Ooni of Ife Attends ACF 25th Anniversary
Oba Ojájá II joins northern leaders in Kaduna, delivering goodwill remarks that call for unity and a positive rebranding of the North.
By Abdullahi Yusuf
His Imperial Majesty, Oba Ojájá II, Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, CFR, the Ooni of Ife, has called on Northern leaders and citizens to shift national attention from the region’s challenges and instead promote its strengths, vast potential and contribution to Nigeria’s unity.
Delivering his goodwill remarks at the 25th Anniversary of the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) in Kaduna, the monarch said Nigeria and the North in particular, must prioritize positive branding, solidarity and patriotism to secure a better future for coming generations.
FULL SPEECH: Goodwill Remarks by His Imperial Majesty, Oba Ojájá II, Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, CFR, Ooni of Ife
The father of our nation, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, is ably represented here by the Honourable Speaker, who is also providentially from the North. It has been a very long day of back-to-back speeches, and we all understand the temperament and capacity of the human mind. When it becomes too long, we all get very bored and tired.
I will not take much of your time with my two minutes. As has been declared today, we stand here as friends of the North. My twin brother is here as well, although he is my senior, a general; once a general, always a general. His Eminence, the Sultan of Sokoto, and I do quite a lot together.
He has just returned from a seven-day trip across the entire southwestern part of the country. It is very important for us, as custodians of our culture and tradition, to continue upholding peace and peaceful coexistence. That is what we are meant to do, and that is what we will continue to do.
Northern Nigeria is greater than each and every one of us here, just as the entire Nigeria is greater than all of us gathered. There will always be challenges and peculiar issues around the world we all know that. But let us focus on the positive side and the strength of Northern Nigeria.
I want to thank the entire Executive Council of the Arewa Consultative Forum for these 25 years of service and organization. I think we should give them a resounding round of applause for putting this together. Please appreciate them.
They are all titled in various forms across the northern region. But what remains critical is the challenge in the northern part of the country, which we all know is security. It has now become a brand; it has become a product.
Are we going to continue focusing only on this weakness, instead of looking at many other things that are influential and beneficial to the entire nation? There are so many great things coming from Northern Nigeria that we should pay attention to, beyond the constant branding of “security, security, security.”
The greatest country in the world, the United States of America, has more security challenges than any other nation. Yet they continue to brand their country. They conceal a lot, and they work on the image and branding of their nation.
Let us join hands and focus on how to also brand Northern Nigeria for the betterment of the entire country. This is my piece of advice, as a friend of the North: we should show solidarity, we should show patriotism for the betterment of the northern region and for generations yet unborn.
I will give a practical illustration today. If you truly love Northern Nigeria, and you have been asleep for long, you need a little exercise. I want you to rise on your feet.
If you are truly proud of Northern Nigeria, can we all rise? With all due respect, can we all rise and declare that from today going forward, I will speak positively about my region, Northern Nigeria, and ultimately, I will speak positively about the Federal Republic of Nigeria. So help me God.
Let us give our region a resounding round of applause. If you appreciate being from the North, despite the challenges, stand proud. I am proud to be a friend of the North. God bless you, and God bless the entire country.
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