The Aare Atunluse of Aworiland and chairman, Mapcotec Nigeria Limited, Chief Segun Osifeso, has described the Ooni of Ife, Obbn a Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, as a beckon of hope who has brought peace, unity and development to Yorubaland.
Chief Osifeso made the remark on Sunday at the Ooni’s palace in Ile-Ife, on the occasion of this year’s Olojo festival.
He noted that the glamour the Ooni has brought to the annual festival has further projected it as one festival that celebrates the black race all over the world.
He applauded Oba Ogunwusi for his re-engineering effort, which has lifted the Olojo festival as number one cultural festival that has constantly ensured the promotion of the cultural heritage and tradition of the Yoruba people with the array of dignitaries from different parts of the world that annually come to Ile-Ife to celebrate the event.
Osifeso further said that Oba Ogunwusi has succeeded in bringing his influence to bear on the annual cultural fiesta with its promotion to a worldwide festival that celebrates the black race and mainly unites the Yoruba people across the globe.
He expressed delight in seeing Ile-Ife community playing host to the large number of crowd that graced this year’s occasion to appreciate God for his creation and their trust that Olodumare had blessed the day for them.
He further lauded the Ooni for using seclusion prior to the festival to pray for the prevailing peace, unity and development in Yorubaland.
“I commend the Ooni for his ingenuity that has further promoted the annual Olojo festival is not only bringing people together from far and near to celebrate creation, Olodumare and the beauty of culture in Yorubaland, but also full of funfair that yearly brings out the best of Yoruba culture celebrating civilisation and creation.
“My wife, the Yeye Aare Atunluse of Aworiland, Olufunke and I, commended the Ooni Ogunwusi’s unwavering commitment to the promotion of the foremost cultural heritage of the black people, as well as on the occasion of this year’s commemoration,” Osifeso said.
In her remarks, the Yeye Atunluse of Aworiland, Chief (Mrs) Olufunke Osifeso, described the theme of this year’s festival, ‘Evolving transformational domestic tourism with community festivals’, as apt, more so that it aimed at projecting community festivals as the people’s strong heritage, their strong culture and tradition, which needed to be upheld forever.
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