congress (APC) chieftain, Engineer Chris Ogiemwonyi, said “On behalf of myself and family, I express my heartfelt condolences to the entire royal family of the distinguished monarch, patriot and statesman, His Royal Majesty Omo N’Oba N’Edo Uku Akpolokpolo, Oba Erediauwa of Benin Kingdom and also commiserate with the people of Benin over the transition of our great monarch to the world beyond.”

Also the Executive Director of African Network for Environment and Economic Justice (ANEEJ), Rev. David Ugolor, who spoke to Punch, extolled the virtues of the Oba of Benin saying “Imagine the number of cases treated ona daily basis in his palace. So many including cases between Governors and their godfathers that were resolved in his palace. Oba Erediauwa was a man of peace and he was a general conflict resolution who never believed in violence and ANEEJ is a non violent organization. So to that extent Oba Erediauwa prevented so many disaster and blood letting from happening and he will be greatly missed.”

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His Royal Majesty, the Oba of Benin, Omo n'Oba n'Edo Uku Akpolokpolo Erediauwa I, was born Prince Solomon Akenzua.

He was crowned as the Oba of Benin on 23 March 1979, after the death of his father Oba Akenzua II.

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