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Tag: Ataoja

  • 2019 Osun festival will be different – Ataoja

    Five months ahead of the annual Osun Osogbo festival, plans to make this year’s edition a huge success and different from the previous ones have begun in earnest.

    The Ataoja of Osogbo, Oba Jimoh Olanipekun Oyetunji, during the visit to his palace by a team of a tourism, art and culture consultancy group, the Equity Global, led by its principal consultant, Mr. Williams Derrick, said the economic value of the festival to Nigeria is immeasurable.

    Oba Oyetunji said the festival annually contributes not only to the local economy but the national economy with influx of people from all parts of the world to participate in the socio-cultural and religious activities of the event.

    He explained that he was determined to preserve the heritage of the festival and the Osun Sacred Grove, which was listed among the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) world heritage site in 2005.

    The Ataoja said as a custodian of Osun deity, he has the responsibility to ensure her preservation and safe keeping.

    The first class monarch, who denied alleged sales of Osun deity, which he described as an “immovable spirit,” advised the people to disregard the accusation.

    He maintained that selling Osun deity amounts to selling his throne as the Ataoja of Osogbo, saying he derived part of his power from the existence of the Osun goddess.

     

  • Ataoja denies selling Osun Osogbo goddess

    The Ataoja Of Osogbo, Oba Jimoh Oyetunji Olanipekun, Larooye II, has denied selling the Osun Osogbo goddess to antiquity collectors.

    He challenged his accuser, Adigun Iyanda, a former Osun priest he sacked, to return to Nigeria from his base in Germany to substantiate the claim that he collaborated with former Osun votary maid, Bimbola Matanmi, to sell the goddess for N15 million.

    Oba Olanipekun, who expressed anger over the allegation, told reporters in his palace in Osogbo, the Osun State capital, maintained that “no one could sell Osun goddess because she is not a physical object but a spirit”.

    The Ajagunna of Osogbo, Chief Gabriel Oparanti, led the traditional chiefs and Adebayo Adesina, the Osunyemi Ifabode, led Osun worshippers to the media briefing.

    The Ataoja described the allegation as unfounded.

    He said: “As a custodian of tradition and culture of people of Osogbo, how can I be the one to sell Osun Osogbo goddess, a symbol, that is directly linked to my title and existence as the Ataoja of Osogbo? The allegation is targeted at me to put me to disrepute and to tarnish the reputation of Osogbo.

    “Whoever is working against the progress of Osogbo is marked for downfall and will meet his Waterloo soon. I am challenging Iyanda Adigun to come and substantiate his claim that I collaborated with some people to sell the Osun goddess. And I will make sure I take him to court to prove his claim.”

    Also, in a newspaper report, Iyanda was said to have said he suspected that he and former Iya Osun were sacked by the Ataoja to prepare the ground for the sale of the Osun goddess.

    Iyanda, who claimed to receive a strange call from an unidentified group in Lome, the Togolese headquarters, about how the goddess had been sold to them and the difficult they had in transferring aboard in a flight.

    He also claimed to have raised N15 million as cost of purchase and transportation to secure the release of the Osun deity.

     

     

  • Ataoja hails Aregbesola for redefining Osun politics

    •’We’ll repay all loans next year’

    The Ataoja of Osogbo, Oba Jimoh Olanipekun, has said the administration of Governor Rauf Aregbesola has halted killings and destruction, which characterised Osun State politics before he assumed office.

    Aregbesola has said the government will complete refund on sukuk and conventional loans it took for projects.

    The duo spoke yesterday at the Ataoja’s palace during the governor’s goodwill visit to Oba Olanipekun to mark the end of his sensitisation tours to the nine federal constituencies.

    The monarch noted that the peace and sanity, which Aregbesola and the All Progressives Congress (APC) brought, are laudable achievements.

    He praised Aregbesola’s legacy in every sector, saying his administration had changed governance in the state.

    Oba Olanipekun said: “To me, the greatest achievement of this government is the peace it has brought to politics and the state. It is with the coming of this administration that we know that politics can be done without killing and destruction.

    “Before now in Osun, we all think politics was associated with brigandage and violence, but Aregbesola and APC have brought such a thing to its knees. We can now sleep with our eyes closed.

    “Aregbesola is a governor who listens. This is why he has been able to fulfil most of his campaign promises to the people of Osun in the last seven and a half years.

    “I want to use this medium to let you know the voice of Osogbo elders and this includes those who don’t even have sympathy for the APC. They always tell me that Aregbesola has done really well for our state.”

    Aregbesola assured residents that the debt profile of the state would soon reduce while revenue inflow to the state would take a turn for the better.

    The governor described the loans as a “necessity” to rescue the state from backwardness and poor governance.

    He described as baseless and unfounded insinuations that the state borrowed beyond its capacity, saying the debt profile had been adjudged as moderate by the National Bureau of Statistics and several other relevant agencies.

    Aregbesola said: “We thank God that Osun is moving forward through us and we are grateful to God for this.

    ‘’The opposition is going about, saying we are indebted. We don’t have a problem with that because the fact remains that we did not spend the debts on frivolities but on projects that are everywhere.

    “Osun will definitely clear the debts and our projects will remain for the benefit of all.  I am happy to inform you that the coast is getting clearer because by 2019 our sukuk and conventional loans would have been cleared.”

     

  • Ataoja to Osun workers: resume work

    Ataoja to Osun workers: resume work

    THE  Ataoja of Osogbo, Oba Jimoh Olanipekun, has appealed to workers to resume so that Governor Rauf Aregbesola can kick start the recovery of the economy.

    Speaking with reporters in his palace in Osogbo yesterday, the traditional ruler, who praised workers for their patience, urged labour leaders to show understanding.

    Oba Olanipekun decried the propaganda about the Aregbesola administration.

    “We have been reading on the Internet and newspapers that some people are trying to jeopardise the good effort of the government.

    “And we have to enlighten the public. Aregbesola should be praised for his numerous achievements.

    “Despite the fact that Osun is the least paid in terms of federal allocation, Aregbesola has achieved far more than his predecessors.

    “He has changed the face of the state, particularly Osogbo. He has repaired many roads in the state.

    “Aregbesola has recorded several achievements. I beg the workers to rally round him to make the state bounce back.

    “I’m appealing to workers to show understanding. Some of the roads he built and rehabilitated have attracted development to the state. We, the people of Osogbo, have no regret in supporting Aregbesola.”