Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi canvasses unity of Yoruba race

The Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, has said that unity among Yoruba people, will lead to maximum development and properly position them for greatness.

Ooni Ogunwusi said this during the Oodua Festival at Oduduwa Square, Ooni Palace, on Thursday in Ile-Ife.

He said that if there was unity among all ethnic groups across the country, the lost glory would be restored, adding "united will stand and divided we fall".

Ooni pledged to work towards promoting peaceful co-existence among the people and the rest of the country, saying that God has ordained him to unite Yoruba people and position them for a brighter future.

Earlier, the chief promoter, Olokun Festival Foundation, Otunba Gani Adams, commended Oba Ogunwusi, for his vision.

Adams said that history would not forget the journey to Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi after 79 years of such last meeting with late Oba Adesoji Aderemi.

He decried the lack of unity among the entire Yoruba race, but expressed optimism that Oba Ogunwusi would utilise every opportunity to unite Yoruba people in order to usher in unprecedented development.

He appealed to Ooni to turn Oduduwa grove, Opa Oranmiyan, Moremi Ajasoro, Oke-Itase and several other sites in Ile-Ife into global tourists' haven.

He said that since Ooni and Alaafin had started the process of unifying the Yoruba people, other Yoruba monarchs should support them, so that there would be peaceful co-existence.

Adams urged corporate Nigeria to invest in the national tourism industry as it is a tool that would attract foreign capital investment into the country and create stable jobs for the people as well as boost Nigeria's economy.