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Ooni visits Alake, preaches Yoruba unity

By Charles Coffie Gyamfi, Abeokuta
08 February 2016   |   6:56 am
  OONI of Ife, Oba Enitan Adeyeye Ogunwusi continued his “unity tour” to Yoruba monarchs yesterday with a visit to the Alake of Egbaland, Oba Adedotun Gbadebo during which he continued his message that there cannot be development without unity. His advice therefore was that if there would be any meaningful and sustainable development in…

 

Ooni of Ife, Oba Ogunwusi Enitan (left) and Alake of Egbaland, Oba Aremu Gbadebo, during Ooni’s visit to the Alake at his palace in Abeokuta… yesterday.       PHOTO: MUSILIMU AREMU

Ooni of Ife, Oba Ogunwusi Enitan (left) and Alake of Egbaland, Oba Aremu Gbadebo, during Ooni’s visit to the Alake at his palace in Abeokuta… yesterday. PHOTO: MUSILIMU AREMU

OONI of Ife, Oba Enitan Adeyeye Ogunwusi continued his “unity tour” to Yoruba monarchs yesterday with a visit to the Alake of Egbaland, Oba Adedotun Gbadebo during which he continued his message that there cannot be development without unity.

His advice therefore was that if there would be any meaningful and sustainable development in Yorubaland, then, there must first be unity among the monarchs , then their subjects.

In his welcome speech, the Alake who received the Ooni at the Ake Palace agreed there was an urgent need for Yoruba unity, blaming disunity among the rulers on ‘ego tripping’.
Hi words: “Actually there is nothing wrong with Obas visiting each other and supporting each other.

We are usually worried about what people will think of us if we do that. That is what has been wrong with us all along.
“When we stop promoting self image then there will be unity among us. Everyone of the principal Obas in Yorubaland has a letter of appointment, saying you are Oba of this, you are Oba of that. God has made you a leader over a place ,so why must you call yourself what you are not. So please as we go along let this be your watchword.”
The Ooni in a speech had told the gathering:”All my life I will always be thankful to God Almighty because the reasons of my thanksgiving are many.

One of my reasons for thanksgiving is this meeting, because there is a King that is above all kings. The entire world calls us kings, they respect and honour us, including those that love us and those that do not. But there is a King that is above all of us, someone all the kings on earth should always praise and I have decided that all my life I will always praise Him.
“I thank God for making today possible and I also thank the Alake for accommodating us. You are a good father blessed with wisdom from above. I am very happy that I am here today sitting beside you.

It is a great privilege for me because you have said things that I am very happy with.
“We of the Yoruba we do not know our worth. We are the tribe that God loves the most. God loves us even more than the Jews and the Arabs because the world started with us.

“God loves us so much in Yorubaland but because we do not love ourselves so many blessings that God has promised us we are not getting. He has created us to be leaders but we do not show love to ourselves. But I believe God has started the work with us and He is speaking to us that we should love ourselves.

“It is the joy of our forefathers for us to be in unity and they did their part in ensuring peace and unity in Yoruba land we must also strive to achieve this.

“God Himself is involved in our matter therefore we must always, at all times must be concerned about the peace and unity of Yorubaland. We say we want development, but no meaningful and sustainable development will come without peace and unity.”

Oba Gbadebo had earlier told his guests, “Egbaland has been the home to many from Ifes, including the immediate past Ooni Oba Okunade Sijuwade.

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