A frontline governorship aspirant of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Osun State, Omooba Dotun Babayemi, has uged the Ooni of Ife, Oba Enitan Adeyeye Ogunwusi, to work with other stakeholders in the Southwest zone to organise a summit that would promote the core values inherent in Yoruba culture.
Babayemi equally enjoined government at all levels to form an alliance with the traditional institution with a view to turning Yoruba cultural artefacts, monuments, and festivals into tourism platforms.
Babayemi, who is also the son of the late monarch of Gbongan in Ayedaade Local Government area of the state, made the call while congratulating the Ooni of Ife, Oba Ogunwusi and the people of the ancient town on the celebration of this year’s annual Olojo festival.
“The annual celebration of Olojo festival in Ile-Ife, the cradle of the Yoruba race, is one of the most important celebrations among the Yoruba people, which signposts not only the inherent core value in the race’s cultural heritage, but also the significance of Ile-Ife as the cradle of the race,” he said.
He noted that the Yoruba were a sophisticated race with a rich culture, feared that unless its stories were sustained and continuously retold, generations to come would be left with little or nothing about it.
Babayemi pleaded that for the culture not to be lost to the tide of modernity and foreign cultures, Oba Ogunwusi, working with other royal fathers as well as relevant stakeholders, should urgently form a vanguard that would protect the culture from disappearing from the annals and among the Yoruba people.
“Our highly respected Ooni of Ife and other traditional rulers in the Southwest need to ensure that nothing is left to chance in ensuring the preservation and sustenance of our cultural relics and monuments. This can be done and achieved through the convocation of a high-powered summit that will comprise our royal fathers and related stakeholders. This confab will produce a practical thematic of how our culture will not go into extinction.”
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He added that his suggestion was premised on the fact that the Yoruba race has a rich background, with Ile-Ife and the Oonirisa holding a strategic leadership position in the heritage; stressing, “as a people, we have come a long way and we must not allow our tomorrow to be truncated by our today’s nonchalance.”
He advised that the move could become realisable with the cooperation of the government, noting that it would help the drive and promotion of the cultural heritage into tourism brands.
“The southwestern part of Nigeria, populated by the Yoruba, could become a tourism haven if all the cultural heritage is properly harnessed. It will further open up our towns and villages and at the same time, become a money-spinning venture for the government, corporate business owners and individuals,” he added.
While further congratulating the traditional ruler of Ile-Ife, Oba Ogunwusi, on the Olojo festival, he commended his efforts aimed at upholding the Yoruba ethos in his engagements at all levels, and promised to continue to work closely with him to bring his big vision for the race to fruition.