The spokesperson for the Ooni of Ife, Mr. Moses Olafare, has strongly dismissed the recent 48-hour ultimatum issued by the Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Abimbola Owoade, calling it “an empty threat from a dead empire.”
The dispute arose after Oba Owoade threatened that the Ooni should withdraw the Oluomo of Yorubaland chieftaincy title that was recently conferred upon a prominent business mogul. Olafare, in a social media post monitored by Vanguard, described those behind the ultimatum as “jokers,” saying their actions were misguided and irrelevant in the current context.
According to Olafare, the Ooni, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, is deeply focused on initiatives aimed at creating job opportunities for the youth in the region. He emphasized that while the Ooni is actively working on projects such as the Ojaja Smart City in Ibadan – which is expected to be the largest of its kind in Africa – others are engaged in a meaningless battle for supremacy rooted in a “dead empire.”
Olafare continued, “The Ooni is busy setting up businesses and creating jobs for youths across Yorubaland, while some individuals are engaged in a futile struggle for supremacy that no longer holds any weight. It’s a dead empire!” He further remarked that the 48-hour ultimatum would soon expire without any significant consequence, and that the focus should be on more productive pursuits rather than pointless threats.
“The Ooni does not have time for the kind of supremacy hullabaloo that is being peddled by certain individuals. Issuing a 48-hour ultimatum over a chieftaincy title that has no legitimacy is laughable,” Olafare added.
