Ooni of Ife, Adeboye meet Buhari, seek youths’ empowerment

PRESIDENT Muhammadu Buhari yesterday played host to the newly-crowned Ooni of Ife, Oba Enitan Adeyeye Ogunwusi and the General Overseer of The Redeemed Christian Church (RCCG), Pastor Enoch Adejare Adeboye, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

The meetings took place at separate times behind closed doors. First to see the President was Adeboye, who was accompanied to the President’s office by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo and other top ranking members of the church. He had earlier met with the Vice President in his wing before the duo went to the President’s office.

The meeting with the clergy lasted for about 20 minutes. However, he declined comments when approached by State House correspondents. Instead, he entered into his vehicle and was driven off.

But the Ife monarch in an interview with State House correspondents after the meeting said the purpose of his meeting with the President was not only about peace and progress of the country, but also about how to empower the youths of the country.

According to him: “The meeting with the President was about peace and progress of the nation which I stand for. Also, what is also key is youths’ empowerment. That is the main purpose of this meeting.

“I am currently working with the Minister of Agriculture. We have been able to assemble over 200,000 youths within a space of 30 days. It is unbelievable. We are encouraging them to go back to the farm.

“Something happened in Nigeria that we did not notice. Last year October, crude oil price started going down astronomically but cocoa price went up over 100 per cent and nobody noticed it.

“Nigeria in the early 1930s and 1940s was the largest exporter of cocoa in the world and the farmlands are still there.

“We have been able to assemble youths and we are giving them five acres per youth so that they will go back to the farm. The Federal Government is supporting us very well. So, it is going to be a model that will be replicated in all parts of the country. As a royal father, I am also encouraging the youths not to look for fast ways of making money, let us go back to the basics.”

Commenting on his acceptance so far since his installation as the Ooni, the monarch insisted that he had a clear strategy and that he would continue to work towards realising the strategy, describing his ascension to throne as a Divine call.