By Thomas Omorodion, Ph.D.
I have a copy of the condolence statement signed by the governor of Edo State where he deliberately or inadvertently, or both, denigrated the name of our Oba, our king and the repository of our culture and identity – Oba Erediauwa. Oshiomhole used the word “Iconoclastic” to describe our iconic Oba. There is a huge difference between the word iconic and the word iconoclastic. Whereas iconic has a positive meaning, but iconoclastic has a negative cum rascally meaning. But the governor decided to describe our Oba as iconoclastic, instead of iconic.
Below is the exact text of the governor’s denigrating statement disguised as a condolence statement.
“We are enveloped with a deep sense of nostalgia that our great Oba, a great-grandfather, grandfather, father, uncle and ICONOCLASTIC royal father of exemplary carriage and conduct, who sustained the dignity of the average Edo mind, has joined his ancestors… Edo people will miss our ICONOCLASTIC royal father of the great Benin Kingdom.” – Adams Oshiomhole.
When you replaced the above use of iconoclastic with iconic, you have a positive description of the Oba. But the use of iconoclastic turns this whole condolence into an insult.
When I saw the word iconoclastic used, my first impression was that it might have been a typographical error. Everyone makes mistakes but there are higher standards expected of certain people who have the privilege of having the public pay for them to hire experts to help minimise or even eradicate their mistakes. But it is unfortunate that in Edo state, the government has earned a sordid reputation for employing touts and illiterates as aides and advisers.
A great majority of the aides to Comrade Adams Oshiomhole are stark illiterates, judging from what we read from them on social media. For example, I often read posts by one Mr. Curtis Ugbo, a SENIOR Special Assistant to the government on SOCIAL MEDIA. All his comments are fraught with mind tingling and eye scratching grammatical and structural blunders. Apart from the blunders, his arrogance and insults to citizens and internet users is everything distasteful. And I wonder, what sort of senior assistance, or even assistance, could this piece of humanity offer to government or the governor? Had the governor employed Edo’s finest and bests into sensitive positions, it would not only have prevented this monumental blunder but would have a positive effect and morale building on education and career development among the youths of Edo state. A situation where illiterates, touts and criminals make it to top positions and the educated, smart and hardworking are relegated to the background would definitely limit the interest and motivation in high achievement among the youths. This has to be corrected by the next government.
When I saw the word, iconoclastic, like I mentioned earlier, I excused it for typographical error until I saw it a second time. A repetition of the word convinced me that the use of the word was deliberate. The question now is whether it was deliberate to denigrate Benin Kingdom or deliberate because an iliterate special adviser or aide had written that statement for the governor. In either case, a damage has incontrovertibly been done to our image and this has to be remedied.
Perhaps the only acceptable remedy is for the governor to publicly apologise to not only the Benin monarchy but also the Benin people for using such word to describe our iconic Oba who has gone to join the ancestors. And this apology must be in the same form and by the same medium which the offence was committed. What is more? Someone has to pay for this insult. The aide who wrote that embarrassing statement has to be removed, or if it was the governor himself that drafted it, let him honourably resign.
Someone may have been wondering, what actually is wrong about the word iconoclastic. I will refer you to the dictionary, Google or ask a friend who can check. But for the benefit of those who genuinely may not know and cannot ask, our fathers and mothers with little formal education, let me define what the word means.
Iconoclastic refers to someone who is known for destruction of religious icons and other images or monuments for religious or political motives. Over time, the word, usually in the adjectival form, has also come to refer to aggressive or rascally statements or actions against any well-established status quo. This does not describe our Oba and the Benin people in any way.
Thompson Omorodion, Ph.D writes from Agbor.
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