MURIC COMMENDS OONI FOR ATTENDING MODAKEKE DAY

11^th January 2016,

PRESS RELEASE:

MURIC COMMENDS OONI FOR ATTENDING MODAKEKE DAY  

The new Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi Ojaja II, on Saturday 26^th December, 2015 attended this year’s Modakeke Day celebrations.   

The Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) lauds the new Ooni for taking this giant step towards peace and reconciliation. By brushing aside all protocols and sidestepping bureaucratic redtape, the Ooni’s deft move has achieved in one day what successive governments have failed to achieve in decades despite parading massive official paraphernalia. This includes the Chief Bode George Committee which was set up by former President Olusegun Obasanjo. It is a diplomatic masterstroke.

Looked at from another angle, the Ooni’s attendance at Akoraiye Day in Modakeke reveals another quality in Oba Ogunwusi which is rare among traditional rulers. It is humility nulli secundus for a first class traditional ruler of the caliber of the Ooni of Ife, to ignore past hostilities and attend the ceremony of not just a perceived foe but that of a people with whom Ile-Ife had engaged in internecine war that claimed the lives of thousands.

Ooni’s declaration yesterday during the visit of the Afenifere Renewal Group in which he advocated peaceful coexistence and a return to Yoruba cultural values is equally didactic. He has repeatedly assured that his reign will be dedicated to cultural renaissance and the development of Yorubaland.

In this connection, we bring the plight of university lecturers, teachers and students of Yoruba language to the attention of Kabiyesi, the Ooni of Ife. The cultural renaissance may remain a dream if the education sector continues its current hostile posture to Yoruba as a subject studied in schools.

Yoruba language as a subject has been relegated to the background in the curriculum. It is so bad that some universities in Yorubaland now reject credit in Yoruba as one of the five subjects acceptable for admission. Worse still, some universities in Yorubaland are threatening to remove Yoruba as one of their degree courses.

We urge the royal father to use his good office and influence as the chairman of Osun State Council of Obas to mobilize all traditional rulers in the state and subsequently the entire Yorubaland towards ensuring that Yoruba language recovers its pride of place in our curriculum.

MURIC appeals to the people of Ifeland to see the trait of leadership by example in the Ooni’s action. We call on all the sons and daughters of Ife to rally round the young but divinely endowed monarch so that the cradle of Yorubaland can fulfill its destiny. The first step towards achieving this is to eschew violence in all its ramifications. Crisis of all kinds, political, cultural or religious must be avoided. It is unity that can make Ife truly great.       

Since it takes two to tango, we call on the Ogunsua of Modakeke, Oba Francis Adedoyin, to reciprocate the Ooni’s good gesture. The geographical proximity of the two towns should be exploited for better advantage.

To this end, we warmly welcome the Ooni’s philanthropic offer of jobs to 20,000 widows of the fratricidal war from both sides. This will help in healing wounds and facilitate full reconciliation.  The economic empowerment of widows from both sides clearly portrays the new monarch, Ojaja II, not only as a man of peace but also as a royal father with a heart of gold.

Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi has stooped to conquer. He has won a life-long battle without firing a single shot. This is a mark of greatness and a symbol of good leadership.

Professor Ishaq Akintola,
Director,
Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC)
08182119714