Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, Ooni of Ife, Ojaja 11, has emphasised that the historical depth of Ile-Ife surpasses what academic institutions currently offer.
Ooni disclosed this on Saturday during the press conference on the theme: ‘International Conference on Ile-Ife and Yoruba Civilisation: The Nexus between Tradition and Modernity’, held at his palace in Ile-Ife.
His commended the planners of the event, as he foresaw it as a means to properly record Ile-Ife’s history.
‘As the 51st Ooni of Ife, in the third dynasty of Ife, i noted that there are so many facts that were not written down about the nexus of tradition and modality.’
‘Our oral tradition has not been adequately written down, so many facts and figures were distorted from the original history of Kaaro-o-o-jiire.’
‘For me to build the legacy for the entire Kaaro-o-o-jiire race, that is known as Yoruba people, we are discovering every day that our history is deeper than what we have in various academic institutions,’ OOni said.
He commended the efforts of the team under the leadership of Prof. Siyan Oyefeso, acknowledging them as highly passionate and outstanding individuals committed to correcting distorted historical perspectives.
The monarch shared that Ghanaians have established their family roots in Aga-Ako, Ile-Ife, while Ethiopians are recognised as the sons and daughters of Oramiya, originating from Okerewe within the Eredumi ruling house in Ife, a tradition that has survived for long.
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‘Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania categorically told me when i traveled to their countries that they migrated from Ile-Ife and they are sons and daughters of the source, while all these cannot be found in any archive.’
‘We are leading the team globally, nobody has documented the three dynasties, only the last dynasty, Ife Akanlubebe, which am the 51st Ooni, was documented to a large extent.’
‘But the two, Ife Oodaye and Ife Ooyelagbo, some professors talked briefly on them, but during this internatioanl conference, the duo will be deeply rooted.’
‘Their rulers, supernatural beings that form these dynasties like: the Luwos, the Agbaakos., the Oromos, Oranmiyans, all over the continents of Africans, the Bantoos, the Baribas will be dealt with,’ Ooni added.
Oba Ogunwusi enjoined the native population to stand in solidarity with the conference conveners, aiming to comprehensively record the history of their heritage.
‘If we fail to do it this time around, nobody will do it for us, we cannot be waiting for any western country to continue with wrong documentation,’ he said.
Earlier, Oyefeso, a lecturer in the Department of History and International Studies at Osun State University, said that this conference is an international academic assembly deserving of the Ooni’s prestigious blessing.
Oyefeso mentioned that besides receiving the royal blessing, the conference would contribute significantly to the body of literature concerning Ile-Ife and Yoruba civilisation.
He declared that through the conference, concrete evidence will be presented, noting that Ile-Ife holds the value of being both the birthplace of the Yoruba race and the forge of Yoruba identity.
‘Right from the Oduduwa revolution to the three phases of Ile-Ife history, Ife Oodaye, Ife Oyelagbo and Ife Akanlubebe has not been put in right perspective.’
‘We want to ensure that Nigerians are aware that before the 51st dynasty, there had been three phases and its the third phase that his royal majesty is now the 51st Ooni of Ife.’
‘So when people talk about the history of Ile-Ife, they talk about it in generic terms, we want to draw that distinction,’ the convener said.