The Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, Wednesday, highlighted the importance of women in Yoruba’s strive for freedom, stating that the new twist to the agitation for self-determination is that women are now involved.
He spoke when some women from the diaspora, under the agies of Obinrin Oodua Agbaye, recently visited his palace in Ile-Ife, Osun State
The Ooni said: “Whatever you are doing that women are not involved cannot materialise. We are going nowhere if our women are not carried along and get involved. If you are married, and your wife is not happy with you, it is not going to work well with you unless the woman is not fighting you with sincerity
“Women are not timid, they are warriors. From the Holy bible, we read how Deborah fought for her people and conquered. Moremi fought and delivered the people of Ancient Ife from the Igbomekun who were our deadly adversaries. Therefore, women are key to our struggle for self-determination and we must carry them along, going forward.
“We will support our women and we are happy they are taking up the battle and picking up the guanlets. Again, I want to say very expressly that If we fail to have the support of our women folks, we are going nowhere. Therefore, I welcome you to the source and I wish you well in your visit to other palaces in Yoruba Nation.”
It is either self-determination or nothing – Obinrin Oodua Agbaye
Led by their leader and Secretary-General, Princess Simisade Kuku-Onayemi and Dr Owowunmi Babalola-Okocha respectively, the women said the gods in Yoruba land have mandated them to commence spiritual measures that will lead to the prompt actualisation of Yoruba Nation without bloodshed, hence, their visit to their fatherland.
Omowumi noted that said the gods mandated them to conduct some spiritual measures in the palaces of Ooni of Ife, Alaafin of Oyo, Osemawe of Ondo, Ewi of Ado-Ekiti, Obaro of Kabba, Ayangburen of Ikorodu, Oloffa of Offa and Awujale of Ijebu Land respectively.
Kuku-Onayemi said: “All of us that you are seeing here today are top-notch Professionals. We have Medical Doctors, Lawyers, Chartered Accountants, Engineers, Development Experts, Journalists, Academic Dons, top Bankers and Enterpreneurs among us. Majority of us are working at blue-ship public and private organizations.
” Corroborating her leader, Babalola-Okocha said: “Upon consultations, we were mandated by gods to visit the palaces of Ooni of Ife, Alaafin of Oyo, Osemawe of Ondo, Ewi of Ado-Ekiti, Ayangburen of Ikorodu, Oloffa of Offa, Obaro of Kabba and Awujale of Ijebu Land to carry out some spiritual measures that we cannot mention details in public hence our visit to the Oduduwa Source.
“When we are done with our consultations and prayers, the people of Yoruba Nation shall be surprised at the rate by which the Yoruba Nation shall come into reality without any bloodshed. It shall be amazing and the world shall be shocked.
” In his remarks, leader of Alana of Ilana Omo Oodua, Emeritus Professor Banji Akintoye, who led the women to Ooni’s palace, described the action of the women as a powerful declaration showing the departure of Yoruba land from Nigeria. He said: “Our women who gave birth to us have spoken. They have declared and the heaven has heard. What they have started is a powerful declaration showing the departure of Yoruba Nation from Nigeria.”