In Esan Tradition; Prince Doesn't Produce King But King Produces King.

Enijies & Chiefs of esanland

By Prince Kelly O. Udebhulu.

Many a time I have reasons to look in-depth into Esan tradition and have them in writing for our children and posterity.

I use primarily secondary materials from carefully organized articles from Esan historians and writers supported by my personal researches, interactions and experiences with some elders and kings of Esanland.

The Esan people in Edo state is a well organized, closely knitted and highly structured administrative authority under a trado-politico sovereign as one of the peoples who practice the centralized (Gerontological-based) system of ruler-ship besides the government of the contemporary society.

In Esan land, there are traditional laws and taboos that regulate all the daily activities of Esan people. Everyone must obey and offenders are punished severally in line with the existing social- economic laws of the land.

The final arbitration in some disputes like marriage and land is the Onojie (king).

However, for the purpose of clarity, before we proceed on this work, let's make some distinctions as regards the following pertinent questions.

*Firstly, is it customary for a grandson to bury a grandfather in Esan land, when there is a (are) direct surviving son(s)?

No! In Esan tradition, as regards kingship, it is the oldest surviving son that buries his father just as in family cases; it is the oldest surviving son that buries his father. And in case of a senior brother or sister's death, it's next of kin that buries their seniors. It is a taboo for either a senior brother or sister to bury their juniors. Note that Esan Customary Law expects the

Eldest son, morally, to make gifts out of the estate to some of his brothers and sisters next to him in seniority.

*Secondly, is there any way in our Esan tradition for a grandson to inherit the properties or throne of a man or king who has a direct son?

No! Under kingship or family case, it is a complete taboo. Esan tradition bestows it upon the living crown Prince to ascend to the throne after the death of his father. A grandson cannot ascend to the throne except if his father who was a Crown Prince before his death; buried his grandfather with some circumstances.

On the death of a holder of a hereditary title or kingship, the principal actor in the burial ceremony is the eldest surviving son or Crown Prince, though the other children may make contribution to help their eldest brother. It is the eldest son not daughter who performs all the traditional burial rites which of course, will end with the establishment of an altar for his deceased father; he succeeds to his fathers’ title and inherits the entire estate exclusively. Afterwards, coronation ceremony follows.

In Esan, it is only the traditional stool that is Hereditary with some few king maker's titles. That is, there is only one throne in a community, but many chieftaincy titles. Two thrones are forbidden by tradition and not all chieftaincy titles are hereditary.

Where there is no male child to inherit the throne, a brother or any other male paternal ( not maternal) relation of the deceased succeed to the title or throne after due confirmation by the elders of the immediate family and king makers but the deceased properties are shared among his female children. If the deceased made a grant of a gift to any of his children or other person while alive, such property ceases to be part of the estate of the person upon his death, and is excluded from those to be shared among the children.

But where the Crown Prince died before the king death, the next surviving younger brother to the dead Crown Prince takes responsibility and obligation to bury their dead chief or king, subsequently ascends to the throne traditionally. In another circumstances, where the king has only a crown Prince and other children are females; upon the death of such Crown Prince before the death of the king, as it is in Esan tradition, a female child cannot ascend to the throne because there is the myth that a certain family lineage produces the king and no other family does including a female child who is expected to marry outside the family. A brother or any other male paternal of the deceased king succeeds to the throne after due confirmation by the elders of the immediate family and king makers of the Esan community. Note that the first male grandson of the female child may perform the burial rites of his grandfather and pave ways for inheritance of the estate or properties but not the throne traditionally.