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  • I named my son Oduduwa to break myth – Oluwo

    I named my son Oduduwa to break myth – Oluwo

    • Says Sango, Ogun, Obatala dead gods

    Flamboyant traditional ruler of Iwo, Osun State, Oba Abdulrosheed Adewale Akanbi, the Oluwo of Iwoland, shares his thoughts with GBENGA ADERANTI on deities, his wife and the place of monarchy in governance, among other issues.

    Recently, you reechoed your disdain for idol worshipping by quoting excerpts from your book, Our Origin and Religion…

    The truth is that monarchs are the ones to propagate the message of the Almighty God. Pastors and Imams are supposed to listen and pass the message across to the people. Monarchs are heirs, the representatives of Olodumare (the Almighty God). Pastors and Alfas are the messengers of God. Between the representatives of God and the messengers of God, who should know God better? The heir, of course.

    That is why I do not agree with the belief in certain quarters that it was the orisas (deities) that created the monarchical institution. I don’t know of any deity that brought the institution of kingship. Kingship was ordained from heaven. Almighty God is the one who appoints kings. He is the king of kings, the creator. He is the real king. There is no one like God, deities are not God, and human beings are gods.

    As you are (referring to our correspondent), you are an orisa, ‘ori lo sami da,’ (God’s chosen, specially chosen) Why would somebody say, Ogun the god of iron and Sango the god of thunder who are dead are specially chosen? What then are we? Are you not specially chosen? You are God’s chosen yourself. What we should not do is to assume the role of an object of worship or veneration (akunlebo).

    Of all the creations of God, only one institution moves from the realm of ‘orisa’ (deity), and becomes vested with authorities (‘alase’). Before I became a king, I was an ‘orisa’ (deity), ‘eni ti orisa da’ (God’s chosen), but when you leave the realm of ‘orisa’, and you become a king, you become a person vested with authority (alase).

    As a king, you become an heir of God and you have authority. It is only the Yoruba monarchs that enjoy the monopoly of being greeted the way we greet God. Why then should somebody who enjoys the status akin to that of the Supreme Being say he will venerate deities?

    They deceived us for a very long time. It is the idol worshippers that have been deceiving people, telling us to worship deities. Idolatry is slavery. They want to turn our forefathers into slave masters that we should be worshipping. You only worship who created you. Those who work with the government, what do you call them?

    Civil servants

    They are the servants of those who created them. The government is the one that created them; meaning the government created the civil service. So who created kingship? It is the king of kings. That is why you have to worship Him. You are a servant to the person that created you. It was the Olodumare (Almighty God) that created the kingship institution. Kings are the heirs of the King of Kings, Olodumare. Unfortunately in Yorubaland, the monarchs have been intimidated and cowed. The traditional rulers are afraid of the chiefs who worship idols, who are not kings.

    If they had enslaved our forefathers, we should not enslave our children and we should do better than our forefathers — Oduduwa, Sango, etc. You don’t allow superstition to limit your life. Don’t allow fear to rule your life, the thinking that your children should not be greater than their forefathers. You know that Yoruba never allowed anybody to name his child Oduduwa, but I have broken that myth and I have named my child Oduduwa

    But some people say Yoruba existed before Oduduwa…

    That is exactly what I was telling you. It was not Oduduwa that founded Yorubaland.

    What then is the origin of the Yoruba race?

    We are ‘Omo Adamo’ (people made of clay). Yoruba people are ‘Adamo’, moulded from clay. It is from Yoruba word ‘Adamo’ that they coined Adam. Those who wrote the holy books did not write where Adamo came from, but the way to know where you come from is through your name.

    Adamo was created from clay. It is only the Yoruba that had its name prefixed with creation (Adamo). We are the only ones that describe clay and mud as amo; ada ninu amo (created from clay). Yoruba is straightforward and self-explanatory. Even the ‘orisa’ (deities) they talk about is ‘ori sa’ meaning God’s chosen. ‘Eniti ori sa da, God’s chosen. Orisas are human beings. We are all orisa.

    Are you not afraid that these postulations might get you into trouble with traditionalists?

    Haaa… what can they do? Are they as powerful as God? They can’t do anything to me. It is the Olodumare that created everybody. Those people you are talking about are just deceiving people. They are 419ners (fraudsters). Even the Orunmila they talk about also affirms that Olorun nio mo eni ti o la, meaning only God knows who will live. Orunmila was just a seer. He does not create.

    But going into seclusion or ipebi before you were installed as a king means that you believe in what you are kicking against…

    If someone wants to change something, look at Tinubu now, he fought to become the President to change the status quo, saying this is not the way to do things. When he became the President, he removed the subsidy. Was it not the subsidy that the previous governments were afraid to remove? As a reformist who wants to change the generation of his own people for better, you should not be scared to take the bull by the horn and win it.

    A leader is one who wants to change the lives of his people for the better. A reformist is a leader. You must be able to lead without being scared of anything. If you still follow the pattern you met, you are still a follower, not a leader. There were many leaders who ruled Nigeria, but they were not leaders but followers. They only followed what was on the ground because they were scared.

    What is your relationship with the traditionalists in Iwo?

    They understand what I’m saying. They do come to me. When I did the Odun Eledumare (Festival of the Almighty), they came. They know I will always support them when they celebrate Almighty God.

    They know where I stand regarding this. They told me that they worship Olodumare through their forefathers – Obatala and Sango. I told them the dead and the living do not have anything in common. That is the belief of the Yoruba people. Sango, Ogun and other gods are dead, so why should I get to my Almighty God through my father who is dead? Should I go to the burial ground or call my dead father to help me take my prayer to God? God is living and I’m living too. I will talk to God directly.

    Idol worshippers do not want us to get to God directly; they prefer that we are slaves to our forefathers. The Oguns and the Sangos are our brothers. It has not been long since they passed on.

     I read somewhere that Iwo is an Islamic town.

    Read Also: Oduduwa varsity: promoter of Gbagede Imo to appear in court November 11

    There was a time in history, in the 16th Century when Islam came; it first arrived in Iwo from Mali. The history is there. We can’t throw away that history. We embraced Islam even before Uthman Dan Fodio declared a caliphate in 1804. We had embraced Islam before then. It was the king that brought Islam to Iwo. In other Yoruba towns, it was the Alfas (Islamic clerics) that brought Islam to those places. They were the ones that taught the traditional rulers of those towns Islam. But in Iwo, it was the Oba that gave everybody Islam.

    When it comes to tradition and culture, we can do our tradition and culture without worshipping deities. Deity worshipping is a religion of some people; it is not the religion of the king. The religion of the king is the religion of Eledumare Himself because it is the monarch who represents the Almighty God. The monarch would be friendly with those who worship the Almighty God. The monarch should not be afraid that he worships the Almighty God. Unfortunately, many of our traditional rulers are scared.

    As a monarch who worships Eledumare, you are the representative of God. You have splendour and grace. Some of the Yoruba kings do not possess the grace of God. What they see in them is just idols, and that is why people don’t call kings to come and lead prayers.

    Meanwhile, the monarchs are the custodian of grace and authority of God. The pastors and imams just pray. Monarchs are the custodians of authority and heirs of God. How do you expect people to see grace and authority in a king that worships deities? See how they are seeing the grace of God on Adeboye, Oyedepo, etc and the imams. You will discover that pastors and imams are respected more than kings Yorubaland. But in the northern part of the country, their traditional rulers are respected.

    What you are postulating sounds contradictory since you so much believe in the Islamic religion …

    No. But if Islam is related to what I was saying, that means Islam originated from us. I had earlier told you that The Moulder (Adamo) was the one that made it. It means the Arabs brought our religion to us. What they call Islam in Arabic language is the knowledge of God, worshipping of one God. It is the religion of Yoruba. Islam is an Arabic word, Muslim is an Arabic word. I’m not talking Muslim; I’m talking Yoruba, which is imo Olodumare, having the knowledge of God as one king who is not two.

    What the Yoruba say is oba bi Olorun kosi (there is no king like God). We are His heirs.

    Religion, culture and tradition all start from kings. When you are talking about customs and traditions, all these are different from worshipping deities.

    All those idol worshippers are the ones spoiling our culture because they are dirty. They are the ones who refused to make it attractive. They put sacrifices everywhere, pouring gin on their sacrifices. Gins were brought by the white men. We don’t have such a strong drink. What we have in Yorubaland is palm wine; we were not the owners of gin.

    With the way you are talking, those coming behind are likely to query some things about the two dominant foreign religions. Do you see Islam and Christianity being relegated to the background in the near future?

    No. Our own religion is the religion of the Almighty God. We worship the owner of odu (codes). He is the owner of odu, He knows where everything will end. He is the owner of all the codes.

    The owner of the code of creation is the only person who knows where all will end. That is why they call him Olodumare. Olodu to mo means He knows the beginning and the end.

    Yoruba is deep spiritually.

    There are many churches in Iwo. What is your relationship with the church in your domain?

    We have a very good relationship. They love me. Christians attend the Olodumare Festival that I do. They understand what I’m doing better. The Muslims are yet to understand it. I told them that it is a king that does the festival of the King of Kings, because he is celebrating his stool. You have to find a special day and celebrate God Almighty. We are his heirs.

    There was a time you had a disagreement with a cleric…

    No he was never the head of Muslims in Iwo. He was an Ajanasi. His job was to echo whatever I said. He was being rude. He was an enemy of the crown. There is no way for a king not to have enemies, especially those he contested the stool with. Those who contested the stool with me were the ones that sent him. He was incited to be rude to the stool and I removed him as an Ajanasi and gave it to another person. The guy was never an Imam, but many people got it wrong and referred to him as an Imam.

    When I led the prayer, nobody could talk because it was the Oluwo that brought Islam to Iwo. Our throne is different in the entire Yorubaland because the Oluwo was the person who brought Islam to Iwo. So it is different from all other towns in Yorubaland. There is nobody that has that history in the whole of Yorubaland. It was in the 16th Century that Oba Ikirinade Adekanbi alias Alausa brought Islam to Iwo. We have the Alausa ruling house in Iwo. He was the one who brought Islam from the Malians, which is why they call it the religion of the Malians (imale). And he was the one leading the Muslim prayer. He was the Imam.

    I’m doing the same thing my forefathers did. The king is the Imam and perhaps, if he is busy, he delegates to other people. I’m the one that appoints Imam and nobody can be a king in Iwo except you are a Muslim.

    How is your queen?

    She is good.

    How did you meet her?

    You know she is from a royal family, so I met her through the royal family of Kano, the high princes and high princesses of Kano, and that is how the two royal homes met.

    It is unusual for the blue blooded to marry outside their ethnic groups. Were there challenges before you got married?

    They knew Iwo is a royal home and Muslim town, so there was no problem.

    What do you think should be the roles of traditional institutions in governance?

    Yes, they should have a role in governance because it has been like that for long.

    In the colonial era, when we had a regional government, it was the politicians and the traditional rulers that were ruling. Even the Oluwo was a minister in the House of Chiefs in the Western Region. The traditional rulers were ministers, and if President Tinubu is going to do it, there should be a ministry for traditional rulers and that ministry should be headed by a traditional ruler. The government has to be closer to us. We are the ones closest to our people, to the grassroots. So the government must have a bridge to reach the grassroots and the traditional rulers are the only ones that can reach the grassroots.

  • Devotees and identities

    An ambitious idea to promote Yoruba religion and culture was among the highpoints of the 10th Orisa World Congress held at the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) in Ile-Ife, Osun State, in July 2013. At the opening ceremony in Oduduwa Hall, OAU, the then Ooni of Ife, Oba Okunade Sijuwade, had declared that July and August would be “Yoruba cultural months” from 2014.  Oba Sijuwade, who died in 2015 after a 35-year reign, was a revered traditional ruler and Grand Patron of the Orisa tradition and religion.

    “I implore all descendants of Oduduwa to return home every year during these months to celebrate our culture and religion,” Oba Sijuwade had said.  Oduduwa, regarded as the progenitor of the Yoruba people, is artistically represented by an imposing wooden sculpture carved by Lamidi Olonade Fakeye, which Oba Sijuwade had unveiled at the front of the university theatre in 1987.

    Oba Sijuwade had clarified the idea of “Yoruba cultural months,” saying, “All my children in Nigeria, Benin Republic, Togo Republic, Ghana, Sierra Leone and Sudan, invite all lovers of Yoruba culture to the homeland during the months of July and August. Celebrate the values, virtues and treasures of our towns and cities. Hold public events, conventions and activities that showcase the invaluable riches of Yoruba culture and religion. These are the treasures that have made Yoruba culture and religion a global heritage of humanity.”

    Ile-Ife, regarded as “the source” and cultural capital of the Yoruba race, was an appropriate setting for deliberations on the challenges of the Orisa way of life, especially in the context of contending faiths. The variegated gathering included participants from the United States of America, Brazil, Cuba, Venezuela and Mexico, and demonstrated the appeal of the Yoruba religion beyond its provenance.

    There is no doubt about the international status of Yoruba religion.  The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in 2005 added the Ifa Divination system to its list of “Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity.”

    Putting Oba Sijuwade’s idea into action is another matter.  His death should not mean the death of the idea. His successor, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, who is also enthusiastic about promoting Yoruba religion and culture, should make moves to turn this striking idea into reality.

    While Oba Sijuwade’s idea awaits its time, the vehicle he had used to publicize the idea needs to be reactivated.  The 10th edition of Orisa World Congress in Ile-Ife, which focused on “Culture and Global Peace,” was the fourth in the ancient town, starting from the first one nearly four decades ago. Six others have been held in Brazil, USA, Trinidad and Tobago, and Cuba. It is a project of Orisaworld, “an organisation of practitioners and scholars of Orisa tradition, religion and culture,” founded in 1981 by Prof Wande Abimbola, a retired academic and culture exponent. The group has “individual and institutional members from over 50 countries,” and “promotes culture, education and peace in a world where Orisa tradition and culture play a central role in the day-to-day lives of over 100 million people.”

    Abimbola had announced that future congresses would be held in Nigeria, and that the next one would take place in Ile-Ife in 2016. Six years after the last congress, and three years after the next one was expected to take place, it is unclear whether the organisers are planning another congress. It is ironic that a group set up “to revitalise and rejuvenate the Orisa culture and all its traditions” needs to be revitalised and rejuvenated.

    Oba Sijuwade had  declared with poetic overtones, “I hereby make the following proclamation: the religion of Yoruba land; the religion of Oduduwa who descended from Heaven on a chain of iron; the religion of Oranfe who lives in a house of perpetual fire in Heaven; the religion of Ifa, witness of destiny; the religion of Sango, the great warrior and giant, child of Oranmiyan; the religion of Oya nicknamed oriirii, eater of she-goats, the female warrior who wears a sword as part of her outfit; the religion of Osun nicknamed ewuji the greatest mother of all; the religion of Obatala, owner of ancient Iranje; will never perish.”

    Interestingly, the last Orisa World Congress involved discussions on a number of important topics, including “Globalisation and Cultural Identity.” Globalisation has religious implications, including collision of faiths. There have been clashes between devotees of Yoruba traditional religion and Yoruba Christians and Muslims.

    Last year, for instance, following a conflict triggered by the Oro festival, a report said: “Perhaps the height of the growing resentment against the festival came in February 2018 when the Christian Association of Nigeria and the Muslim Community in the Ipokia Local Government Area of Ogun State approached a high court to stop Oro from being held during daytime in the area. The religious bodies claimed that government parastatals, schools, businesses and other public places are usually forced to close down operations as a result of the daytime ‘curfew’ foisted on them by the traditional exercise. While granting their prayers, the court limited the occasion to between 12:00am and 4:00am, a situation that has since brought relief to many in Ipokia and its environs.”

    In another instance, a report said: “In Erinmo Ijesha, Osun State, there is a traditional title, Oodole, which is conferred on a leading member of the community by the council of chiefs. Whoever is chosen to become the Oodole dances around the town, and visits important locations in the town, including the Oba’s palace. The chosen one wears a cap, under which are leaves alleged to have spiritual powers. The installation involves invoking the spirit of the deity; and the ceremony is rounded off with the killing of a sacrificial goat or cow… Those who do not participate in communal rituals, especially Christians and Muslims, are often targets of violent attacks.”

    In August, the two-week Osun-Osogbo Festival will take place in Osogbo, Osun State, with a grand finale in the Osun-Osogbo Grove, a national monument and one of Nigeria’s two UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Osun is a Yoruba water goddess celebrated yearly in a spectacular festival that is a star attraction. The Osun-Osogbo Festival, possibly the country’s pre-eminent traditional religious festival, draws a large number of visitors from within Nigeria as well as the Yoruba diaspora and beyond.

    There are various other traditional activities that sustain the Yoruba religion. The reality of diverse faiths and religious differences should not encourage religious violence.

  • Oluwo debunks Igbo’s claim on Oduduwa

    OLUWO of Iwoland Oba Abdul-Rasheed Adewale Akanbi, Telu I has debunked the claim that Oduduwa, the progenitor of the Yoruba race, was the last born of an Igbo prince.

    Reacting to Ohaneze Ndigbo’s counter claim to a statement by Ooni of Ife Oba Enitan Adeyeye Ogunwusi, Ojaja II that Igbo community originated from Ile-Ife, the Oluwo insisted that the alleged claim by Ohaneze Ndigbo was not correct and, therefore, cannot be true.

    The Ohaneze Ndigbo had claimed that “Odudunwa (last born), later called Oduduwa was an Igbo prince, who occupied Ile-Ife, but the Yoruba saw him as a god because he was very powerful and had magical powers”.

    “The Yoruba learnt and spoke Igbo language then and that is the reason for the similarity between Igbo and Yoruba language,” the Igbo cultural group said.

    But, in a statement by his media aide, Ali Ibrahim, Oba Akanbi described the claim as unfounded, false and misleading to “the stalwarts of history”.

    The first class Yoruba traditional ruler advised the Igbo people to further their research on the adventure of their “own Oduduwa”, instead of demeaning the status of the founder of the Yoruba race, “our own source and rallying point”.

    The traditional ruler, who noted that the record must be set straight and controversies laid to rest, said: “Yoruba nation was founded by Oduduwa. Oduduwa brought the first civilisation, which is the crown. Oduduwa demonstrated an unequalled, peculiar, unparalleled, unmatched, quintessential and different leadership.

    “He served his people and became a rallying point for his services to humanity. He gave us the best tradition, so respectful and obedience. Rich, very beautiful and unblemished Yoruba culture emanated from Oduduwa.”

  • House of Oduduwa partners Rejuvenee, others for Moremi

    In a bid to honour the legacy of Queen Moremi Ajasoro of Ile Ife, the House of Oduduwa Foundation, in collaboration with Rejevenee, among others, brought on stage the life and times of Queen Moremi tagged ‘Moremi, the Musical.’

    The show, which took place at Terra Kulture in Lagos, witnessed a massive turn out of lovers of history, arts and music.

    Speaking at the event, Vice Chairman, House of Oduduwa Foundation and Ambassador, Moremi Ajasoro Brand, Princess Aderonke Ademiluyi, said the Moremi concept is a franchise of the House of Oduduwa Foundation and a number of projects were initiated by the foundation in order to immortalize the legend. According to Princess Ademiluyi, the franchise began with a beauty pageant, a book launch and the third part being the musical play.

    “We are dedicated to telling our story and the story of Queen Moremi is about a woman who dedicated her life to ensure that her home town of Ile Ife was safe from marauders,” she said.

    “She was a sacrificial leader and that is what sacrificial leadership is all about.”

    Princess Ademiluyi believes that there is a need to talk about the story of Queen Moremi to enable our children and the younger generations know our history particularly the history of the Ile Ife town.

    “Our children should also know that a regular woman, who lived several years ago, stood up and dared to do things no man could do at that time.”

    Spokesperson for Rejuvenee, major sponsors of the production, Lilian Amah-Aluko said seeing the story brought to life on stage made the decision to be part of it a worthwhile investment. Said Aluko: “At Rejuvenee, we celebrate beauty and wellness and when the House of Oduduwa approached us with sponsorship requests, we saw it as an opportunity to be part of something that celebrates the beauty of womanhood, as well as, send out the messages of courage and hope to our people, which queen Moremi personifies.”

    Moremi the Musical was put together by Bolanle Austen Peters productions, together with a cast of veteran actors, that brought to life in musical form, the service and sacrifice of Moremi, a woman who eventually brought peace, progress and prosperity to Ile-Ife, a town that was bedeviled with strife and sorrows. Queen Moremi gave up her only son in order to achieve the peace that was eventually enjoyed by the entire Yoruba land and for her sacrifice; she is today honoured in all of Yoruba land and is a symbol of sacrifice.

    The House of Oduduwa Foundation is an initiative of the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi and the show is expected to run from December 21, up until January 2019.

  • Oduduwa, Igbinedion varsities to honour Oluwo

    The Oduduwa University at Ipetumodu in Osun State and Igbinedion University at Okada in Edo State are conferring honorary doctorate degrees on the Oluwo of Iwo, Oba Abudl-Rasheed Adewale Akanbi, Telu I.

    While the doctorate degree of the Oduduwa University will be conferred tomorrow, the Igbinedion University’s will be at the premiere private university’s 16th convocation ceremony on November 25.

    A statement by the monarch’s Press Secretary, Ibrahim Ali, said the authorities of the two universities said the awards were in acknowledgement of the oba’s commitment to service to humanity and his contribution to academic excellence in Nigeria.

    The statement quoted Igbinedion University as saying: “The award is also in recognition of your outstanding contribution as a traditional and cultural icon, outstanding and visionary leader, developmentalist, general role model and national builder.”

    Oba Akanbi said the award, tagged: The Human Prize of Service, is a challenge for him to serve humanity the more with the resources at his disposal.

    He said: “Traditional rulers fail when they do not improve their people’s standard. Since we are the closest to the grassroots, it is incumbent on us to commit our strength to the improvement of our people’s welfare.

    “The reward for hard work is more work. My less than three years on throne is a definition of a life committed to the service of humanity. When you serve, you become a leader and a rallying point…”

     

  • Osun Decides 2018: Agoro commends Ooni for not voting

    Dr. Olapade Agoro, Presidential candidate of the National Action Council (NAC), on Sunday hailed the decision of the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, not to cast his vote in the last Saturday’s governorship election in Osun state.

    There were media reports that Oba Ogunwusi did not vote despite the fact there is a polling unit by the palace, because he saw all the governorship candidates in the Osun State as his subjects.

    Speaking with newsmen in Ibadan on Sunday, Agoro commended the revered Yoruba traditional ruler, describing his action as “very laudable and respectable”.

    The NAC Presidential candidate maintained that what the Ooni Ogunwusi did was honouring the throne of Oduduwa and the whole of Yoruba race.

    According to him, “The Ooni ‘risa, Oba Enitan Ogunwusi has placed himself on the side of honour. The position of the Ooni of Ife is above all political positions. The Ooni should be a rally point for all sons and daughters of Oodu, irrespective of political inclinations.

    Read Also: Osun Decides 2018: Aregbesola describes election as impressive, peaceful

    “The Ooni has been doing well since he ascended the exalted throne. He has been promoting the rich culture of the Yoruba race above political considerations. So far, so good,he has been doing good job on the throne”.

    Agoro also felicitate with Ooni Ogunwusi on the forthcoming Olojo Festival that will be celebrated in Ile – Ife, advising the monarch not to allow politicians to use the traditional festival for political campaign.

    He urged the Ooni of Ife to promote the Olojo Festival  into a trado – cultural festival that will be celebrated beyond the confines of Ile-Ife.

  • Oduduwa varsity to offer doctoral degree programme

    Oduduwa University, Ipetumodu, Osun State, universities in the world, as  played host to officials of the National Universities Commission (NUC), who were at the university for the resource inspection of post-graduate programmes leading to master’s and doctoral degrees in Mass Communication, Biochemistry, Microbiology and Computer Science.

    The seven-man team, which was made up of senior NUC officials and academics  drawn from different universities.

    The team was divided into two with the smaller part focusing on Mass Communication, while the other inspected the remaining three science courses.

    The Mass Communication team which was led by Prof. Victor Kogah of the Imo State University also had Prof. Godwin Okon of the Rivers State University and Mr Chinda Nyeme of the NUC as members, while the Sciences team consisted of Prof. Olusoji Ilori of the University of Lagos, Prof C Nwanguma of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Prof. Justice Emuoyibofanhe of the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomoso and Mrs A. Balogun of the NUC.

    During the visit, two teams inspected the various facilities put in place by the management of the institution which included laboratories, studios, lecture theatres and classrooms, the university library, seminar rooms, among other facilities.

    Earlier in June, a larger 12-man NUC team had also paid a similar visit to the university for the accreditation and re-accreditation of some undergraduate programmes.

  • Naming private varsity after Oduduwa excites Oluwo

    The naming of a private university after the progenitor of Yoruba race, Oduduwa, has been commended by the traditional ruler of Iwo town, Osun State, Oba Abdulrasheed Akanbi.

    Speaking during a private visit to the President and Founder of the Oduduwa University, Chief Ramon Adedoyin, the monarch described the President and Founder of Oduduwa University, Ipetumodu as a living legend and a special gift from God to Ife people and Yoruba race as a whole.

    The monarch commended Adedoyin over his contributions to humanity and “singular feat of honouring the progenitor of the Yoruba race by not only building a private university in Ile-Ife, but also naming the university after him.”

    He described Adedoyin as special being who shares his love and respect for Oduduwa, adding, that while Adedoyin named his university after the Yoruba foremost ancestor, he also named his son born to him after he ascended the throne of Oluwo after Oduduwa.

    While showing admiration for Adedoyin, he said  he wished he could have someone like Adedoyin as one of his subjects in Iwoland .

    He declared his intention to encourage the vision of the university by donating a hostel to the students.

    Oba Abdulrasheed also used the occasion to clear the air on the issue of his calling himself an Emir which had generated so much controversy of late. According to him, newsmen blew the incident out of proportion and misinterpreted what he said.

  • Ego Boyo’s IWS partners House of Oduduwa, QMA to empower women

    The International Women’s Society (IWS), a group of international women founded to work for the advancement of women of all races, and develop the common interests of women, is collaborating with the House of Oduduwa Foundation to host this year’s Queen Móremí Àjàsorò Empowerment and Mentorship programmme during the QMA 2017 Pageant auditions in Ile-Ife. The auditions are slated for October 30 to November 1.

    The inaugural Queen Móremí Àjàsorò Empowerment and Mentorship programme with the Theme “Creating Successful Entrepreneurs in the Business of Empowerment” will feature successful Nigerian female entrepreneurs, who will share their experiences as role models for young women to emulate.

    Discussions at the conference will center on the development and empowerment of the youth; how young women can create sustainable businesses, become job creators and support the development of other women entrepreneurs.

    The QMA International Project is an initiative established to showcase the unrivalled heroism of Queen Móremí, whose exploits and willingness to lay her life for the survival of her people, represents an indelible gesture in altruism and a major part of Yoruba history and culture.

    Some of the projects to mark this year’s event are; the Queen Móremí Àjàsorò cultural pageant, the QMA Empowerment and Mentorship Programme, the QMA Awards and the QMA ‘Móremí The Musical’, which debuts this year.

    The collaboration with IWS is coming a few days after the announcement of popular Yoruba actor, Odunlade Adekola, as one of the distinguished celebrity judges for the QMA 2017 Pageant auditions, which will take place from Monday, 30th October to Wednesday, 1st November 2017, at the King’s Palace, Enuwa, Ile Ife, Osun State, with the grand finale holding at the Oriental Hotel, Lagos, on the 3rd December 2017.

    The President, International Women’s Society, Nigeria, Nwakaego Boyo, declared that “The International Women’s society Nigeria is proud to partner with the Queen Moremi Ajasoro empowerment and mentorship campaign, which is part of this year’s cultural pageant”. She expressed her delight about the partnership. She also assured that her organization will keep working with partners who share similar ideals on the need to be good role models for young girls and women.

    According to her, “We have for sixty years, achieved this in our structured and focused society which continues to impact the lives of many, and will continue to work with partners who share similar ideals, to be good role models for young girls and women, and to ensure they have all the opportunities needed to achieve their goals and realize their full potential.”

     

  • Ooni celebrates Tinubu at 65

    Ooni celebrates Tinubu at 65

    The Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, has felicitated with Sen. Bola Tinubu as he clocks 65-years-old, describing him as an eminent descendant of Oduduwa.

    The monarch congratulated Tinubu in a statement signed and issued on Wednesday by Mr Moses Olafare, his Director of Media & Public Affairs.

    Tinubu, a former governor of Lagos State and national leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC) clocked 65 on Wednesday.

    According to the royal father,  Tinubu is a patriotic Nigerian and elder statesman; a Pan-Africanist to the core, who remains a great inspiration to the African youths.

    He said that Tinubu had, no doubt, spent the larger part of his life in deeds worthy of emulation, noting that, as a school student, he designed his focus very carefully.

    “As a professional in the private financial sector, he remained focused and discharged his duties creditably well.

    “As a politician, he has been an outstanding leader and quintessential bridge builder.

    “As a senator of the the Federal Republic of Nigeria, he stood firmly with the masses till he went into exile where he continued alongside other patriots in the struggle for democracy which was won on the May 29, 1999.

    “As a governor, he left a legacy of excellence that has continued to make Lagos a socio-economically enviable society within the comity of the globally recognised cities in the world,” he said.

    The Ooni prayed the Almighty God to bless the rest of his journey in life with good health, long life and fulfillment.