Coming after the wedding which held in Edo state 17 months ago, Olori Wuraola was reported to have been sent packing from the Palace, a move which she confirmed recently on her social media page via Instagram.
The publisher of E247, Mr. Biodun Kupoluyi, a close friend to the king and his family has however reacted to the marriage crash stating that the Ooni is not just like any other person, he further added that the importance of the monarch transcends the distraction that the marital issue represents.
Kupoluyi in a statement released revealed that the Ooni’s position is a sacred one, one which he has used to positively affect the lives and welfare of Ife people, Yoruba culture and national unity.
He stated that the media should not expect any further development
from the throne as the matter needed to be treated delicately.
“It bears reiterating that the institution being discussed with excitable animation is not only profoundly sacred, the monarch’s silence – in the face of a robust commitment to flipping the script on the expediency of traditional monarchy – should also be respected, not viewed as a weakness. Some have speculated that the marriage broke down irretrievably when the Ooni declared his readiness to marry a second wife.
“By Jove, the purveyors of the untruths forget that not only is the Ooni entitled to as many wives as his royal loins can accommodate and satisfy, Olori Wuraola is also well aware of this and could never raise or have raised any eyebrow if the discussion came up. The Ooni’s silence is no sign of weakness; it is the hallmark of a monarch who is far too driven by his singular commitment to ensuring a sustainable future for Yoruba unity, culture and heritage.”
Kupoluyi, the Chief Executive Officer of Flip TV, added: “Since his
enthronement, the Ooni has made the unity, peace and prosperity of the
Yoruba race his focus, not fanning the embers of discord and disunity.
Despite the documented frostiness between the thrones of the Ooni of Ife
and the Alafin of Oyo, which had spanned over 79years, it is on record
that Oba Ogunwusi broke that jinx when he paid an unscheduled visit to
Oba Lamidi Adeyemi in his palace in Oyo about three months after he
became the Ooni.
“Prior to the celebrated visit to the Alaafin, Oba Ogunwusi had embarked on a familiarization tour to all Yoruba monarchs during which he preached a harmonious relationship among them and the need to always speak with one voice. It was in the same vein that he embarked on a 10-day visit to the United Kingdom last March during which he engaged mainstream British cultural leaders, heritage institutions, diplomatic circles and academics to discuss issues of mutual interest, partnership, collaboration, academic transformational networks while rebuilding the scale of support for entrepreneurship skills that are modern, creative and innovative. The Ooni further said that the visit would stimulate further cooperation by promoting Yoruba culture as a genuine catalyst for British government cultural integration projects.”
The statement further pointed out some other good deeds of the monarch to include sponsorship of a musical competition, youth-focused Ojaja II Musical Talent Haunt and Concert, won by Shina Olawale who was gifted a car and a record deal in the United States, a N7.6bn Grand Resort being built in Ife, and the unveiling of the tallest statue in Nigeria and third tallest in Africa, the Statue of Moremi in Ile Ife.
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