Ooni’s Season of Royal Weddings

By Kunle Awosiyan

My king is doing well. Ooni of Ife, His Royal Majesty, Oba Babatunde Ogunwusi is doing things that will make our history and his story so beautiful to read in the future.

For those of us “Omo Ile Ife” who had witnessed and still witnessing the life and times of three kings of the ancient town, we may have our reservations for the stories of each King, starting from Ooni Adesoji Aderemi, Ooni Okunade Sijuwade and now Ooni Ogunwusi.

However, for the generations after us who will read and see the stories and pictures in the book, they are going to enjoy it more. It will make a good read.

I was a preteen when Ooni Aderemi transformed to a proper deity. Because he had his church, St. Peter’s Anglican Church, Odo Ogbe, Iremo Ile-Ife where I lived, I was able to see him in his black Rolls-Royce.

And because he had a pact with my grandfather, Lasisi Samuyide Awosiyan, I followed the story of how their names were conjoined by our Ife kinsmen as “Aderawo”. This story of “Oko Aderawo” is for another day.

Ooni Aderemi was great. His 50 years on the throne came with politics that favoured the town. He used his influence and office to ensure the establishment of the prestigious University of Ife, now Obafemi Awolowo University.

Ooni Okunade was also great but his 35 years of reign created different politics that did not really favour the town. He took the culture of the Yorubas beyond Africa and made popular the town, Ile-Ife.

Ooni Ogunwusi has started well. With him on the throne, I can point to one or two projects that he has attracted to the town and those he built by himself.

The Ife Resort and Ojaja Modern Mall are his private projects. The Nigerian NAVY Barracks that just came back to life and the rebuilding of tourism sites in the town are commendable.

His love for culture and the maturity to handle the present volatile political situation is a plus to his royalty.

Today, Ooni Ogunwusi is getting married to numerous wives to clean himself of the dent of divorce by women who lack the candour to accommodate more wives in the palace.

It is not a crime in Yorubaland for a king to marry scores of wives. I learnt Ooni just married six, he will need more to breed great princes and princesses for the ancient town.

My own prayer is for all the “Oloris” to have their own children. Nevertheless, I wait to see the first among them that will raise a voice of divorce on social media platforms now that they have been foretold and seen it themselves that this royal bliss is a polygamous arrangement.

This is not only going to be a traditional or social rites, this season of royal weddings will be a good story for the future generations.

Esin Oba á jẹ oko pẹ́ o