Community News
His Imperial Majesty Ooni Adeyeye Babatunde Ogunwusi decrees Brampton as the city of love
BY SIMONE J. SMITH
The summer of 2019 has been an exciting one for the city of Toronto, and to add to this excitement, we were visited by OONI OF IFE (His Imperial Majesty Ooni Adeyeye Babatunde Ogunwusi), from the House of Oduduwa as he was here for a two week visit that started on August 1st. His visit so far has been filled with non-stop activities, including: cultural events, business expositions, as well as entertainment, and GTA city visits.
The Ooni of Ife is the traditional leader of the Ife Ife, which is a Nigerian town regarded as the place of origin of the Yuroba People (Buzz Nigeria, 2018). For those who do not know, the Yoruba People are an African ethnic group that have inhabited Western Africa for centuries. The Yoruba are established at 44 million people in total, and the majority of the population is from Nigeria, where the Yorùbá make up about 21% of the country’s population, making them the largest ethnic group in Africa.
The Ooni dynasty goes back a few decades, and all the Ooni are linked back to Oduduwa who is regarded as the ancestral father of all the Yoruba people (Buss Nigeria, 2018). Following in his ancestor’s footsteps, Adeyeye is an insightful, and creative entrepreneur, who is driven by what many may see as impossible. His ability to see outside the conventional box allows him to network in many different circles, and clears him to venture out of Africa and visit his people living in the global diaspora.
His Majesty’s arrival has been anticipated for months, and none more then the people in the City of Brampton. In the 2016 Census, 51,800 people identified themselves as Nigerians, with over have of the population living in Ontario. There are currently Nigerians living in Canada who identify themselves by their tribe instead of by their country. The most identifiable are the: Igbo Tribe (5,600 people), the Edo Tribe (1,900 people), and leading the group are the Yoruba Tribe (9,600 people).
His arrival did seem straight out of Coming To America; one of our leading personalities in Toronto Kerry Lee Crawford also gave reference to this upon meeting him. When we arrived at Brampton City Hall, the room was filled with eager Nigerians waiting to see their King. All the dignitaries and community leaders were there on Monday, August 12th, 2019, as Brampton Mayor Patrick Brown and members of council prepared to host the King. The event was open to the public for photo opportunities, and we all stood waiting for him to arrive.
A man with a powerful and lovely voice was heard before we saw the King; we were later told that the man singing was singing praises to the King for all the great work that he was doing. The man was dressed in what seemed to be traditional apparel, and not to long after, the King and his entourage entered the hall. The flash of cameras was blinding as the King alongside his wife Olori Wuraola Zaynab Otit entered the hall and took their seats. The ceremony began with a song that thanked the natives who originally populated that land. Upon completion other members of the Nigerian community shared words, and thanked the King for his presence.
Mayor Patrick Brown was also given a moment to make his address, and to highlight what a joy it was for Brampton to welcome His Majesty, and to acknowledge the bridge building and advocating of peace that His Majesty was known for. His Majesty was then given a chance to speak, and this is when he made the decree that from that moment on, Brampton would be known as the love city. He went on to rave about how after only being in Brampton for such a short time, the people of the city had shown him so much love. He was delighted with how friendly and caring Canadians are, and how we stand as an example for other countries.
He also took the time to speak directly to the Nigerians living in Brampton; he told them how proud he was of them and reminded them to say positive things about their country Nigeria. He encouraged all in attendance to focus on how to add value to humanity, and one way to do so was to look inward to see how we can continue to contribute to our community. At the end of his speech, he jokingly added that he was thinking of extending his empire to Brampton. What do you think? Could Brampton handle having a Nigerian King in the community?