Aregbesola Reunites Ooni, Alaafin

Osogbo, the capital of Osun State was shaken to its foundation on Monday, May 27. It was the day scores of traditional rulers from all Yoruba-speaking parts of Nigeria and beyond converged on the city for the maiden edition of Oodua World Children’s Day.
It was also the first day in many years that the two most prominent traditional rulers in Yorubaland – Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi, and Ooni of Ife, Oba Okunade Sijuwade, would be attending same event.

The event was put together by the government of Mr. Rauf Aregbesola to celebrate children. It was the first of its kind in the entire Yoruba nation, and the event was graced by many eminent traditional rulers from far and near.
There were callisthenic displays by young school children of Osun state at the colourful event. As early as 6.00am, children from the length and breadth of Yorubaland had started arriving Osogbo.
From Ondo, Ekiti, Oyo, Lagos, Ogun, Kwara, Kogi, Edo and Delta States, the children came in their numbers to participate in the one-day event. Osogbo City stadium, venue of the celebration, was filled to capacity.

Many were those that couldn’t gain access into the stadium. Although it was planned to be for children alone, adults from all parts of the state and beyond also graced the occasion.
Politicians from across the 30 Local Government areas in the state also mobilized their supporters to the event. Besides those that came from many states in Nigeria, many trooped in from other parts of West Africa, including Benin, Togo, Ghana and Sierra Leone. And there were indigenous Yoruba folks from Brazil, Argentina, Colombia, and Cuba. Some came from the United States.

Organized labour unions in the state, under the aegis of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC), which had already endorsed Governor Aregbesola for a second term in office, also mobilized their members to the occasion to support the children.

The presence of over 100 prominent traditional rulers led by the Ooni of Ife and the Alaafin of Oyo added more pomp to the day.

The traditional rulers, who came from all parts of the world where Yoruba language is spoken, made the occasion a special one. At the event, age-long rifts among some of the monarchs were resolved.

Chairman, Planning Committee of the event, who is also the Assistant Chief of Staff to Governor Aregbesola, Mr Oguntola Togun said the Oodua World Children’s Day is Osun’s initiative at pulling children from all Yoruba-speaking communities together with a view to reviving the cultural values of the Yoruba race in the younger ones.
Togun, who noted that the occasion was to showcase the rich cultural heritage of the Yoruba nation and to promote unity among all Yorubas living in different parts of the world, asserted that the programme would further drive the Regional Integration agenda of the governors of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) in the South-West.

He said the programme would provide a platform for young individuals to share ideas and prepare them for future challenges.
While speaking, Governor Aregbesola said the Yoruba cultural integration could only be meaningful if the children, who would carry on the culture, are properly socialized into it, along with the inculcation of its underpinning values.
In his speech entitled Towards Global Yoruba Integration, Aregbesola held that the promotion of the “Omoluabi “ethos in Osun state was deliberately aimed at re-awakening the cultural and value consciousness of the people; making them realize the beauty of Yoruba virtues, thus giving them a sense of pride in their culture.

He said: “We are of the conviction that the realization of the socio-cultural and economic integration of the Yoruba race can be greatly enhanced by imparting that vision into our children. Indeed, such a cultural renaissance agenda cannot succeed without including the children, for they are a key factor in its success.”

The governor stressed that among the various programmes the state was executing, education would be the grandest, adding that he has embarked on the most ambitious projects in the education sector.

According to him, “the schools we are building are state-of-the-art with modern learning infrastructure. They have sprung up everywhere and will be ready in the shortest possible time. We are feeding our children nutritious meals every day.

This is because of the realization that it is only a well fed child that can muster the mental capability to learn. “We have also provided free uniforms to our school children. And we have begun distributing the Opon Imo to all senior secondary pupils in the state. This is the first of its kind in any part of the world.”

Aregbesola pointed out that the Yoruba race constitutes a significant part of the global population, with civilized and dynamic culture, and the potential to become a powerful force in the world if it gets its acts together and forge a common and united front.

He added: “We can begin right from here, the cradle of the Yoruba race, to plant the seed that may germinate into something that will in time surpass the wildest dream of the brains behind the idea.”

Speaking at the gathering, Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi, described the trans-state Children’s Day as a unique event that should be continued for the progress of the Yoruba nation. The Oyo monarch, who sat with the Ooni of Ife, Oba Okunade Sijuade, at the same event for the first time in many years, said the Yoruba people, irrespective of their location, must come together for the benefit of the race.

He noted that the traditional rulers of Yorubaland in Nigeria and in the Diaspora have once again come together to forge a united front for the progress of the entire black race. The Ooni Ife, Oba Okunade Sijuwade, in his speech, described Aregbesola as a unique personality who was after the unity of Yoruba people.
He said the governor’s initiative at gathering all Yoruba children from across the country was spectacular, hence the need for commendation from all quarters.
While describing the event as an unusual one in the history of the Yoruba nation, the first class monarch enjoined all Yoruba sons and daughters to imitate Aregbesola and join hands with him in his vision for the unity and progress of the Yoruba nation. The event has been generating reactions from individuals and organizations in the state.

The state chapter of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) described the spectacular event as a landmark in the renaissance of Yoruba nationalism.
The party’s Director of Publicity, Research and Strategy, Mr. Kunle Oyatomi, said: “the quality and spread of participation by the highest echelon of the spiritual, social and political leadership of Yorubaland at the event speaks volume of the heightened consciousness of the children of Oodua to be united and strong for the challenges of the future.”

June 04, 2013