OSUN: ‘1,000 women’ from home and diaspora visit Ooni, harp on Yoruba nation

ABOUT 1,000 Yoruba women drawn from the Diaspora, Nigeria and around West Africa on Wednesday paid a courtesy visit to the Ooni of Ile–Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi Ojaja II, expressing the need for a “sovereign Yoruba Nation.”

The women, under the aegis of Obinrin Oodua Agbaye, dressed in traditional ritual attires, consisting of white wrappers and beads, told the Ooni, as father of the Yoruba, they wanted him to lead the cause of realising self-determination for the Yoruba.

According to a source among the coordinators, about 150 of the women came in from various countries of the world where the Yoruba have strong presence. These include Uruguay, Argentina, Mexico, United Kingdom, Papua Guinea, Venezuela, Spain, France, and other countries. The rest were from around various locations in Nigeria and the West Coast of Africa.

According to the group, it is either self-determination or nothing for the Yoruba nation.

Led by their leader, Princess Yeye Simisade Kuku-Onayemi and their Secretary-General, Dr. Owowunmi Babalola-Okocha, the women said the gods in Yoruba land have mandated them to commence spiritual measures that will lead to the prompt actualisation of Yoruba nation.

The women added that the outcome of the spiritual measures, which cannot be discussed in public, shall unravel many things that will help towards the peaceful and prompt actualisation of Yoruba Nation.

“All of us that you are seeing here today are top-notch professionals. We have medical doctors, lawyers, chartered accountants, engineers, development experts, journalists, academic dons, top bankers and entrepreneurs among us. The majority of us are working at blue-ship public and private organisations,” Yeye Simisade declared.

She said they are contented with what they have but they are not happy with the situation of things in their fatherland, hence their coming out to salvage their land in a Yoruba way.

Corroborating her leader, Omowumi Babalola-Okocha said “upon consultations, we were mandated by gods to visit the palaces of Ooni of Ife, Alaafin of Oyo, Osemawe of Ondo, Ewi of Ado-Ekiti, Ayangburen of Ikorodu, Oloffa of Offa, Obaro of Kabba and Awujale of Ijebu land to carry our some spiritual measures that we cannot mention details in public hence our visit to the Oduduwa Source.

Naija Times source said the women had already “visited five palaces, making the Ooni’s
the sixth, all within three days. They travelled night and day.”

The secretary-general of the women’s group, Omowunmi Babalola-Okocha told the Ooni and his Council that, “When we are done with our consultations and prayers, the people of Yoruba Nation shall be surprised at the rate by which the Yoruba Nation shall come into reality without any bloodshed. It shall be amazing and the world shall be shocked,” Omowumi declared.

In his brief remarks, Yoruba Leader and Alana of Ilana Omo Oodua, Emeritus Professor Banji Akintoye, who led the women to Ooni’s palace, described the action of the women as a powerful declaration, showing the departure of Yoruba land from Nigeria.

The 86-year-old member of the Second Republic Senate said, “our women who gave birth to us have spoken. They have declared and Heaven has heard. What they have started is a powerful declaration, showing the departure of the Yoruba Nation from Nigeria.

“It will be amazing and shocking by the time the declaration is made. Yoruba Nation shall be birthed and with the support of our women, our freedom day is nearer,” Akintoye said.

The Ooni of Ife in his response to the development, highlighted the importance of women in Yoruba’s strive for freedom, stating that the new twist to the agitation for self-determination is that women are now involved which makes him very glad.

“Whatever you are doing that women are not involved cannot materialise. We are going nowhere if our women are not carried along and get involved. If you are married, and your wife is not happy with you, it is not going to work well with you unless the woman is not fighting you with sincerity.

“Women are not timid, they are warriors. From the Holy Bible, we read how Deborah fought for her people and conquered. Moremi fought and delivered the people of Ancient Ife from the Igbomekun who were our deadly adversaries. Therefore, women are key to our struggle for self-determination and we must carry them along, going forward.

“We will support our women and we are happy they are taking up the battle and picking up the gauntlet. Again, I want to say very expressly that if we fail to have the support of our womenfolks, we are going nowhere. Therefore, I welcome you to the Source, and I wish you well in your visit to other palaces in Yoruba Nation”, the Ooni declared.

According to Naija Times source, the next programme will be, “the Oòduà Ilé yá awareness Rally in Ibadan on Saturday 17th. The women will show up there. There’s also a Nigerian Indigenous Nationalities Alliance for Self- Determination (NINAS) Press conference same day detailing next process for the Nationalities (led by Ilana Yoruba) to start bailing out of sinking Nigeria.”

Other dignitaries at the palace during the visit included the National Chairman of Ilana Omo Oodua, Professor Wale Adeniran, University don and former director General of the National Troupe of nigeria, Dr. Akin Adejuwon, amongst others.