The Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, Ojaja II, has called on Nigerians to pray for President Bola Tinubu’s government as people battle hardships in the country. The Yoruba monarch emphasised Nigeria’s need for spiritual intervention amid current hardships.

“I will pray for the unity of Africa. Things are very hard. We all know the economic challenges that people are facing. This is the time we need spiritual and divine intervention,” said the king. “My annual Olojo seclusion. This is how my ancestors have been doing it.”

Mr Ogunwusi added, ”We should pray very well because things are very hard. We all know the state of the economy. It is a sensitive thing that needs prayer, which should not go out of hand. My prayer also would be to pray for divine intervention for the government of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in order to turn things right because the expectation of people is so high.”

He said life was becoming unbearable for Nigerians.

“I talked to my creator and my ancestors, and they answered me speedily,” Mr Ogunwusi claimed.

Oba Ogunwusi asked Nigerians to support President Bola Tinubu to move Nigeria forward.

The Ife monarch said this on Sunday in preparation for seclusion as part of the Olojo rites. He said stakeholders should not be deprived of the pan-African movement, and behaviour should be very apt.

Mr Ogunwusi called on Africans to unite, be peaceful and develop the continent.

“Pan African movement is not negotiable as this is a way out for us in Africa, for the unity of the African continent as this must be paramount to all of us. I will use the medium to pray for African Unity and movement, for the actualisation of pan-Africanism. We, therefore, as stakeholders, must play our roles to ensure that Africa as a continent speaks in unity,” he stated.

The Olojo festival is the biggest festival on the cultural calendar of Ile-Ife in Osun.

According to Yoruba belief, the Olojo festival is celebrated in remembrance of Ogun, the god of iron considered the first son of Oduduwa.

The festival takes place annually in October and involves several elaborate ritual prayers led by the Ooni.

It is marked by a carnival-like atmosphere attended by people of all ages. 

Olojo has remained popular in Ile-Ife because it is the only day in the year believed to be specially blessed by Olodumare (Yoruba’s creator of the universe). 

(NAN)