Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, Ojaja 11, is championing the course to reconnect Africans in the Diaspora to their roots through a tourism project called HURP, meaning Hope, Unity, Rebirth and Prosperity (HURP) which his adviser and consultant, Otunba Wanle Akinboboye, has over the years consistently preached.
His zeal has also resonated across the world with many world leaders, envoys, business moguls and political leaders paying homage to him and receiving him in audience at different times.
These include the Brazilian envoy to Nigeria and that of Cuba.The Cuban envoy hosted the oba to a world class dinner at his Abuja residence which was attended by the cream of the society.
The African envoys who have always formed part of his entourage to many events said the Ooni deserved to be celebrated for turning his attention to the well-being of his people, Nigerians and Africans in general and seeking to serve and not to be served.
They said the oba had demonstrated that he could be trusted to carry through this new vision as they outlined some of his activities to include the launch of a N6.7 billion grand resort in Ile-Ife, the declaration of Ile Ife as a tourism zone, throwing his palace open to the public and tourists, employing over 200 widows of the Modakeke-Ife war.
Another action of his also applauded by the African envoys is his commitment to the unity of his people and that of all the traditional rulers in Yoruba and downplaying of his supremacy in his bid to forge understanding and unity among the obas and break the traditional barriers that have long existed among them, thereby depriving the people the much desired unity and wealth creation through their offices.
To this end, the oba has embarked on visits to many of the highly respected traditional rulers in the South West, including the Alaafin of Oyo, Soun of Ogbomosho, Alake of Egbaland and most importantly, visiting Modakeke with his gospel of unity, thereby consigning to history the age-long enmity between the two people.
He has also recently instituted the Clean Ife Competition (Gbafemon) with each street in the town, organising themselves into a team with a captain for the purpose of cleaning their respective streets. Evey week, a team of sanitary inspectors are expected to inspect the streets and give verdict with the cleanliest street awarded N100, 000, while any street that wins the award for three consecutive weeks is awarded N500, 000 by the Ooni.
Delighted by Ooni’s crusade, Akinboboye, the originator of the HURP concept said the oba’s action is a welcomed development and a jumpstart of ”HURP and a rebirth process, so that we can all prosper with his focus on what will enhance the life of his people and create wealth for them.
”If we create hope in our people, foster unity among our people and leaders and jumpstart a rebirth process as Oba Ojaja 11 is doing now, it will lead automatically to prosperity for our people and that is what we should all focus on,” said Akinboboye, who is also the Founder and President of La Campagne Tropicana Beach Resort.
Akinboboye revealed that this is what has endeared him to the African envoys and others, who are determined to see that the oba’s vision is brought to fruition.
“ The fact that the oba is young and educated makes his commitment to the growth and development of his people, Nigeria and Africa, a course to be taken on by everyone because he has aptly displayed a high sense of history, duty, responsibility and inspires confidence and trust,”he said.
The HURP vision, Akinboboye said, is designed to produce a truly Nigerian society and transform Nigeria from the “Niger Area,” a mere geographical expression which it is currently to a real nationhood.
Lamenting the fact that Nigeria is corruption ridden with self-centred individuals, parading the religious, traditional, educational, political and business spaces, hence Nigeria has remained underdeveloped.
He insisted that not until Nigerians make concerted effort to transform the country as the Ooni is doing, the nation will remain in its poor and beggarly state.
”The USA did not become united until fighting two major wars and through concerted effort and that is the same concerted effort that the Ooni is preaching today.
‘’It is this concerted effort that will build a better future for us as a people and we need to start showing our leaders and people that there is reward in doing the right thing and that the whole world is watching,” he said even as he insisted that one of the biggest problems of Nigeria today is that we don’t celebrate our heroes and heroines and showcase our role models rather we celebrate failures and glorify people who have plundered our commonwealth and consigned the future of generations unborn to a blea
