The Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, Ojaja II has urged Yoruba race as a whole to preserve the cultural heritage of their land to avoid future distortion.
The monarch stated this during the closing ceremony of the four-day International Conference on Ile-Ife and Yoruba Civilization and History, held on Friday, in Ile-Ife.
The conference which drew participants from across the globe, had in attendance historians, professors, traditional rulers, students and other stakeholders.
Addressing the audience, the monarch gave a brief history of Ile-Ife and how broad the indigenes of Ife are currently in several parts of Africa, Asia, Latin America and Europe.
He also emphasized on the cultural development of the land, urging the sons and daughters of the Source to always preserve thier cultures and traditions as a way of sustaining cultural heritage.
“Ile-Ife has a rich and diverse culture, and its our utmost duty to preserve our cultures as a way of sustaining our cultural heritage, this will enhance the development of tourism and also cultural development “, he said.
In this closing remarks, the Ooni appreciated the convener of the conference, Professor Siyan Oyeweso for the insights to project the immaculate conference.
Earlier in his address, Oyeweso appreciated everyone who came for the conference as a way of learning about their roots and also a way of knowing ways for them to preserve thier heritage .
He also employed that Yoruba has a rich cultural heritage, most especially Ile-Ife, where it all began from, urging them to always preserve the cultural rights of the land.
The Professor of History also reiterated the cultural evaluation and strategy as a way of also sustaining the traditions of Yoruba land.
Also in their respective lectures, a Professor of History from the University of Ibadan, Adetayo Adesina and a lecturer from the University of Ilesa, Dr John Ademiluyi spoke on the political economy and relevance of Oranmiyan to the growth and development of Ile-Ife, urging that the State Government should develop more interest in tourism and cultural development of the traditions of Ile-Ife.
InsightMedia recalls that the conference, which seeks to produce an academic journal on Ile-Ife and Yoruba, commenced on Tuesday with presentation of papers by erudite Professors from tertiary institutions of learning.
