Ooni @50: Fifty hearty cheers to a deity in royalty
By Jimoh OLOREDE
His Imperial Majesty, Ogunwusi, Oba Adeye Enitan Babatunde, Ojaja II, traditional ruler and Ooni of Ife, was born on October 17, 1974. As at October 17, 2024, the paramount ruler clocked fifty years, but on this same date and day, he became a new born as “life begins at 50.”
Congratulations to the Giesi Ruling House of Ile-Ife, and to all Oduduwa progenies all over the universe on the rebirth of 50-years-into-one-year (Aadota Odun, Odun kan) and new arrival of the progenitor, who, as an ancestral deity, has come with great divinity for the affinity in Yoruba community and the whole wide world.
According to Cesar Chavez, “Age is not measured by years, but by accomplishments.” The magnificent ascension to fame by Enitan, a former pupil at Subuola Memorial Nursery and Primary School, Ibadan, and ‘secondarian’ at St. Peters Secondary School, Ile-Ife, confirms Chavez’ quote, and the metonymical aphorism in literature that “The child is the father of the man,” in the words of William Wordsworth.
Ooni’s valour at fifty years of age metaphorically exemplifies his attribute-similitude with the sun, still shining bright at fifty orbits. His display of rare endowment of wisdom, experience, tranquil self-assurance, and character, which are the gifts of a golden jubilarian, shows his specialty as a deity, and his modesty in royalty, as the custodian of our cradle, and cultural heritage, whose gift of divinity promotes the affinity of the community of Yoruba race in diversity.
His five decades of quintessential life, five decades of wisdom application, and five decades of impact clearly show that a king’s crown is not just a symbol of power, but a reminder of responsibility.
As an heir of Oduduwa, (Odu-ti-o-da-Iwa) meaning “the quintessence of behaviour” and “the reservoir of culture and manners”, His Imperial Majesty, Ojaja II, is an exemplary deity, by which I mean a supremely good and powerful King, whose supremacy resides in his quintessential behaviour while his sovereignty in Yoruba Kingdom is derived from his powerful mastery of good relations with humans and non-human beings, — being a deity!
Before his Majesty’s ascension, the Kingdom of Ife was, of course, very known. However, the Kingdom became renowned after Enitan’s ascension. His name “Enitan” meaning” a historically symbolic child”, is a reminiscence of the historic essence of our cradle.
As I wrote in my tribute to His Imperial Majesty on his quadragenarian 49th anniversary of his birthday around this time last year, 2023, never and ever would a self-acclaimed deity (ebora), either of Owu or elsewhere, dare order this divine deity, Ooni of Ife, to “stand up” and “sit down” like a teenager tied to his mother’s apron strings. If he dares the divine deity, his tongue, no matter the tong he belongs, will wrench and rend asunder by thunder for refusing the ignoble order.
Without uttering a word or opening his mouth, the magnificent Ojaja II roars like lion. His vision as well as foresight is as sharp as the Eagle’s. When he walks in company of his sacred royal entourage, the ground and animate creatures within tremble for fear of being crumbled. For this same fear, not to be crumbled, I wrote this humble tribute to celebrate the unique attributes of His Imperial Majesty Ogunwusi, Oba Adeye Enitan Babatunde Ojaja II, traditional ruler and Ooni of Ife, with sacrificial supplications to God of gods for a sufficient permeation of his royal grace over the Yoruba race and the world at large.
Dr. Olorede, media scholar, don and Head of Strategic Communication and Media Studies Department at a Federal Institution in Nigeria, wrote from Iragbiji, Osun State, via [email protected]/08111841887.
