[su_dropcap]T[/su_dropcap]he Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi said he would not relent in his effort to ensure unity among all the Obas in Yorubaland for the progress and development of the region.
The traditional ruler who was on a courtesy visit to the Deji of Akureland, Oba Aladetoyinbo Aladelusi, on Thursday evening, said the only way to progress in life was to pursue love and unity.
Expressing his delight at the way he was honoured by the king and the people of Akure, the Ondo State capital, the monarch noted that preaching peace and unity was the only way to guarantee progress.
He said, “I am overwhelmed by the love the kabiyesi and the good people of Akure have shown to me during my visit. I have come for the peace, unity and progress of Yorubaland, I have been moving around the country in respect of this goal because that is simply what we need to move our nation forward”
“We must stop backbiting. It cannot help us, we are leaders in our respective communities and we should come together as one. Without this, we cannot achieve anything. There cannot be progress.
“We are blaming our past leaders for the past mistakes. If we do not correct them now, we will have ourselves to blame in future and those who are coming after us may not forgive us. This is the time to come together and work in unity and that’s what I stand for.”
Speaking at the occasion, the Deji of Akure described the visit of Ooni to some paramount Yoruba monarchs to preach unity and love as a welcome development that would bring to the Yoruba race.
The monarch described those who could trace their origin to Ile-Ife as the bonafide descendants of Oduduwa, adding that anyone who could not do so is not from Yorubaland.
He commended the Ooni of Ife Oba for his exhortation of God at all times and support of the youth.
“The Akure kingdom supports you. We are behind you. Anywhere you are in Yorubaland, it’s your home. We accept you as our leader and we are going to support you to achieve the unity and love you are propagating,”he added.