The Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwunsi has cleared air over viral reports of awarding a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and former presidential candidate, Mr Adamu Garba as Aare Atunluse Oodua.
Garba had earlier posted on his twitter handle that the Ooni will conferred him the tittle of the Aare Atunluse Oodua on thr 3rd World Omoluabi day, 1st May, 2021.
He tweeted: “Ladies & Gentlemen, I have a very exciting news!The Ooni of Ife, His Imperial Majesty Ooni Adeyeye Enitan Babatunde Ogunwusi, Ojaja 11, has found my humble self worthy of the Title of Aare Atunluse Oodua Award of Honor to be conferred on the 3rd World Omoluabi day 1st May 2021. ”
However, in a statement on Wednesday signed by the Ooni’s spokesperson, Comrade Moses Olafare, said neither the Ooni nor the palace gave consent to such.
According to the statement titled; “OONI NOT AWARDING MR ADAMU GARBA AS ATUNLUSE OODUA”, stated that: “The attention of the Palace of the Ooni of Ife has been drawn to reports on social media of an award honoring Mr Adamu Garba as Aare Atunluse Oodua by the Arole Oduduwa Olofin Adimula, Ooni Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi Ojaja II, the Ooni of Ife during the forthcoming World Omoluabi Day Festival in Ile-Ife being organized by ‘Igbimo Apapo Yoruba Lagbaye’.
“While we are not unaware of the event as slated, we expect the organizers to have sought and gotten the Ooni’s approval in respect of the award segment of the events.
We are not in any way opposed to Mr. GARBA who is a fantastic young man or any other person so considered for the awards of honour by the organizers of the World Omoluabi Day Festival, but doing so on behalf of The Ooni without his (Ooni) knowledge and proper approval remain sacrilegious and unacceptable.
“Even though we are not unaware of the Word Omoluabi Day Festival as scheduled and which has so far enjoyed the Ooni’s fartherly support as requested, we hereby dissociate the Ooni of Ife, Ooni Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi Ojaja II and the ancient palace of Ife from the said award purported to be in the name of the Ooni, as neither the Ooni nor the palace gave consent to such.”
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