• Friends and associates jet in to pay homage to the paramount ruler
Ooni of Ife, Oba Enitan Adeyeye Ogunwusi is a joyous man. His joy is thickset like an almond tree, whose boughs are bent and twisted with luscious fruit. Ooni Ogunwusi is indeed full of bliss and gratitude as he clocks the ripe royal age of 42. The tall and handsome monarch having reduced his travels up and down, celebrated his birthday in a lowkey fashion at home in his kingdom.
The humble, peace-loving and forward thinking king celebrated with his subjects as well-wishers from home and abroad trooped in to pay respect to him. Though there wasn’t much publicity of the event, it was gathered that the Ife monarch hosted a little reception for guests in the throne room on the previous day.
He further displayed rare humility as he chose to trek from his palace to his father’s house. Ooni Ogunwusi who is barely 11 months on the throne has transformed and done a lot in Ife, from promoting the tourism potentials of Ile-Ife to the employment of youth and the construction of roads that have been abandoned.
There is also the rejuvenation of the several neglected cultural festivals and super renovations of the shrines like Okemogun/Olojo, Edi/Moremi, Olokun, Osara, Aje, Oketase/Orunmila temple, Oranmiyan groove, Oduduwa’s house/shrine etc. This is to showcase the town’s tourism potentials to the world as an alternative means of generating revenue as the Oil market is fast dwindling.
