By Osayande Idehen, Benin City, August 11, 2025 —
Saintmoses Eromosele, sociologist, anthropologist, and Executive Director of the Oneghe Sele Foundation, has issued a strong call to correct what he describes as “a long-standing historical and colonial miseducation” that reduces the sovereign kingdoms of Esanland to “duchies” under the Benin Kingdom.
In a seminar paper presented yesterday, Eromosele said the mischaracterization is rooted in colonial prejudice, later reinforced by local misunderstanding and postcolonial revisionism. “It is historically inaccurate, culturally insulting, and intellectually dishonest to describe the kingdoms of Esanland as ‘dukedoms,’” he stated.
He noted that while Benin operates a centralized monarchy under the Oba, with Enogies (dukes) as appointed administrators, Esanland is a confederation of 35 autonomous kingdoms each led by its own Onojie. “The term Enogie means ‘the one sent’ by the Oba, while Onojie—rooted in the word for ‘one who does wonders’—is the rightful title for a monarch in Esan tradition,” he explained.
As evidence of Esan independence, Eromosele pointed to distinct cultural practices and legal autonomy. “In Benin, roasting yams commercially on the street is prohibited and enforced up to Ehor. But the moment you enter Iruekpen, the first Esan town, you find yam roasting openly at the junction. This is more than a culinary choice; it is a statement of sovereignty,” he said.
He also cited the Uzea War (1502–1503), in which Onojie Agba of Uromi and Oba Ozolua of Benin both died during a conflict over control of trade routes to the River Niger. “The Esan fought as an independent power, not as a rebellious province,” he said.
Eromosele criticised those who perpetuate the “duke” label, likening it to the colonial British practice during the 1897 Punitive Expedition, when the Oba of Benin was often referred to in official reports as “The Big Chief” rather than “King.” “The same mindset that diminished Benin in colonial times is now being used to diminish Esan,” he asserted.
He urged historians, educators, and the media to adopt accurate terminology and acknowledge Esan kingdoms as sovereign entities. “Mislabeling distorts the past, disrespects the present, and misinforms the future. It must stop,” he concluded.
