The Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, Ojaja II, has described the Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Abimbola Akeem Owoade I, as a man of peace and someone who values relationships.
Ooni Ogunwusi stated this in a statement on Sunday in reaction to what the Ile-Ife Palace described as a misrepresentation of his recent meeting with the Alaafin at the West Africa Economic Summit held at the Bola Ahmed Tinubu International Conference Centre in Abuja, on Saturday.
Director, Media and Public Affairs, Ooni’s Palace, Otunba Moses Olafare, in the statement, frowned at the report of an Oyo-based social media platform, ‘The Oyo Legacies’, said to be among the media team of the Alaafin of Oyo, for posting a doctored video “only showing Baba Alaafin refusing to greet Baba Ooni against the true representation of the conduct of the Oyo monarch yesterday.”
Narrating the encounter, Otunba Olafare said the Ooni “had already been ushered in and was majestically seated at the VIP waiting room of the conference centre alongside some of his business associates and friends, including Dr Balogun Lai Labode, Kurunmi of Ijaye; Bashorun Eniola Fayose; Bashorun Adunbarin Oodua and Awise of Orile-Igbon and Dr Ayo Falil Abina, the Asoju Oodua, who were all equally invited participants at the first economic summit of the West Africa sub-regional bloc.
“His Imperial Majesty, the Alaafin of Oyo, Iku Baba Yeye, Oba Akeem Owoade, Elewuetu I, few minutes later arrived his own royal candour and walked straight (even ignoring his allocated seat) to the Ooni’s seat for royal greetings while the Aole Oduduwa (in his usual 2nd-To-None humble character) reciprocated the honour accorded him by the Alaafin as he rose to welcome his brother traditional ruler while both exchange pleasantries and few jokes before Alaafin eventually went to take his seat he had earlier bypassed alongside his amiable queen.
“When they were both called upon to move into the main hall of the conference centre, it was the Ooni that first left the VIP waiting room, and almost same time followed by the Alaafin to take their respective seats officially tagged in their names inside the hall where the event was ready to be kicked off by the Nigeria’s President, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.”
Olafare described as disheartening the manner of arrogance with which Alaafin Owoade was reported in the videocast released by Oyo Legacies “who blatantly refused to report their principal in his true and positive conduct of virtuous enviability greatly displayed in his exchange of pleasantries with the Ooni and other dignitaries in Abuja yesterday.
“Either you like it or not, members of the public must react to such information disseminations.”
He highlighted that the roles of media handlers to their principals primarily involve acting as a communication bridge between the principal and the public and other stakeholders, adding they must work to support their principal by managing his image in a way to get him loved and respected in the society not to get him hated and disrespected as the said video has caused.
“Kabiyesi Alaafin Owoade did excellently well in his approach to Kabiyesi Arole Oduduwa, Ooni Ogunwusi in Abuja yesterday and it should have been so adequately reported by ‘The Oyo Legacies’, showcasing him as a monarch of peace and harmony that he is and not the otherwise, which the video has portrayed him.
“Alaafin Owoade, going by his conduct yesterday, is a man of peace and someone who values relationships.”
He added that the chance meeting between both monarchs was seized by the Alaafin to book an appointment to visit the Ooni at Ile-Ife before this week runs out.
“All Baba should do is to ensure that the palace media team be subjected to trainings in the areas of work ethics and protocols of Principal’s Image Management.
“Alaafin’s Media Team Must Be Regiged!!!,” the Ooni’s spokesperson stated.
