Story! Story!
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Once upon a time in a village called Eyaen close to the present-day Aduwawa Cattle Market area, along the Benin-Auchi Road lived a young woman called Uwaraye with her parents. When Uwaraye got to the age of marriage, she was given out to an influential chief, Chief Azama as his second wife. Uwaraye, who was known to be lazy, could not cope with domestic chores. She often served her busy husband's food late and out of anger her husband nicknamed her "Emotan" which meant lazy bones. Soon Uwaraye's real name was replaced by the name Emotan and she came to accept it.
Her husband's first wife, Arabe, unlike Emotan, did all the domestic chores and gave birth to all the children in the household while Emotan was childless till the demise of her husband. When Chief Azama died, Emotan refused to return to her parent's house. She fell in love with trading and found a place near Ekioba, the present Oba market to stay. There she made and sold Evbere, a kind of melon butter used for flavoring soup.
Although Emotan had no child of her own, she loved and took care of children as if they were hers. Many women in the market brought their children to Emotan to look after while they went about their trading. Soon, her hut became a popular nursery for the children of families patronizing the market. She became the first woman in Benin City who began the first "Day-care Center".
Meanwhile, in the palace of the Oba, political events had become quite disturbing. Prince Uwaifiokun had forcefully taken over the throne of the Benin king and had denied his elder brother, Prince Ogun, who went into a forceful exile, his noble right. When Prince Ogun sneaked into Benin to learn from the people about his younger brother's ascension to the throne and his plot to kill him, he immediately took refuge in one of the houses of the chiefs, who he later discovered wanted to sell him out. He was able to escape with the help of a slave boy to Emotan hut in Ekioba, whom he recognized as his mother's blood relation. Emotan, being so brave and generous, agreed to help him take back his crown.
From Emotan hut, Prince Ogun mapped out a master plan to get the crown from his younger brother. His plans were actualized after he killed Oba Uwaifiokan, his younger brother on a procession along the road by Ekioba. Prince Ogun made preparations to ascend the throne of his forefathers. Before the day of his coronation, Emotan died.
To immortalize her existence, an Utah tree was planted at her grave and Oba Ewuare 1 (Prince Ogun) made a decree that everything of value carried out in Benin must be reported to Emotan.The tree Oba Ewuare planted lasted for 300 years before it fell and was replaced by another Urah tree which survived for about 150 years alongside an iroko tree planted to support it. The two trees were fallen by a heavy storm in 1951. In order to still keep the memory of Emotan alive, a life-size bronze statue of her was erected in the Oba market in 1952. Till this day, occasions and celebrations are reported to her shrine and homage are being paid to her.
Moral lessons.
1. In your little corner, always extend a helping hand, you will be remembered for it.
2. Stand for what is right at all times.
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