The Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, has berated critics who condemned him for kneeling in church at the Paul’s Anglican Church, Ife, Osun State, during his coronation thanksgiving service.
A picture showing the monarch kneeling down during the installation thanksgiving held at St Paul’s Anglican, Ile Ife, on Sunday, December 13th, had gone viral on internet, attracting diverse comments
While many that commented on the picture saw no wrong in the action of the newly installed monarch, many were of the view that the act desecrated the revered stool of Ooni.
In a statement signed by the Director of Communication and Public Affairs, Ooni’s Palace, Ile-Ife, Moses Olafare, the Ooni says it is an unacceptable sacrilege to equate Ooni’risa or any other king to the almighty God.
The statement read:
''The attention of Ile Oodua has been drawn to a publication released Wednesday 16th 2015 by an online medium known as NEWSPUNCH in which His Imperial Majesty, Ooni’risa & Arole Oodua Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi(OjajaII) was criticized for bowing to God.
God remains the highest, the king of kings who has kept all kings alive and has made it possible for me to be crowned as the king of the source of Yoruba civilisation.
“I have no regrets whatsoever for kneeling down to exalt the almighty God who did not only create me, but also kept me alive, saw me through all the storms in my, life-journey and eventually crowned me as the custodian of Oodua race.
“This act of equating me to God of gods of king of kings and the sole owner of the universe is a wicked sacrilege planned to embarrass the throne. My emergence as Oba has been made possible only by the almighty Olodumare to whom I remain eternally grateful.”Oba Ogunwusi was chosen as the new Ooni of Ife in October, 2015 following the death of Oba Okunade Sijuwade who passed away in London on July 28.
He was subsequently crowned on November 23, 2015 in a secret ceremony in Ile-Ife.
