Ooni Of Ife Talks About The Role Of The Yeyemolu In The Palace....

The Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi Ojaja II talks about never being single, his life in the palace and other issues.

Excerpts from the interview below.

You must have had a great birthday with your wedding just two days apart. Tell us about that experience for you.

I don’t know why the whole world made a big deal about it. To the glory of God, marriage is one of the things that one should do. Honestly though, I was never really single. I have a permanent Olori in the palace spiritually but I just joined my new one physically. The permanent Olori in the palace is the Yeyemolu, who is the first Olori in the palace and she has a spiritual role to play in here. As a matter of fact, the Ooni can never be single because he permanently has a wife in the palace. Even if there is no woman in the palace, she, the Yeyemolu, is there always. Many people probably just thought I was single all the while. What I am going to say about my new wife is that to the glory of God, she is a good lady.





What has been your experience since assuming the throne ?

My experience so far has been a life of service and giving back. I don’t have a life of my own as I constantly work towards giving back to the society. It’ s about making sure that everyone is alright. Many people in the community look up to me and study everything about me, my body language and the things I do before they take their decisions. I am a natural ruler and the monarchy, especially of Yoruba land, is very ancient. This is where we all came from and it is still intact. People believe very much in the monarchy and for that, everything should flow properly, and that is what I do .




How do you combine your life as a king with that of a corporate worker?

I am an accountant but I did many engineering works, engineering , procurement and construction before I became king. By virtue of my business, I built factories and homes. I came up with different products and initiatives that involve providing shelter for the teeming population of Nigeria. Also, I invested in banking. I am a director in one of the leading mortgage banks in Nigeria. But like I said, I don’t do the things I used to do anymore. The work I do now is far more than just working. This time, my work is all about humanity and the heritage of upholding the Yoruba culture and tradition. Also, it involves giving back to the less privileged. In summary, it is a life of service all the way.




What are your hobbies?

I like to motivate people and I play lawn tennis. I actually play a lot of sports. I have many gifts and I try things. I play table tennis and badminton very well and I want to improve on some indoor sports like squash and others.




What was your worst childhood experience?

When I got into secondary school at about age 11, there was a classmate of mine who beat me up one day by the classroom and gave me a very deep scar on my hand. The scar is on my left hand and it almost rendered that hand useless, especially for me being left - handed. Every time I see that scar, I remember the experience.




What other fond memories do you have of your childhood?

I used to win a lot of prizes as a kid and that always made my parents proud. Another memory was getting into Loyola College, Ibadan, and there is a story to that. I always came first in class in primary school. One day, I came third, losing to a boy and a girl who both came first. There was no second position and I came third. My parents were very disappointed and I promised them that I would finish well. When I went in to sit my common entrance examination, I came first in my entire primary school and with the tough competition there, I was able to enter Loyola College. I got in on merit. That made my parents proud and I was able to prove to them that I was still in control of the situation.




What kind of a child were you ?

I was a very inquisitive kid; I wanted to know everything. I asked questions a lot and you could never get bored with me. When people met me, they always immediately concluded that I was a very inquisitive child. I liked to think outside the box. When a child is inquisitive, they could be a little troublesome. I became very mature at an early stage, when responsibilities started coming in.
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