The Ooni
Vice-President Dr. Mahamudu
Bawumia joined the Ghanaian-Yoruba community and the Ga Traditional Council to
give the Ooni of Ife Oba, Babatunde Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwasi Ojaja II, from
Nigeria the hospitality for which this country is known.
This was during a title-bestowing
ceremony on some personalities from the Yoruba community held at the forecourt
of the State House on Sunday.
Dr. Bawumia, during the
colourful ceremony, called for enhanced unity between Ghana and Nigeria as he
recalled the historical bonds that bind the two countries.
He remembered the late Alhaji Rahimi
Gbadamoshi, one-time headmaster of Government Secondary School now Tamale
Senior High School, one of the Ghanaians with Yoruba ancestry and how he, as he
put it, “made what I am today.”
The Vice-President’s sense of
humour was in full flight as he turned to soccer and recalled how in spite of
the sisterly relationship between the two countries football separates them.
In his speech, the Ooni of Ife
also called for unity between Ghana and Nigeria, adding that before
colonization of West Africa “we had kingdoms. Let us maintain the cordial
relationship existing between us. History teaches us that the Gas are part of
Ife from where they migrated to their present place of abode. This should
further bind us together as one people.”
Sunday’s programme was a
display of the characteristic love for colour by the Yoruba people of Nigeria.
Being one of top African Kings,
the Ooni of Ife arrived in Ghana with a large retinue of his court officials
and minders who displayed the culture of the Yoruba amid appellations.
Also in town for the historic
event were the Kwara State Governor, Mallam Abdulrahman Abdulrasak, and the
Olofa of Offa ( the latter is one of the major towns in Kwara State from which
many Ghanaian Yorubas trace their ancestry), Dr. John Kayode Fayemi, Governor
of Ekiti State.
Present during the ceremony
were the National Chief Imam, Sheikh Osman Nuhu Sharubutu; the outgoing
Nigerian High Commissioner to Ghana, Olufemi Michael Abikoye; former MP Mike Gizo,
former AMA CEO and now MP for Ablekuma South, Alfred Okoe Vanderpuye; MP for
Odododiodioo and former Minister Nii Lante Vanderpuije, former
Ghana Ambassador to Egypt Said Sinare and representation from other Yoruba
communities in Ghana.
Tributes were paid to Alhaji
Dr. Ahmed Vanderpuije and his wife Alhaja Mrs. Risikatu Vanderpuije for their
singular financing of the programme whose second segment was a lavish dinner at
Kempinski Hotel. The former was bestowed with the tile of Balogun of Yoruba,
Ghana and Baba Adini of Ghana. His wife got the title of Iyalode of Ghana.
Others who earned titles were Alhaji Musa Baba, Asiwaju of Ghana, Princess Moradeun Peregrino-Brimah, Alhaja Taye O. Addo Kundow, Iyalaje/Iyaloja, Aljhaja Aninatu Agunbiade, Yeye Luwa-Iya Oba and Alhaja Belawu Sidiku, Iya Adinni. They were recognized for their various contributions towards the progress of their communities.
By A.R. Gomda