8th October, 2023
By Dorcas Elusogbon
The Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, Ojaja 11, has said that the history of the ancient city of Ile-Ife is deeper than what is available in academic institutions.
Ooni disclosed this on Saturday during the press conference on the theme: “International Conference on Ile-Ife and Yoruba Civilisation: The Nexus between Tradition and Modernity”, held at his palace in Ile-Ife.
He lauded the organisers of the event saying that it would pave the way for proper documentation of Ile-Ife history.
“As the 51st Ooni of Ife, in the third dynasty of Ife, I noted that there are so many facts that were not written down about the nexus of tradition and modality.
“Our oral tradition has not been adequately written down, so many facts and figures were distorted from the original history of Kaaro-o-o-jiire.
“For me to build the legacy for the entire Kaaro-o-o-jiire race, that is known as Yoruba people, we are discovering every day that our history is deeper than what we have in various academic institutions,” Ooni said.
He commended the team led by Prof. Siyan Oyefeso, as very passionate and fantastic people working together to put history in the right perspective.
The royal father revealed that Ghanians had traced their lineage to Aga-Ako in Ile-Ife and that Ethiopians are sons and daughters of Oramiya in Okerewe, Eredumi ruling house in Ife to date.
“Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania categorically told me when I travelled to their countries that they migrated from Ile-Ife and they are sons and daughters of the source, while all these cannot be found in any archive.
“We are leading the team globally, nobody has documented the three dynasties, only the last dynasty, Ife Akanlubebe, of which I’m the 51st Ooni, was documented to a large extent.
“But the two, Ife Oodaye and Ife Ooyelagbo, some professors talked briefly on them, but during this international conference, the duo will be deeply rooted.
“Their rulers, supernatural beings that form these dynasties like the Luwos, the Agbaakos, the Oromos, Oranmiyans, all over the continents of Africans, the Bantoos, the Baribas will be dealt with,” Ooni added.
Oba Ogunwusi tasked the indigenes to support the conveners of the conference in order to properly document the history of their race.
“If we fail to do it this time around, nobody will do it for us, we cannot be waiting for any Western country to continue with wrong documentation,” he said.
Earlier, Oyefeso, a Lecturer at the Department of History, International Studies, Osun State University, said the conference is an international academic gathering that needs the royal blessing of Ooni.
Oyefeso said that apart from royal blessing, the conference would deepen the body of literature on Ile-Ife and Yoruba civilisation.
He stated facts would be established that Ile-Ife is not just the cradle of Yoruba race, but a place where Yoruba identity was formed.