By Olawale Lamina
In what looks like a prophetic pronouncement, Nigeria’s First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, has expressed optimism that in no distant time the country will be a lender of money to other nations.
Mrs. Tinubu stated this on Sunday in Ile-Ife, the Osun State capital, after she was conferred with the chieftaincy title of ‘Yeye Asiwaju Gbogbo Ile Oodua’, during an event marking the k10th coronation anniversary of Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi.
Dignitaries who graced the event included former President Olusegun Obasanjo who was joined by the wife of the Vice President, Nana Shettima, ex-First Lady, Patience Jonathan, Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, Ogun State Governor, Dapo Abiodun, and a former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Dimeji Bankole, at the event.
Others in the roll call included former Ogun State Governor, Ibikunle Amosun, Deputy Governor of Lagos State, Dr Obafemi Hamzat, the Speaker, Lagos State House of Assembly, Mudashiru Obasa, Deputy Governor of Osun State, Kola Adewusi, and former Osun First Lady, Kafayat Oyetola.
Also, top traditional rulers present at the anniversary include the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar, Olu of Warri, Ogiame Atuwatse III, the Orangun of Ila, Oba Abdulwahab Oyedotun, and the Soun of Ogbomoso, Oba Ghandi Olaoye.
The First Lady who spoke in English and Yoruba thanked Ooni and the people for the title bestowed on her, even as she expressed the confidence that the nation will thrive better in the coming year to prove the nay sayers wrong, “Today is a not a day of long speeches, I want to thank the people of Ile-Ife, I also thank the Ooni of Ile-Ife for bestowing such honour.
“Nigeria’s joy has come; those wondering how we want to do it, we will show them how things are being done. By 2026, Nigeria will be in prosperity; we will be lending to other nations.
“It is important to say it here at the source of the Yoruba race today, that during the administration of President Bola Tinubu, people will wonder how he has been able to achieve such milestone,”
Earlier, the Ooni of Ife, Oba Ogunwusi, acknowledged Tinubu’s support since he ascended the throne, while noting the significance role played by former President Obasanjo to support the throne.
The Sultan of Sokoto, Sa’ad Abubakar, in course of his goodwill message, prayed for long reign for Ooni. He used the occasion to call for prayers for Nigerian leaders, to lead the masses aright.
In his address, the Osun State governor, Ademola Adeleke, noted that Ooni Ogunwusi had brought a touch of class to royalty and rebranded the tradition, making Yoruba, a proud nation all over the world.
“Our royal father demonstrated what it means to have an empowered royal father. With strong economic footing and limitless capacity for local and global networking, his majesty changes the narration of traditional rulership. In the last one decade, his imperial majesty has pushed ahead with the branding of Ile-Ife as the cultural capital of the Yoruba people, ” he emphasized.
Adeleke assured that the state government would continue to partner with the Ooni “as we implement that same vision of an upgraded cultural capital of Yoruba people,” while stating that, “In line with that vision, our government embarked on an infrastructure upgrade of Ile-Ife with 14 roads completed so far and several others ongoing. We are about to complete the first ever flyover in this cradle of Yoruba nation.”
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