The Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Abimbola Akeem Owoade has enjoined Oyo indigenes both at home and in the diaspora to immerse themselves in their religious and traditions for spiritual strengthening, personal fulfilment, global understanding and harmony.
The monarch who noted that the nation was facing challenges charged Nigerians abroad to look beyond the challenges of nation-building being currently faced in Nigeria to concentrate on the spiritual significance of their home-coming to rebuild their cultural identity and spiritual self-rediscovery.
Oba Owoade identified culture and traditions as the anchors of every human actions and aspirations, noting that any society, region or nation that fails to pay sufficient attention to them will not grow or develop and will ultimately extinct.
He explained that such society would be swallowed up within the scheme of things, as it will lose its very essence and defined character that makes it different for others and that which will drive his growth and development.
“Oyo indigenes both at home and in the diaspora must immerse themselves in their religious and traditions for spiritual strengthening, personal fulfilment in life, global understanding and harmony.
“You should look beyond the challenges of nation-building we are currently facing in Nigeria and concentrate attention on the spiritual significance of your home coming to rebuild your cultural identity and spiritual self-rediscovery,’’ Oba Owoade said.
The Alaafin also stressed the need for the Oyo 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.
“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 of the Oyo Empire is indeed one of the oldest forms of democracy in the world which lasted over 600 uninterrupted years.
“We have unique and rich cultures and civilisations 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 newly crowned traditional ruler said.
He charged the people to be focused, committed, close ranks with unrelenting efforts and sense of devotion with the bid to make Oyo traditional religion a reference point in global circles.
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