Olojo: Ooni Starts  Five Days Seclusion, Unveils ‘Ade Are’

By Yinka Kolawole in  Osogbo

The Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, yesterday moved into Iledi, a seclusion where he is going to spend the next five days as a result of Olojo festival.

Olojo festival is a major annual event in Ile Ife, meant to celebrate creation of universe and the week long event will climax with the wearing of Are Crown, a special crown worn once annually by Ooni and the symbolic walk from Ile Oodua, Ooni’s palace to Oke Mogun.

THISDAY yesterday  evening at the Ooni’s palace  noted that the road leading to Ooni’s palace from Moore was closed to traffic as Oba Ogunwusi moved into Iledi, his first port of call when he started the rites for installation as Ooni last year November.

Speaking on  what the royal father would be doing during his seclusion, the spokesperson for Ooni’s palace, Moses Olafare, said Ogunwusi is celebrating his first Olojo as Ooni and as such, he is leaving no stone unturned to make the festival a memorable one.

Olafare said Ooni will, during the seclusion, pray for the country and her leadership at all levels.

“Ooni Ogunwusi will also spend time praying for Yoruba race and her people.

Ooni would also  seek support of ancestors for peace and progress of Ile Ife and its people. His duties during the period basically is to pray,” Olafare said.

Before the Ooni  began his seclusion, he earlier unveiled replica of “Are” crown mounted at Enuwa junction and called on Nigerians to seek peace and ensure they coexist in peace wherever they find themselves.

However,  for the period of his seclusion, he would be pray for peace.

Meanwhile  a  replica of Are crown is erected at the spot to beautify and make Yoruba people have opportunity to appreciate it and pass it down to generations after.