There has been a dynamic twist of occurrences since His
Imperial Majesty, Oba Enitan Adeyeye Ogunwusi,Ojaja II, Ooni Ilé Ifẹ̀ ascended
the throne of his fathers. He has changed the perception of people through his Modernist
type of leadership for the entire Yoruba race and he has been scored high by
all and sundry within the first three months in office.
The first media interview that His Imperial Majesty granted
to Television Continental crew was where he pronounced the name of the town correctly
as Ilé Ifẹ̀ which means Ife land. He backed it up with the explanation that the
world expanded from there as described in Yorùbá mythology. It is very important
for traditional rulers to ensure right pronunciations of important antecedents
relating to their communities are known so as to avoid wrong definitions by
those who do not know about it.
Another impression that the Imperial Majesty has given is
that he has perception of people about the traditional throne. The worldview of
Oba Ogunwusi has made it evident that conservative stools have been liberalized
to bring development to the community, the state and the world at large. His
decision to invest in Ilé Ifẹ̀ is a testament to his belief that every
community has the potential of growth if the right infrastructure is put in
place.
The historic visit of the monarch to Oba Lamidi Olayiwola
Adeyemi III, Alaafin of Oyo and Oba Sikiru Kayode Adetona Awujale of Ijebu
depict that ‘siblings’ can cross all hurdle looking around for one another. If
all the Kings keep claiming supremacy in their domains and traditional stance
associated with the stools remained, successive governments would keep
‘cheating’ the entire race. The visits do not imply that the position of the
Ooni has been compromised and thus lost authority but it makes the throne more
formidable. The move of Oba Ogunwusi has shown that it is a collective task to
unify the Yorùbá race.
Different entourage ranging from politicians, business
moguls, civil society and even private individuals had visited the monarch.
This has further made that the town ‘Ilé Ìfẹ́’ meaning the land of Love. The
love that the monarch has shown to people before ascending the throne; his
social status before ascending the throne; to monarchs in the country is being
reciprocated and Ilé Ìfẹ́ is becoming more lovable. Oba Ogunwusi has equally
shown love to Modakeke, a rival community, with the intention of finally
burying the hatchet that has led to recurring violence. It is generally
believed that the King has changed the perception of traditional institutions
and the media who know about the acrimony that has existed for centuries.
The Ooni of Ifẹ̀ is currently on global spotlight for his
selfless innovation to the benefit of humankind that is evident across
communities, nations and the globe at large. May Oba Ogunwusi’s noble intention
keep growing to the delight of his subjects. (Ase).
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