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A tale of two cities. A tale of two traditions. A tale of two ethnic groups. And, now, a tale of two kings. Benin-City, Ile-Ife, Yoruba and Edo are set to assume a renewed significance in the days ahead. The two priests of this enchanting, all-embracing dance of history, Omo N'Oba N'Edo, Uku Akpolokpolo Erediauwa and Ooni of Ife, Oba Okunade Sijuade ascended the thrones of their forefathers about the same time.

Both kings may not be enemies but they can hardly be called friends. But when the Oba of Benin, Erediauwa wrote in his autobiography, I Remain, Sir, Your Obedient Servant what he felt strongly was the truth about Oduduwa, the great projenitor of the Yoruba Kingship, the Ooni of Ife who sits on Oduduwa's throne at the moment equally felt that it was time to give it to his Benin counterpart.

In his review of the book, Professor Andrew Onokerhoraye, former Vice-Chancellor of the University of Benin puts his assessment thus: "On the whole, the style of the book is excellent and the presentation very good. One is never bored reading this 326-page book as the author tasks the intellect of the reader by posing questions some of which he answers while others he leaves for the reader to find the answers." Well said. But chapter 36 has already begun to raise questions whose answers may ruffle the erstwhile confident feathers of popular knowledge. For the simple reason that the sensibility of tradition could elicit several deep emotions, the style of the book may even become inconsequential as more and more people join issues with him on its content.

As the Benin Oba puts it, "The knowledgeable (and one may add, the honest ones) among Yoruba traditional historians known only too well that the person who came to be know as Odua or Oduduwa had only seven children with Oranyan (or Oranmiyan) as the last and youngest. It is a known historical fact that by the time Oduduwa emerged in Ife, 'from the east' as modern Yoruba historians usually put it, there were many Yoruba communities in existence and who had their leaders or 'kings'. So Odua or Oduduwa could not have been the father of Yoruba kings." Could the number one custodian of Benin tradition have got it wrong? Last week the Oba of Lagos, Oba Rilwan Akiolu 1 threw his weight behind Oba Eradiauwa because of what he called the Benin monarch's integrity. Books like his are often written to set the record straight, to express reservations about long-held views and to raise points that would throw light on existing issues.

In this case, however, to let the matter lie low would probably have taken away a portion of the mystique of the Ooni. Oba Sijuade seized the opportunity presented by the launching of the biography of Yeye Oodua, Chief (Dr.) H.I.D. Awolowo, the week after Oba Erediauwa's to "set the record straight."

According to him, "Oduduwa the legend, the father of the bigger Yoruba Dynasty has no connection whatsoever with Ogiso dynasty in Benin history as portayed by the Oba of Benin, because Oduduwa descended directly from heaven through a chain to where is now known as Ife today in company of four hundred deities.

"Last Thursday 29th April, 2004 Omonoba Erediauwa, Oba of Benin goofed during the launching of his book titled, I Remain, Sir, Your Obedient Servant in this same building where he described Oduduwa on page 205 as one Ekalederhan, a Benin prince who had once escaped the community's axe man, later reappeared in Ife after wandering in the bush from Benin for a very long time.

"According to him, the same Ekalederhan, having become the ruler in Ife refused to go back to Benin on request but instead sent Oranmiyan his son basically on a 'home coming mission' to start the present dynasty in Benin. It will interest the public to know the facts about the Ife-Benin relationship which are as follows:

"The Oba of Benin whose dynasty commenced in 1191 AD was an Ife Prince borrowed to the people of Benin on the request after the rule of the Ogisos had ended in Benin history. It was a request that Ife must help to provide them with a ruler, then Oduduwa the legend decided to send Prince Oranmiyan who established that dynasty and whose first son in Benin from a Benin woman was Owomika (Eweka) the projenitor of all Benin Obas including Omonoba since 1191 AD.

"Since Oranmiyan Dynasty started in Benin, all the heads of the Obas of Benin on demise were buried in Ife in a sacred place called 'Orun-Oba-Ado' up to the year 1900. Records in the archives made it clear that since 1191AD, the Ooni of Ife had to be informed and clearance must be given by him on the New Oba of Benin to be installed up to 1916.

"The Official language in the Palace of Oba of Benin till 1934 was Yoruba. The father of the present Oba of Benin was a member of the House of Chiefs in the Old Western Nigeria under our late revered father, Sir Adesoji Aderemi, my predecessor and the first African governor in the whole African continent.

"The Oba of Benin should go and read what his fore fathers told Portuguese explorers during their visit to Benin on 2nd July, 1550AD about the relationship between Ife and Benin. So, it is too late for Omonoba to rewrite our history. The word, 'Oba' which is part of any Benin Oba's title, shows clearly that they are from the bigger Yoruba Dynasty. it is rather too late in the day to rewrite our history which cannot be backed with any documentary evidence.

"I have to thank the Benin first historian, Jacob U. Egharevba for his publications which contained the correct account of the relationship between Ife and Benin which the Oba of Benin is now condemning."

It's indeed a season of sentiments. A season when men eagerly strive to defend what they hold dear. Even when they may not be totally sure of the authenticity of the source or narration, they must put up fierce arguments to give life to their convictions and viewpoints. Page 205 of the book in contention does not carry the name Ekalederhan and although the chapter talks about him and his sojourn to Uhe (Ife) for safety, he could not be said to have been painted in a bad light. But the Ooni's irk is not even that. He would want to see Omonoba and the rest of those who hold his views drop the idea that the Ekalederhan he wrote about was not the same as Oduduwa who was loved by his people and who liberated them from the fear and onslaught of their enemies.

That this is a touchy issue is not in doubt. Even as the Oba of Lagos made haste to pitch his tent with a "stranger," the Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi, whose relationship with the Ooni is, at best, that of tolerance, made it clear that he would not comment on what he had not read, but hinted that he would gladly join the controversy train at the appropriate time. Hear him: "I have read the comment of the Ooni of Ife, but I have not read the book and the area that affected the Yoruba ancestry. My comment would be robust and comprehensive and will even include the real origin of the Binis. That will be the best approach to the issue because the raging controversy is not just between the Ooni and the Oba of Benin but an issue between the entire Yoruba race and the Oba of Benin and all distortions must be corrected." Interpretation: Nigerians have not heard anything yet.

Back to the Ooni's response. He admonished the Benin strongman to desist from attempting to rewrite history "which cannot be backed with any documentary evidence." The truth is that much of what we have as history today especially in this part of the world is a direct product of oral tradition. This is a practice in which the dissemination or transmission of information is handed down from one generation to the other through verbal exchanges. At certain points, they are then put down in the form of books or articles. Like most other kinds of human activities and interactions, influences that may not be altogether wholesome could dilute the sanctity of truth and pollute or joggle facts in favour of feelings, prejudices, ego or ethnic chauvinism. History is replete with stories of kings who pursued their agenda or those of their communities to the detriment of others. And even when they failed to meet the aspirations set by themselves, they could set in motion narration that would portray them as heroes.

So, what is held strongly today, in the twenty-first century AD may be the outcome of a deliberate effort to misinform way back. And since the motivation or catalyst for the stories that have gained currency today may not be easy to ascertain, any attempt to cling to them and use them as vehicles of psychological dominance could lead the society back to the less civilised times when all it took to be considered subhuman was to speak another language.

Should everybody then take oral tradition with a pinch of salt? Dr. O.A. Akinyeye, Associate Professor of History, University of Lagos and Chairman, Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU (Unilag branch), does not think oral tradition should be jettisoned. As he put it," when you want to talk of reliability, even the written form has its own limitations. Even now, when events are recorded, you notice that they are coloured here and there to suit some purposes. What do we then do? Refuse to believe anything? No matter their shortcomings, we must rely on them somehow. With the memory aiding devices put in place, the incidence of flagrant errors is checked. Don't forget that song and chants play critical roles in traditional information dissemination. In some societies, there are taboos that compel them to be faithful. That is why the claims made by the Obas should not be brushed aside.

"Even when there is the possibility of human memory failure, by the time you listen to three, four or five versions, you should be able to see where the truth lies. When it comes to dating, for instance reference is made to the natural phenomena like faming, draught or epidemics that occurred within any given period."

In the ancient Buganda Kingdom in Uganda for instance, stories are broken down into small compartments for easy remembrance. Four classes of people are saddled with the responsibility of recording and transmitting traditional history. The first group is concerned with the names of all the kings who had ruled the empire. The second one remembers the names of queen mothers. The third keeps the important events that happen in each reign while the last category is expected to be the custodian of the wise sayings panegyric in each reign. In the Old Oyo Empire, the Asunrara and Arokin relay oral tradition. In Mali, the Griots do it and in Idanre, the wives of kings, the oloris, ensure that information is kept alive and handed down to the next generation.

On the current face-off, Adeleye thinks that caution should be the watchword of the kings. "There is no need for rancour," he said. "The Ooni and the Oba of Benin both made reference to Egharevba, a respected historian. What he wrote favoured the Ooni's stand but one may not take that as being perfect. What the present situation calls for is to do more work on it. As a professional, for me, the matter is not in taking sides but in seeing to it that the challenge is faced with tact, devoid of emotions. In fairness to the Oba of Benin, most of the written accounts so far are from Yoruba sources. As I said earlier, let's approach this with maturity". The history teacher is from Idanre, the birth place of Egharevba.

Victor Osaro Edo holds a Ph.D in Cultural and Political History and teaches at the University of Ibadan. His doctoral thesis, "The Benin Monarchy, A Study in Institutional Adaptation to Change," is a rich treatise in some aspects of the evolution of the Kingship of Edo people which at the moment is under scrutiny and heightened public interest. As a Bini man and someone who has spent virtually all his life in Yoruba land, he is uncomfortable with what might snowball into a national crisis unless it is handled well by the dramatis personae.

His words: "Some people are of the opinion that Egharevba might have been greatly influenced by the fact that he was born and actually spent a sizable part of his life in Yorubaland. But I don't think this thing should be raised to the level of issue. We must realise that there were times in history when various societies needed one sort of help or the other from other societies. There are different accounts about what happened.

"Let the obas not create problems. Let them leave the matter to modern historians. This is not the time to go back to our past and dig up things that would not unite us or move us forward. Tell me, what do we stand to gain? Ego? Origin was well flogged by earlier historians. As versed as I am in Yoruba culture and language, if I were to go into politics here, I may not win because of the dominance of sentiments like the ones that are being thrown up by the royal fathers.

"Let us concentrate on healing the wounds rather than opening them. I think it's time for national building and integration. Both Obas are closer to their graves and should not create problems for those behind. Historians have debunked the idea of Hamitic Hypothesis which holds that whatever good came out of Africa came from either Egypt or the Middle East. All of us originated from the Niger/Congo area. Both Edo and Yoruba belong to the Kwa group of languages and the earlier they simply see themselves as brothers the better. I plead with the other obas not to take sides."

One could never rule out the mythical from traditional African life. Prince Edu Agharese Akenzua, the Enogie of Obazuwa-Iko and brother of Omonoba once wrote about the aspect of Benin Kingdom that had to do with myth.

According to him, "when Osanobuwa finished creation, He decided to send his sons to live on earth. Before they departed, he asked each one to take along a talent or gift. Among the talents were wealth, knowledge, wisdom and an old snail shell. One of the sons chose wealth, another knowledge and another wisdom. When the youngest was to choose, only the old snail shell and a couple of nondescript items were left. As he wondered which to take, a hornobill emerged and whispered to him to choose the dirty, old snail shell.

"What would he do with an old snail shell? But he obeyed the hornbill and told Osanobuwa he wanted the shell. They set forth on their journey, each in his boat. They arrived at their destination and found it was water. The boats could not berth. The hornbill appeared again and told him to pour the shell's content into the water. As he did so, the water solidified: Land emerged and rolled forth into the distance. He anchored his boat and stepped onto "Terra Firmer" Osanobuwa was impressed by the intention which made his youngest son choose the shell. God named the land Edo and made him king over it." Whoever believes this story would wholeheartedly believe the Oduduwa narrative about coming down from heaven, something still valued in many quarters. Benin and Ile-Ife, therefore, could be said to be lands where legends grow from and are thrust onto the consciousness of the outer world. The pride often exhibited by people from the two traditional strongholds is traceable to their past which is characterised by the interplay of the ethereal, the surreal and the real.

Architect Harris Aibangbe Igiehon, an authority in Benin history, is in total agreement with his Oba. He threw more light on the controversy: "We need to ask ourselves, what does Oduduwa mean in Yoruba? The name should tell you that the man was Edo. We have an established oral traditional that is recognised all over the world and nobody should think of changing history because of population. What the Oba of Benin has put in his book should be taken as the truth. Historians who did not know that may have to update their knowledge."

The Oba of Benin and Ooni of Ife may not have to travel the path of rancour, a principle buttressed by Prince Edu Akenzua in an article he wrote sometime ago, " Oral Tradition of Benin Kingship." He recalled an encounter between the Oba Sijuade and Omonoba early into their reigns as kings:

"However, the view that the first king of Benin came from Ile-Ife, has raised an interesting, albeit controversial question about the Benin-Ife connection and the origin of the Benin royal family itself. Since Egharevba, some historians hold the view that the Benin royal family has its origin in Ife and that the Ooni of Ife is the father of the Oba of Benin. Some have even said that the entire people of Benin come from Ife.

"The controversy is not whether or not the relationship did exist. There are anthropological and folkloric evidence that prove the existence beyond a doubt. Songs and rituals are still performed today in both Benin and Ife which eulogise it. In Benin, the story is told with nostalgia; in Ife, with euphoria and pride and belief that the Ooni of Ife is the father of the Oba of Benin.

"That belief was, no doubt, on the Ooni's mind when he hosted the Oba of Benin who paid him an official visit on November 11, 1982. The Ooni, speaking with the pride of a father receiving a son who made good abroad, described the oba's visit as a 'short home-coming' He said, inter alia: 'We welcome Your Royal Highness most heartily back to Ile-Ife, the cradle of our common culture. The origin of your dynasty and ours... Today is really a very good day for us in Ife and its environs because since you left in 891 AD, we have come to know that your dynasty has performed wonderfully well. As we have mentioned briefly during our historic visit to your domain not too long ago, we said that we were there to pat you on the back for a job well done ... Your present visit ... we regard as a short home-coming where you will have an opportunity to commune with those deities you left behind.. Now, my son and brother, long may you reign.

"That address made a clear, unequivocal allusion to the suggestion that Benin, or at least, the Royal Family, owes its origin to Ife. But in his reply, the Oba of Benin tacitly rejected that submission. In the prelude to his main speech, he said: 'If the Ooni of Ife calls the Oba of Benin his son and the Oba of Benin calls the Ooni his son, they are both right.'" The prayer now is: May they do the right thing.