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Tag: Ooni

  • When Ooni challenges pupils on African culture

    When Ooni challenges pupils on African culture

    PUPILS of Queensland Academy, Okota, Lagos last week enjoyed the rare privilege of meeting the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi in his palace during a four-day excursion.

    Proprietress of the school, Mrs. Adenike Okudor, said  the excursion tagged: “Know your country”, was to help participants understand their cultural heritage.

    The monarch, who encouraged them the pupils to study hard, also urged them to learn about their cultures and their parents’ home lands.

    Oba Ogunwusi conducted them round his palace, showing them interesting things, including a mysterious well, which he said from history is regarded as the first wife of every man who eventually becomes the Ooni.

    “This water is the wife of everybody who becomes Ooni in Ife. You can’t see her but I do. She is beautiful and nice. It is the wife of our great grandfather that turned into water after she was offended and we must respect her because we inherited her in the palace,” he said.

    He advised school owners to include value for African culture in their curriculum, noting that civilisation started from Africa, and so  African culture, which he described as  ‘the richest in the world’ should not be neglected.

    He said: “It is one of my plans to create awareness about our cultural heritage from primary to secondary school and even to the tertiary institutions.

    “This is important because we are losing values and we must encourage our children to preserve it.

    “We need to understand where we hail from and the culture we are practising very well. We also need to derive joy in African culture because development started here.

    “There are proper documentations that show that development started from Africa. We need to preserve this heritage. I also want to encourage you to aggressively embark on domestic tourism for our children to know that we have good things in Africa.

    “Children, If you are from Igbo land, make sure you understand Igbo culture, same with Hausa and Yoruba.

    “I want you to understand that you are all Nigerians and we are one. We should be proud of our heritage. If we are proud of our continent, we won’t be regarded as second class citizens of the world.”

    Earlier, a Director of the school, Mr. Segun Akinyelure, who spoke on behalf of Mrs Okudor, said the visit was to establish a relationship with the monarch especially in the area of agriculture.

    He said the school chose Osun for excursion in the Southwest because it is one of the states certified by UNESCO for agricultural development and tourism in Nigeria.

    “The school is also trying to help pupils know their culture and where they come from. Some of them have travelled far and wide but they don’t really understand their culture. They have gone on excursion to Europe and USA but this time around, we felt it is good for them to know their culture.

    An SS 1 pupil, Favour Ifechukwu-Okafor, was  awed by the cultural artefacts.

    “The kabiyesi has demonstrated high level of understanding on how to encourage children.

    “He taught us how to secure a prosperous and fulfilling future. The most amazing thing is that of the mysterious water he showed us. It is an unforgettable experience. When I get home, I will tell my parents, friends and family to ensure they also visit here for more enlightenment about our culture,” she said.

  • Ooni is medical students’ patron

    Ooni is medical students’ patron

    The maiden National Executive Council (NEC) meeting of the Nigerian Medical Students’ Association (NiMSA) was held in Ogbomoso, Oyo State, last weekend. The association chose the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, as its grand patron. EDDY UWOGHIREN (400-Level Medicine and Surgery, University of Benin) reports.

    THE Nigerian Medical Students Association (NIMSA) has chosen the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, as its grand patron.

    Members of the association, which is the umbrella body of medical students in the country, unanimously picked the monarch during the maiden meeting of the National Executive Council (NEC) held last weekend in Ogbomoso, Oyo State.

    Despite the short notice, members turned out for the event held at D’Kitts Hotel. The meeting was attended by executive members of the association, chapter presidents and general secretaries.

    The event started with a lecture by Mr F.A. Ogunmola, an official of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) with the theme: Safety on the highway. According to him, prevention of road accident should not be seen as the duty of FRSC alone. He said people must partner with the body and observe the road rules to reduce rate of accidents.

    Ogunmola identified lackadaisical attitude, alcohol, visual impairment and disobedience to traffic rules as primary causes of accident. He said many road users have psychotic problem, which, he said, endangered other road users. He advised people to always check the condition of their vehicles before embarking on journey.

    He urged the medical students to take the campaign to their various campuses and advise their colleagues to partner with FRSC as volunteers for emergency response.

    Ogunmola said: “As medical students, we know you organise medical outreaches. We plead with you to increase the tempo and embark on advocacy that will change people’s behaviour on the road. The society is looking up to you as the future of the health sector. We urge you to spend your holidays with the FRSC to help in emergency response duty. Currently, we only have Red Cross and other volunteers, who have no background in medical knowledge.”

    The following day, the medical students held a congress, which was presided over by the NiMSA national president, Haruna Musa. The discussion was centred on issues affecting the wellbeing of the association, healthcare and students’ welfare.

    At the end of the congress, the students issued a communique, which listed their demand from the government. They called for establishment of Counseling Unit in all medical schools by Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN) to offer free counseling to students. The students also agreed to improve the relationship between NiMSA and other religious bodies.

    The highpoint was the selection of Oba Ogunwusi as the grand patron of the association. After the congress, the chapter presidents took out time to give report of happenings in their domains. They passed a vote of confidence on Haruna, applauding his leadership style.

    The medical students visited the palace of Soun of Ogbomoso on excursion to end the three-day event.

     

     

  • Ooni opens up on mysteries of Ife

    Ooni opens up on mysteries of Ife

    It was all glitz, drumming and singing at the Palace of the Ooni of Ife in Enuwa, Ile-Ife. It was a special day that transformed the status of Ile Ife.  For the first time, a city in Nigeria has been declared as a Tourism Zone. The aim is to make the city a  tourism friendly city aimed at welcoming tourists on she discovery and adventure. The status was achieved with a declaration by the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi.

    The tourism zone declaration also saw a display of the rich culture of Ile-Ife with different gaily dressed cultural troupes, performing for the appreciative guests who had trooped to the palace to witness the declaration.

    Oba Ogunwusi talked about the rich culture of Ile-Ife and its mystery. He said: “We have Yoruba all over the world. We want to bring out the mysteries of this land, and we want to connect all the dotted lines.  Although a committed son of Ife, I know the history and mystery, right from my childhood that whoever you’ve been married to, your first wife in this palace, you need to go and pay her the honour.

    “ I was wondering, my wife in the palace?  Are they going to give me another wife? But when I went further, it was actually true. I went to see my wife in the palace. Guess who I saw? I saw one of the mysteries of creator, the King of Kings. A typical queen was in this palace many years ago.

    “ She never had a child and said: ‘God, I cried unto you and you never gave me a child. I will convert to become a martyr that would be useful to the entire mankind’. She prayed to God and God answered her prayers. She became a living well in this palace. That is my first wife in this palace. There is nothing you ask from Yeye Molu that she will not give you. What do we not have in Ile Ife? God blessed us with these mysteriess.

    “ We need to bless the entire world with it. There is nobody that takes that water and ask God for anything that it will happen. It is the mysteries of Ile Ife. The mysteries of water go on and on. I will encourage each and every visitor here today to go and have a look at one of the mysteries of God.

    “If you dare the water, and you fall into it, as small as it is, you will never come back. But, if you get into the water by mistake, she will protect you and take you to the nearest bank of any river or sea that your family members will find you. All these things have been established in the history of Ile Ife. The water is so jealous that she wants to be in this palace alone and no other well, but it is full of life.  This and so many other mysteries are what we want to turn into tourist attractions together with Motherland Beckons for all of us to trace our roots back to Africa.

    “ In North America, you have a lot of descendants of Yoruba race. If you go to South America, more than half of the entire major countries of South America will tell you categorically that they are Yoruba and they keep the culture intact, but we that are custodians, we don’t even appreciate what we have. That why we are putting together, with Motherland Beckons, to call on people of this world, to come and establish their roots and their origin.

    “The mysteries in Ife land keeps growing. We are discovering several mysteries. I mentioned to the entire world that he Tower of Babel is in Ile Ife. Some said it cannot be so, it is in the land of Egypt. It is not in the land of Egypt. We are proud to say that it is indeed in Ife land. The story of the Ark of Noah, the entire world have been looking for it.

    “The truth is, the Ark of Noah, is still alive in Ife land. It is one of our pride; it is one of our heritage. It has been in existence for millions of years.  The pre-Genesis world happened in Ife land . There was a life before Genesis. There was a life before mankind, the spirit life, which actually existed before mankind came into existence. The western people will call it esoteric world. All these facts are there, and by the grace of God, we are working towards putting them together. We urge each one of you to keep following us as we are progressing.”

    The oba continued: “There are too many mysteries. You know God thrives on mysteries, not even one.  Ife has so many mysteries and we will be given some of these mysteries to companies, corporate organisations to brand them and people will be coming to see them, starting from the palace and so many other places. That is the essence of tourism, so everybody in the world will come and see mysteries.

    “ You know tourism is movement, so when people move, tourism is moving. So they will take you there, they will explain the Imole to you, she is alive and am proud to be associated with her. She doesn’t like to be covered, she want to have the nature and the world directly, the more you cover it, the more she gets annoyed and breaks it before the next day morning, if you put bulldozer there, she breaks it. You cannot take the water out, but you can drink it, wash your hands and it will cleanse your spirit. Since all of you are tourism Journalists, all of you will go and see it.

    “What is driving Ife is very simple, too many mysteries in this land, and I tell people, we are not talking about supremacy here.  Ife in the English language means land of expansion. There is no land that has that name in the world. The meaning of Ile-Ife is the land of expansion. And I will tell the journalists to watch a very powerful documentary being put together by the western world.

    “It is called the story of oracles, very powerful. When you watch it, you will be very proud to be an African man. Everything started from here. There was another world that was pre Genesis world. I will give you the documentary to watch.

    “It is a fantastic documentary and today, the fastest growing religion in the world is the African religion, faster than Christianity, faster than Islam, all over the world. Why, because everybody is realizing that is from tropical Africa and we have been trying to pinpoint it from the source in Ile Ife. And as God will have it, God left mysteries for us to see those landmarks.

    “The landmarks are there, they have been here for millions of years and we still have them and I am glad to showcase it to you, the tourism journalists and the resort, what is driving it is bigger than what we have in Lagos, like I told you last year in Lagos, am like a visionary.

    “I foresee things and I like to project in a very strategic manner, the resort in Ife is very strategic because people will come from all over the world to see the mysteries, they will ask questions, what’s happening, I granted an interview recently where I just mentioned two of the mysteries and everybody said no, it is impossible, it can never be here, but the truth is that is here.

    “I mentioned the story of the tower of Babel in the Bible. It is in Ife land, the second one I mentioned is the Art of Noah. It is here, but people say no way, but the truth is it is here, the tower of Babel they said it is in Egypt, no is not in Egypt, it is here because the two stories are very synonymous.

    “God created the world and destroyed it with the great flood, you all know the story of the great flood and the art of Noah story, the ark built to save some souls, plants,  animals etcetera, but the Art of Noah is here, is a mystery place, is along Okeora, the entire Okeora is more than 1000 miles in stretch, if you are not careful you will get lost, it is there, it along the belt of Okeora, it runs all the way from Ife to Ondo State, Edo State, it gets to Benin, it is a mystery mountain all the way, all the mountain till the end of Benin, Edo state is full of mystery. “

    The new status of Ile-Ife was brought about by Motherland Beckons, a project initiated by Otunba Wanle Akinboboye, aimed at creating a platform that would open up the continent of Africa to the Africans in the Diaspora and help them to reconnect to their roots where their forefathers were taken from to the New World, the present day America.

  • When Ooni challenges pupils about African culture

    When Ooni challenges pupils about African culture

    PUPILS of Queensland Academy, Okota, Lagos last week enjoyed the rare privilege of meeting the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi in his palace during a four-day excursion.

    Proprietress of the school, Mrs. Adenike Okudor, said  the excursion tagged: ‘Know your country’, was to help participants understand their cultural heritage.

    For the pupils, the experience would linger in their memory for a long time.

    The monarch, who encouraged them to study hard, also urged them to learn about their cultures and their parents’ home lands.

    Oba Ogunwusi conducted them round his palace, showing them interesting things, including a mysterious well, which he said from history is regarded as the first wife of every man who eventually becomes the Ooni.

    “This water is the wife of everybody who becomes Ooni in Ife. You can’t see her but I do see her. She is beautiful and nice. It is the wife of our great grandfather that turned out to be the water after she was offended and we must respect her because we inherited her in the palace,” he said.

    He advised school owners to include value for African culture in their curriculum, noting that civilisation started from Africa, and so  African culture, which he described as  ‘the richest in the world’ should not be neglected.

    Oba Ogunwusi, however, regretted that Africans are losing their values daily and challenged the youngsters to preserve them.

    He said: “It is one of my plans to create awareness about our cultural heritage from primary to secondary school and even to the tertiary institutions.

    “This is important because we are losing values and we must encourage our children to preserve it.

    “We need to understand where we hail from and the culture we are practising very well. We also need to derive joy in African culture because development started here. Africa is the oldest continent in the world.

    “There are proper documentation that shows that development started from Africa. We need to preserve this heritage. I also want to encourage you to aggressively embark on domestic tourism for our children to know that we have good things in Africa.

    “Children, I want to beg you for a favour: make sure you understand the culture of your tribe very well.

    “If you are from Igbo land, make sure you understand Igbo culture. If you are from Hausa, make sure you understand Hausa culture, and if you are Yoruba, make sure you learn Yoruba cultural heritage very well. That is who you are and what you should stand for.

    “I want you to understand that you are all Nigerians and we are one. We should be proud of our heritage. If we are proud of our continent, we won’t be regarded as second class citizens of the world.”

    Earlier, a Director of the school, Mr. Segun Akinyelure, who spoke on behalf of Mrs Okudor, said the visit was to establish a relationship with the monarch especially in the area of agriculture.

    He said the school chose Osun for excursion in the Southwest because it is one of the states certified by UNESCO for agricultural development and tourism in Nigeria.

    He said the school’s mission is to promote tourism and agriculture and inculcate self-reliance in the pupils early in life.

    “The school is also trying to help the pupils know their culture and where they come from. Some of them have travelled far and wide but they don’t really understand their culture. They have gone on excursion to Europe and USA but this time around, we felt it is good for them to know their culture. We also want to know how we can partner with Kabiyesi in the area of agriculture.

    An SS 1 pupil, Favour Ifechukwu-Okafor, was  awed by the cultural artifacts.

    “The kabiyesi has demonstrated high level of understanding on how to encourage children.

    “He taught us how to secure a prosperous and fulfilling future. The most amazing thing is that of the mysterious water he showed us. It is an unforgettable experience. When I get home, I will tell my parents, friends and family to ensure they also visit here for more enlightenment about our culture,” she said.

  • Ooni advises youths

    Ooni advises youths

    The Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, has dedicated his appointment as Chancellor of University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN) to youths, who he urged to pursue their dreams.

    Ogunwusi gave the advice at his installation on the  campus in Nsukka, Enugu State,  to mark the school’s 45th convocation.

    “It’s now a reality by virtue of what happened here today. I want to challenge all my fellow youths to pursue their dreams vigorously and with God on your side, you will all attain all your goals.

    “If you do things honestly, your efforts will not go in vain for God himself will bless you,” the Ooni said.

    President Muhammadu Buhari represented by the Minister of State for Education, Prof Anthony Gozie Anuka, wished the monarch a successful tenure.

    Awarded honourary doctorate degrees alongside the Ooni were the Obi of Onitsha, Igwe Alfred Achebe; Former Inspector General of Police Ibrahim Coomassie;  Prince Arthur Eze, Justice Eze Ozobu and Amb Godwin Alaoma.

     A professor of Fine and Applied Arts, Ola Oloidi and 18 other professors were honoured as professor emeritus.

  • Ooni named UNN chancellor

    Ooni named UNN chancellor

    The Ooni of Ife, Oba Enitan Adeyeye Ogunwusi has emerged as the youngest chancellor in Nigeria with the appointment of the monarch as the chancellor, University of Nigeria, Nsukka by President Mohammadu Buhari.

    In a statement issued by Yera Moses Olafare, the director of media, Ooni’s palace, copies of which were obtained by newsmen in Ibadan Thursday, President Mohammadu Buhari was commended for recognising Ooni’s efforts to promote unity among Nigerians.

    The statement said ” Ile Oodua is thankful to the people’s President Mohammadu Buhari of the
    Federal Republic of Nigeria for the appointment of Ooni, Oba Enitan Adeyeye Ogunwusi, as the chancellor, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, UNN” , saying the development would further enable the monarch to build more bridges of friendship especially across the Niger.

    The statement further noted that Oba Ogunwusi was ready to bring to bear, his influence and connections to promote unity and harmonious working relationships in the university.

    The palace also admonished Nigerians to promote only issues that can foster unity to ensure speedy development rather than playing up their differences.

    The statements reads: “It is incontrovertible today that Ooni Ogunwusi is a bridge builder and being the youngest chancellor appointed for the only university bearing “Nigeria” is worth the celebration.

    “His appointment as chancellor, University Of Nigeria, Nsuka is considered as a positive sign that can further enhance peaceful coexistence of our dear nation as it was clearly stated in the letter of appointment written
    and signed by Honorable Minister of Education, Alhaji Adamu Adamu on behalf of Mr President that Kabiyesi’ appointment is based on his wealth of experience and his capacity to manage men and resources which he has demonstrated in the administration of his Kingdom in the last three months.”

  • ‘No misunderstanding between Ooni, Owa’

    he Council of Obas and Chiefs in Ijesaland has said there is no misunderstanding between the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi and the Owa Obokun Adimula of Ijesaland, Oba Gabriel Adekunle Aromolaran, over the chairmanship of the Osun Council of Obas and Chiefs.

    The traditional rulers urged anyone bent on causing a rift between the two monarchs to stop misinforming the public.

    A statement by the Onimogbara of Imogbara-Ijesa, Oba Samuel Adebowale Adesoji and the Lorunyin of Okeyin, Chief Ayo Agbede condemned the act and described anyone misinforming the public as agent of deceit and clog in the wheel of progress.

    The statement noted that most of the stories reported by some sections of the media contradict the actual happenings and warned the perpetrators to stop misleading the public.

    The statement reads: “Contrary to the clarion calls made by the Owa Obokun of Ijesaland, Oba Gabriel Adekunle Aromolaran and the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, for unity among Yoruba Obas and their resolve to work together to promote peace and progress in Youbaland, we were disappointed and shocked when we saw the lies published.

    “For the records, the statement made by the Oni of Ife during his unscheduled visit to the Adimula’s palace on February 5 is: ‘Kabiyesi Owa Obokun, our father passed through a lot of stages and scaled several hurdles to make Yorubaland what it is today.

    “Kabiyesi Owa is a man of peace contrary to the insinuations of mischief makers, though this was a surprise visit; but he has received me very warmly. I will surely come back here again.

    “I was installed as king about two months ago. Kabiyesi Owa had been king for 34 years. What can I wrestle with such person?”

    The traditional rulers praised the Owa Obokun for his response, saying that the time for leadership tussle among Yoruba Obas is over.

    “Yoruba Obas must unite and ensure that they assume their rightful place in the scheme of things. We must also unite to ensure that Yoruba land is developed,” the Obas said.

    They thanked the Ooni for the visit which they described as timely.

    The statement, however, affirmed that the controversy trailing the chairmanship of the state Council of Traditional Rulers, ended on December 3 when the Ataoja of Osogbo proposed that the Owa Obokun,who had been acting as chairman since the demise of Oba Okunade Sijuwade be confirmed as the chairman.

    “It was as if the Ataoja spoke the minds of majority of the Obas present on the day the motion was raised.

    “One would think that since the controversy had died a natural cause, the issue of chairmanship ought to have been settled forever. Little did the stakeholders and the public know that the controversy would be exhumed by some people who are set to distort history and stand the truth head down to suit their aborted ambition.”

  • Ooni: how cocoa can restore our fortune

    Ooni: how cocoa can restore our fortune

    •’Commodity’s price rose by 100 per cent’

    The Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, Ojaja II, has said cocoa and other agricultural produce can take Nigeria out of the woods.

    He spoke with State House correspondents after meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.

    The Ooni said: “I am working with the minister of Agriculture. We have assembled over 200,000 youths within 30 days. We are encouraging them to go back to the farm.

    “Something happened in Nigeria that we did not notice. Last October, crude oil price started going down astronomically but cocoa price went up over 100 per cent and nobody noticed it.

    “Nigeria, in the early 1930s and 1940s, was the largest exporter of cocoa in the world and the farmlands are still there.

    ‘’So what we have done now is another positive indicator for the nation’s economy.

    “We have assembled youths and we are giving them five acres per youth so that they will go back to the farm.

    “The Federal Government is supporting us. So it is going to be a model to be replicated in all parts of the country.”

    He advised the youth not to look for fast ways of making money, but to go back to the basic.

    The monarch said his ascension to the throne was divine.

    He said: “I have a clear strategy: if you don’t want to accept me, I will accept you. It is important and I will be persistent about it because it is a divine calling. It is not by my power nor by my might. It is a calling from the King of Kings, who appointed me to this throne.

    “So, I will be persistent. About acceptability, if you do not accept me today, you will accept me tomorrow. It is a clear mission and I will be persistent about it.”

    On his visit to the Villa, he said: “The meeting with the President was about peace and progress of the nation which he stands for and I stand for. What is also key is youth empowerment. That is the main purpose of this meeting.

    He said the President as a progressive was happy about the idea.

  • Ooni plans big for grandmother’s burial

    Ooni plans big for grandmother’s burial

    It is widely believed that in old age, the knock of death is loudly heard and its approaching footsteps become even louder. Madam Mariani Ayeyei Ogunwushi lived a life filled with accomplishments, and in her old age, she refused to let the inexorableness of death ruin her optimistic approach to life. Weeks after witnessing the coronation of one of her grandsons as the Ooni of Ife, Madam Mariani Ayeyemi Ogunwusi passed on.

    She died last Monday at the age of 104. The lovable monarch, we gathered, is planning a befitting burial for his late grandmother. However, the details of the event are still sketchy.

  • Ooni partners Techo-Quip to industrialise Ife

    The Ooni of Ife, Oba Enitan Adeyeye Ogunwusi, Ojaja II, is partnering Techo-Quip Ltd on the creation of an industrial pack in Ile-Ife in Osun State.

    When completed, the pack is expected to house various equipment to process raw materials, such as cassava, palm kernel, rice, yam and plantain.

    Others include fruits juice, paints production, soap and other detergents.

    The monarch has met with the officials of the firm and signed a contract for the supply of the equipment.

    In a statement made available to The Nation, the firm’s Chief Executive Officer, Dr Samson Makinwa, quoted the monarch as saying that the company’s products would assist in the quick industrialisation of the ancient town, adding that there would be regular power, water supplies and access roads to the industrial pack.

    Makinwa said: “The purpose is to help people in the processing and preservation of different agricultural products and other raw materials into finished and semi-finished products in the centre. This will create employment, empowerment and development.’’

    He added that Techo-Quip will supply the equipment and train participants on vocations while the Ife Business School will train them on entrepreneurships.

    Noting that Oba Ogunwusi is a monarch with a difference, Makinwa described him as “transformational, modest and philanthropist’ whom God installed to help his people out of poverty and unemployment.”