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Ooni of Ife’s HURP gets African diplomatic endorsement

By Florence Utor
25 May 2016   |   2:32 am
His ascension to the throne came in an extraordinary fashion, and since his coronation as the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi Ojaja 11, has taken on the world in an extraordinary manner...
Ooni Ogunwusi (middle); his Olori; and a guest (left) at a function

Ooni Ogunwusi (middle); his Olori; and a guest (left) at a function

His ascension to the throne came in an extraordinary fashion, and since his coronation as the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi Ojaja 11, has taken on the world in an extraordinary manner defiling the norms in his carriage, actions and words.

Indeed, the monarch has struck a different chord in the people, making it obvious that his reign will be a distinct departure from his predecessors. His devotion and calling, he said is to the people as his reign is to change the status quo by using his powers and every resources at his beck and call to change the narrative of his people through rekindling a prosperous future.

The Ooni’s championing of a rebirth has come to find meaning, expression and given life to the doctrine of Hope, Unity, Rebirth and Prosperity (HURP) similar to what his adviser and consultant, Otunba Wanle Akinboboye, has preached consistently over the years.

This commitment has not escaped many who have watched and followed the activities of the Ooni ever since he mounted the throne particularly African ambassadors in Nigeria who are not only lining behind him in this new crusade but has adopted him as the peace, unity and prosperity traditional leader of Africa.

His new zeal and HURP campaign has also resonated across the world with many world leaders, envoys, business moguls and political leaders paying homage to him and receiving him in audience at different times. These include the Brazilian envoy to Nigeria and that of Cuba while the latter has even hosted him to a world class dinner at his Abuja residence, which was attended by the cream of the society.

The African envoys, who have always formed part of his entourage to many events, said the Ooni deserved to be celebrated for turning his attention to the wellbeing of his people, Nigerians and Africans in general and seeking to serve and not to be served.

They said that the king has demonstrated that he can be trusted to carry through this new vision as they outlined some of his activities to include the launch of a N6.7 billion grand resort in Ile-Ife, the declaration of Ile Ife as a tourism zone, throwing his palace open to the public and tourists, employing over 200 widows of the Ife – Modakeke war.

Another action of his also applauded by the African envoys is his commitment to the unity of his people and that of all the traditional rulers in Yoruba and down playing of his supremacy in his bid to forge understanding and unity among the obas and break the traditional barriers that have long existed among them thereby depriving the people the much desired unity and wealth creation through their offices.

To this end, the Ooni has embarked on visit to many of the highly respected traditional rulers in the Southwest, including the Alaafin of Oyo, Soun of Ogbomosho, Alake of Egbaland and most importantly, visiting Modakeke with his gospel of unity, thereby, consigning to history, the aged long enmity between the two communities.

He has also recently instituted the Clean Ife Competition (Gbafemon) with each street in the town organising themselves into a team with a captain for the purpose of cleaning their respective streets. Each week, a team of sanitary inspectors is expected to go round the streets and give verdict, with the cleanliest street awarded N100, 000, while any street that wins the award for three consecutive weeks is awarded N500, 000 by the Ooni.

Delighted by Oba Ojaja 11 crusade, Akinboboye, the originator of the HURP concept, said the king’s action is a welcomed development and a jumpstart of “HURP and a rebirth process so that we can all prosper with his focus on what will enhance the life of his people and create wealth for them.

“If we create hope in our people, foster unity among our people and leaders and jumpstart a rebirth process as Oba Ojaja 11 is doing now, it will lead automatically to prosperity for our people and that is what we should all focus on,” said Akinboboye, who is also the Founder and President of La Campagne Tropicana Beach Resort.

Akinboboye revealed that this is what has endeared him to the African envoys and others, who are determined to see that the king’s vision is brought to fruition. The fact that the Ooni is young, educated and a business mogul, he said, “make his commitment to the growth and development of his people, Nigeria and Africa a course to be taken on by everyone because he has aptly displayed a high sense of history, duty, responsibility and inspires confident and trust.”

The HURP vision, Akinboboye said, is designed to produce a truly Nigerian society and transform Nigeria from the ‘Niger Area,’ a mere geographical expression, which it is presently to a real nationhood. He decried that Nigeria is corruption ridden with self-centered individuals parading the religious, traditional, educational, political and business spaces, reason Nigeria has remained under developed.

He insisted that not until Nigerians make concerted effort to transform the country as the Ooni is doing presently that the nation would remain in its poor and beggarly state. “USA did not become united until fighting two major wars and through concerted effort and that is the same concerted effort that the Ooni is preaching today.

“It is this concerted effort that will build a better future for us as a people and we need to start showing our leaders and people that there is reward in doing the right thing and that the whole world is watching,” he said, even as he insisted, “one of the biggest problems of Nigeria today is that we don’t celebrate our heroes and heroines and showcase our role models rather we celebrate failures and glorify people who have plundered our commonwealth and consigned the future of generations unborn to a bleak future.”

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