Alaafin sends envoy to Benin Republic ahead of Oyo Empire Day
Alaafin sends envoy to Benin Republic ahead of Oyo Empire Day
As part of ongoing consultations and mobilisation towards the forthcoming Oyo Empire Day celebration, the Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Akeem Owoade, on Monday, said he had sent an emissary, Prince Sheriff Adebayo-Onisile, on a special mission to the Republic of Benin.
A statement issued by the Alaafin’s Director of Media and Publicity, Bode Durojaiye, in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, said the three-day mission to the Republic of Benin provided an important opportunity for consultation, cultural diplomacy, reconciliation and mobilisation towards the forthcoming celebration.
The mission, according to the statement, also reinforced the historical and cultural connections between the Oyo Empire and Yoruba communities in the Republic of Benin.
Adebayo-Onisile, a renowned Yoruba historian, also reinforced the historical and cultural connections between the Oyo Empire and Yoruba communities in the Republic of Benin.
The Alaafin stressed that the festival, which focuses on unity and the commemoration of the great Yoruba Empire, is aimed at showcasing the rich heritage and glory of Yoruba civilisation.
The statement read, “The Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Owoade, has sent a representative, a renowned Yoruba historian, Prince Adebayo-Onisile, on a special mission to the Republic of Benin. The three-day mission to the Republic of Benin would provide an important opportunity for consultation, cultural diplomacy, reconciliation and mobilisation towards the forthcoming Oyo Empire Day Celebration.
“The mission also reinforced the historical and cultural connections between the Oyo Empire and Yoruba communities in the Republic of Benin.
“The various meetings demonstrated considerable goodwill towards the Alaafin and his initiative to promote unity, peace, cultural preservation and stronger relationships among Yoruba communities across national boundaries.
“The visit further generated enthusiasm for the proposed participation of Yoruba communities in the Republic in the Oyo Empire Day celebration, which is envisaged as a festival of unity and a celebration of the glory of Yoruba civilisation.
“The mission therefore represents another step towards strengthening the bonds between the Alaafin’s palace, Yoruba traditional institutions and Yoruba communities throughout the Republic and the wider Yoruba cultural sphere.”
Among the places visited by Adebayo-Onisile, according to the statement, was Igolo, where he was warmly received by His Royal Majesty, Oba Rafiu Adesakin, the Aladjache of Adjache-Ile, Porto-Novo.
He also met Prince Sanni Onikoyi, a retired principal lecturer at the Nigeria-French Village, Badagry; Prince Felix Agboluaje, the Olori Ebi of the Agboluaje family of Ifonyin; and other aides of the Adjache palace.
At a meeting with prominent Yoruba elders, politicians, socio-cultural association leaders and traders in Porto-Novo, held at the palace of the Aladjache (Alajase), Onisile said that in modern life, where mobility and technology often fragment family ties, the practice of ancestral connection can restore a sense of belonging.
He stated that even when families are scattered or histories have been lost, intentional remembrance rebuilds continuity.
The well-attended meeting focused on a number of important issues, including the challenges and concerns surrounding the unity of the Yoruba people in Porto-Novo; the preservation and promotion of Yoruba culture; the historical relationship between Dahomey and the Old Oyo Empire; the planned visit of the Alaafin to the Republic; and preparations for the forthcoming celebration.
The Alaafin’s representative also held a meeting with the Minister for Secondary Education and Bashorun of Pobeland in the Plateau Province, Chief Clement Kouchade.
The meeting, which took place in his office at the seat of government, the Federal Secretariat in Cotonou, centred on issues relating to Oyo heritage in the Republic, the historical and cultural ties between the Yoruba communities and Oyo, and the concerns of the Alaafin regarding the unity and peaceful coexistence of all Yoruba people in Benin.
Kouchade expressed his delight at the visit and conveyed his greetings to the Alaafin, whom he described as the “titan of Yorubaland.”
He commended the Alaafin’s efforts and fatherly intervention towards promoting unity, mutual understanding and cultural interaction among the Yoruba and other ethnic communities in the Republic.
The minister further stated that the government and people of Benin looked forward to receiving the Alaafin in their country.
In the same vein, a crucial meeting was held with leaders of Ẹgbẹ Isokan Ọmọ Yoruba in Benin, together with representatives of the Agboluaje and Onikoyi families.
Among the notable Yoruba personalities present were High Chief Sobaloju of Àjàṣẹ; El-Hadji Ehysse Mahmoud; Alhaja Latifah Aduke, popularly known as Queen Latifah, President of Káàarọ-Ójiire Cultural Organisation in Benin; Hon. Wahabi Amadani, Officer in Charge of Socio-Cultural Cooperation between Nigeria and the Republic of Benin; and Prof. Taofiki Agboluaje, a retired Professor of Chemistry and former Vice-Chancellor of the University of Abomey-Calavi, Republic of Benin.
Others were Monsieur Bashir Gbadamosi Agboluaje; Dr Chakirou Paraizo Agboluaje, a retired medical doctor and Head of the Agboluaje Dynasty in the Republic of Benin; Salako Rasaki; Yunousa Oranyan; and Prince Felix Agboluaje, the Olori Ebi of the Agboluaje Dynasty in Ifonyin, among others.
