Ooni Ogunwusi Hails Aregbesola For Promoting Yoruba Values
BEVERLY HILLS, January 07, (THEWILL) – The newly inaugurated Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, Ojaja II yesterday paid his first official visit to the Osun state governor, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, at the Oke-Fia Government House in Osogbo.
The first-class traditional ruler used the 'Thank you' visit to commend the Governor for promoting the Yoruba culture and ethos by adopting the Oranmiyan title and for bringing unity to the cradle of Yorubaland.
Accompanied on the visit by traditional rulers and chiefs in Ife, he called on the people of the state to pay their taxes to enable government continue with her developmental projects in the state.
The royal father explained that the payment of tax by residents and people of the state is the utmost thing they can do to help government, saying Ile-Ife as it stands now will not wait for government and depend solely on government for development.
The Ooni noted that the time has come for all hands to be on deck to bring Osun to a place of prosperity and abundance.
ONI AREGBE
While informing the Governor that Ife and Modakeke have resolved that there will no longer be rivalry and war during his reign as the Ooni of Ife and thereafter, Ogunwusi urged him to support the initiative of the two communities setting up a trust fund by House of Oduduwa to assist youths and rebuild the ruins of war in the area.
According to him, “we are all here to show our appreciation to the governor, I use this opportunity to say that our relationship will continue to grow, what we have in Ife is great to the extent that foreigners acknowledge it.
“Europeans have been to Ife and they likened us to Roman empire and other empire of the world, the time has come for all and sundry to see the greatness of Ife and Osun.
“Leaders in Ife are more closer to the people than government, I wasn't to assure that the change and development that has come to Ife will spread across Osun. I don't want to believe that it will be difficult for our people in Osun to pay tax, the only way we can help government is by paying tax”. The Monarch stressed.
In his remarks, Aregbesola charged his guest to use his position to unite all Yoruba sons and daughters all over the world, urging traditional rulers in the state to help government in educating people on the need for the payment of tax and in addition urged Cocoa farmers in the state not to sell their produce out of Osun.
The Governor noted that for the state to experience abundance, citizens and residents alike must be ready to fulfill their civic duties to government by promptly paying their taxes.
He emphasized that the time has come for everybody to realise that Osun has nothing serious to expect from the Federal allocation accruing to state monthly.
The Governor, while calling on the government and citizens to look inward for the prosperity and development of the state, said, “I am happy that we have all seen the need for payment of tax, thank God that our Monarchs are even joining us in the call for regular payment of tax.
“I want to also ask that Traditional rulers use their position to ensure that farmers are enjoined not to take their Cocoa out of the state because what we have in Osun if properly harnessed will help the economy of the state.
“We have been able to enumerate 66 million fruit bearing Cocoa trees that can to give us 330 thousand Metric tonnes as against the 18 thousand metric tonnes.”