TheCable

Adeyeye Ogunwusi, the Ooni of Ife, has appealed to sons and daughters of Ife all over the world to assist in developing the town, declaring that Ile-Ife was now free of witches and wizards.

Ogunwusi said this on Sunday when he hosted Ife Klub 1, a group of eminent sons of his kingdom based in different parts of the country.

The group was led by Ahmed Omisore, a former Lagos Lawmaker, who is the the chairman of the board of trustees of Ife klub 1.

“This Klub worked with my last two predecessors and is now working with me, so by the grace of God it will never disintegrate,” he said.

“I must stress to you all that the wellbeing of Ile-ife is paramount to me because we are like the proverbial white chicken who doesn’t appreciate its value. Whereas, it is in its home that the chicken is not highly regarded, it is highly valued abroad.

“God himself resides in Ile-Ife and that is the truth. There are many Ife sons and daughters who the land has blessed but they abandon their roots.

“They say there are witches in Ile-Ife that kill children, or that if they establish businesses at home, witches won’t allow them to prosper. There are no witches here that will disturb anybody anymore. They now want to have money and send their children to school too.”

The monarch appealed to his people to contribute towards the development of the kingdom, saying he is putting in his best to ensure that Ile-Ife becomes a leading tourist destination.

“Some are making money in Ife, yet they don’t contribute anything to its development, rather they take their monies to Ibadan, Ilesha, Lagos, London and America,” he said.

“The Almighty has restored Ile-Ife’s glory and we must not let it go dim. So many people of Ife origin have refused to come back home and this is why we are making concerted efforts to put many things in place to attract them.

“An example is the palace that we are redeveloping which will be an edifice of pride for all Ife people because it’s not only for the King. Tourists from far and near will come here and marvel at the fabulousness of this palace.

“They will also get to learn about our rich cultural heritage. Do you know that people from China, Indonesia and other far flung places visit the Buckingham Palace in England just to witness the change of guards?

“Crowds troop the palace everyday just to see this and their culture is helping their economy. This is why I am surprised that even Ife indigenes seem not to cherish their heritage. Plans are in motion already to reposition Ile-Ife but we should not leave everything to the Ooni. Those of you with businesses should come and establish in Ife.”