Oba Adeyeye made this known on Monday during the 2022 edition of the Oodua festival held at the Palace Square, Ile Ife, Osun state.
The revered monarch admitted also that the security challenges in the region could have been worse, but for the intervention of the Oodua People's Congress in ensuring the safety of the people southwest.
Oba Adeyeye also stated that the OPC under the leadership of Aare Gani Adams has made a remarkable impact in complementing the efforts of the Nigerian police and other security outfits in reducing the security challenges across the southwest.
While explaining the importance of celebrating the Oodua festival in Ile Ife, Oba Adeyeye also appreciated the efforts of the Aareonakakanfo of Yoruba land in the promotion of Yoruba culture and tradition across Yoruba land.
He stressed further the need to turn the annual Oodua festival into a big festival in Ile Ife, insisting that the palace would support the Olokun Festival Foundation (OFF) in making subsequent editions of the festival one of the major festivals in Ile Ife.
Oba Adeyeye assured members and delegates of Oodua Progressives Union ( OPU), a sister organization of the OPC, that had earlier paid a courtesy visit to him at the palace of his support, adding that it was never a fluke for the OPU to have extended its global representations and frontiers to 96 countries across the six continents of the world.
He, however, urged members of the diaspora organization to remain worthy ambassadors of the Yoruba race in their respective countries,
noting that the efforts of the global convener, Iba Gani Adams have been a major catalyst for the progress of the diaspora organization.
"I want to appreciate the leader of the Oodua People's Congress, and the Aare Onakakakanfo of Yoruba land, Iba Gani Adams for this lofty initiative. I am impressed by his commitment to cultural promotion across Yoruba land, and I think it is better for us as custodians of Yoruba culture and tradition to support him in his efforts to sustain the Yoruba culture and traditions"
In his speech, Iba Gani Adams urged all traditional rulers in Yoruba land to start celebrating the Oodua festival in their respective towns and communities, maintaining that the festival remains the only festival that reflects the identity of the Yoruba race
"Oodua festival is a major festival that reflects the identity of our race.
It is one festival that needs to be celebrated across Yoruba land".
"This is the truth because Oduduwa is our progenitor. He represented the symbol of leadership to the Yoruba traditional institution. Oduduwa was the king of all Obas and the deities".
"As the progenitor of our race, it was Oduduwa that built the structure of the traditional stool and its hierarchies",
For example, the Otun, Osi, Basorun Asipa, and other traditional chiefs were created by Oduduwa to ensure effective administration. That is one of the beauties of our traditional institution".
"So, as we celebrate the festival in Ile Ife today, I am appealing to all other Obas in Yoruba land to start celebrating the Oodua festival in their respective communities. This is how it is supposed to be because our ancestor, the great Oduduwa created the stool of the traditional rulers"
"And the Oonirisa is the Arole Oduduwa in Yoruba land, while other Obas are the Arole Oduduwa in their respective communities. As the Aareonakakanfo of Yoruba land and chief promoter of Yoruba culture and traditions, I can say it categorically that we have various testimonies of the prospects and rewards of promoting Yoruba culture and traditions. We thank God that our efforts are not in vain. We can see the rewards", he said.
Apart from the 20 monarchs that were in attendance from Ife, Osun state, Ekiti, and Lagos, delegates of OPU, members of the National Executive Council and National
The coordinating Council of OPC as well as the Aareonakakanfo Chiefs - in- Council were also present at the event.
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