From Wole Balogun, Ado Ekiti
THE Ooni of Ife, Oba Enitan Ogunwusi, has said one of his top priorities on ascending to the throne of his ancestors is to pursue the unity of Yoruba people with vigour during his reign.
Oba Ogunwusi said the Yoruba race would have been the shakers and movers of the country’s political and economic sectors in view of its intellectual power and material resources, but disunity in its ranks due to political differences among other sundry issues worked against the Yoruba race.
The royal father said this at the weekend when members of the Afenifere Renewal Group, led by its National Chairman, Wale Oshun, paid a courtesy visit on him at his palace in Ile Ife, Osun State.
Oba Ogunwusi described South-West as pivotal to peace of the country, because of its complexity in human resources and being the commercial hub of the country.
The monarch added that what actually piqued his interest in the unity of the zone is his love for the development and protection of Yoruba. He said the Yoruba have penchant for excellence to be at the forefront when critical decisions are being taken, rather than taking a back seat.
“When I came onto this throne through divine favour, I promised to work with all like-minded Yoruba persons to move the South-West up in all spheres.
“I have been following the trends for some time and I realized that Yoruba is critical to Nigeria’s survival. Whatever happens in this zone always affect others, so I believe that if we can ensure peace here, we will get development and Nigeria and even the entire world will be at peace.
“Yoruba is having problems today because of lack of unity. This is the time we must assess the past, the present and make projection for the future. We must learn how to work together regardless of our differences because each ethnic group has a unique power that distinguishes it from others.