The Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, Ojaja 11, has said that the history of the ancient city of Ile-Ife in Osun State is deeper than what is available in academic institutions.
The Oonirisa disclosed this on Saturday during the press conference he addressed in his palace in Ile-Ife.
It was with the theme: “International Conference on Ile-Ife and Yoruba Civilisation: The Nexus between Tradition and Modernity.”
Oba Ogunwusi lauded the organisers of the event, saying that it would pave the way for proper documentation of Ile-Ife history.
He said: “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.”
The Ooni 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 Oranmiyan in Okerewe, Eredumi ruling house in Ife till date.
Oba Ogunwusi added: “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, which I am the 51st Ooni, was documented to a large extent.
“But the two: Ife Oodaye and Ife Ooyelagbo, some professors talked briefly about 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 continent of Africa, the Bantus, the Baribas will be dealt with.”
Oba Ogunwusi tasked indigenes to support the conveners of the conference in order to properly document the history of their race.
He added: “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.”
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 the Ooni.
Oyefeso said apart from the royal blessing, the conference would deepen the body of literature on Ile-Ife and Yoruba civilisation.
He stated that facts would be established that Ile-Ife is not just the cradle of Yoruba race, but a place where Yoruba identity was formed.
He said: “Right from the Oduduwa revolution to the three phases of Ile-Ife history: Ife Oodaye, Ife Oyelagbo and Ife Akanlubebe, the history has not been put in right perspective.
“We want to ensure that Nigerians are aware that before the 51st dynasty, there had been three phases and it’s the third phase that His Royal Majesty is now the 51st Ooni of Ife.
“So when people talk about the history of Ile-Ife, they talk about it in generic terms.
“We want to draw that distinction.
“The main purpose of the conference is to invite the body of scholars at the international, national, state and local levels to reexamine the existing literature and to come out with new original and un-searched evidence which might have been un-researched.
“A number of experts in Yoruba history, archeology would be part of the conference.
“Eminent scholars overseas and in Nigeria that would partake in the conference are Prof. Cordelia Osasona, Professor of Architecture, Obafemi Awolowo University; Prof. Oyeronke Olademo, Professor of Comparative Religious Studies of the University of Ilorin; Prof. Akin Ogundiran, Professor of Africana Studies, Anthropology and History of the Northwestern University, United States of America and the 18th President of the Society of Africanist Archaeologists.
“In less than eight years of Oba Ogunwusi on the throne, there are a lot of changes in the architectural and infrastructural landscape in Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife within the 60 years of establishment.
“Ile-Ife is now the home of tourism and hospitality.
“It is a great destination for today.
“Ooni is a proprietor of Ojaja University, Eyenkorin, Ilorin, Kwara.
“He established the hospitality industry in the leading city of Nigeria today like Ife Grand Resort, Ojaja Arena, Ojaja Cinema, Adire Odua hub, Ojaja More in Ife, Ede, Ibadan, Akure, Lagos among other cities.”
The historian said that Oba Ogunwusi had impacted greatly on Yoruba history and culture, encouraging archeologists and historians to partner by coming together to deepen their understanding, not just on the history of Ile-Ife, but of the entire Yoruba race.
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Oyefeso said that the academic conference would hold between October 10 and 12 at Ojaja Arena, Ife Grand Resort, Km 4, Ife-Ibadan Expressway, Ile-Ife.
He added: “The Ooni has positioned Ile-Ife as a leading light in the making of modern Nigeria, embarked on several local and foreign trips to tie the loose ends and reestablish the cultural significance of the Yoruba race.
“Ooni has been passionate about the preservation and restoration of the ancient city of Ile-Ife since ascension to the throne.”
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the conference would basically be on documenting the history of Ile-Ife in terms of culture, archeology, history, tourism, hospitality and international networking.
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