Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Abimbola Akeem Owoade 1, has enjoined Oyo indigenes both at home and in the diaspora to immerse themselves in their religious and traditions for spiritual strengthening, personal fulfilment in life, global understanding and harmony.
In a press release signed by the Director of Media and Publicity to the Alaafin, Bode Durojaiye, Oba Owoade, Alaafin said, “You should look beyond the challenges of nation-building we are currently facing in Nigeria and concentrate atention on the spiritual significance of your home coming to rebuild your cultural identity and spiritual self-rediscovery.’’
Oba Owoade stated that there is the need for the Oyo as a people, “to retain our traditional and cultural identity in the face of the global village, which the world has become as a result of fast-improving technology
“The colonial mentality has blindfolded us and made us to perceive erroneously our invaluable culture and tradition as fetish. This has also resulted in the way we picture our invaluable traditional heritage which should be jealously guarded , venerated and celebrated’’.
Oba Owoade asserted that the Oyo developed a highly sophisticated system of government with effective checks and balances, which was spiced with a high level of gender consciousness, adding that the traditional system of government , Oyo Empire, is indeed one of the oldest forms of democracy in the world, and which lasted over 600 uninterrupted years.
He said, “we have unique and rich cultures and civilizations which have remained resilient to any foreign cultural domination .In all walks of life, the Oyo people have utilised their rich cultural and traditional heritage to contribute greatly to national development.
‘’We must not allow the foundation of our life to be stolen, or destroy the basis of our existence, but rather to promote and preserve salient aspects of our culture and the values inherent in them.’’
The people , Alaafin pointed out, “must be focused, committed, close ranks and pragmatic with un-relent efforts and sense of devotion in the vanguard of making Oyo traditional religion a reference point in global circles , in order to make it more inspiring, laudable and worthy of emulation”.
