Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi 7th Left, and the lawmakers-elect
By Banji Ayoola
The Arole Oduduwa and Ooni of Ile-Ife, Ooni Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, has stressed that genuine service to Nigeria should be the main motivation for aspiration into political offices.
A statement by his Director of Media & Public Affairs, Otunba Moses Olafare, said the royal father prayed that aspirants to the key offices of the National Assembly would not jettison national interest in the pursuit of selfish interests when they get into offices.
He spoke on Wednesday in his palace when he hosted some lawmakers seeking to hold principal offices in the 10th House of Representatives. The aspirants were accompanied by lawmakers-elect from across the nation’s six geopolitical zones,
Praying for the aspirants, he said: “May God be with you and bless your aspirations. May you not be too big to serve the people. May you not be too big to serve the interest of our nation.
“May you not jettison and forget the interest of our people, may He put the love of the people in your heart, and may He also put the interest of your party secondarily in your heart.”
Olafare said that the lawmakers, who were led by aspirants for the Speakership and Deputy Speakership positions, Hon. Tajudeen Abass and Hon. Kalu respectively, on the platform of the Unity Group, sought the support of the frontline monarch.
He said that Ooni Ogunwusi, who doubles as Co-chairman of the National Council of Traditional Rulers of Nigeria (NCTRN) prayed for Abbas and his running mate, urging them to take Nigeria first in the discharge of their duties if elected as Speaker and Deputy Speaker.
Earlier in his address, the lawmaker representing Zaria Federal Constituency (Kaduna State), Abbas praised the Ooni for his international peace initiative which has earned the monarch a global repute.
He said: “Nigeria is blessed with our diversity and there is a need for all of us to come together collectively for the betterment of our dear nation, and that is why all members-elect of the House of Representatives that followed me down here to pay homage to our highly revered Ooni cut across the 6 geopolitical zones in Nigeria.”
Stressing the roles of traditional rulers in engineering National Unity, the lawmaker promised to, if elected, activate constitutional roles for traditional rulers in Nigeria through the instrument of the National Assembly.
On his own, Kalu praised the royal father for promoting the African traditional culture globally, calling the Ooni one of the beauties of Nigeria, especially to those that believe in the unity of our nation.
He confirmed the role of the monarch in ensuring national Unity, and equally attested to Ooni’s roles in making Nigeria a progressive Nation which was evident in the cultural and economic trips he took to Brazil and Kenya recently as a Pan-African King.
While officially presenting Abass, Kalu, and the accompanying legislators-elect from across the 6 geopolitical zones, the Prince of Alaafin Royalty and member representing Oyo Federal Constituency, Hon. Akeem Adeyemi said the reason for the visit was to get fatherly blessings from the Ooni, being the Traditional Head of The Yoruba Race Worldwide and in his capacity as Co-chairman of National of Council Nigerian Traditional Rulers who has tirelessly championed peace, unity and progress of not just Nigeria but of the entire African continent.
