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From Laide Raheem, Abeokuta
The Vicar/Archdeacon of Saint John’s Anglican Church, Ijebu-Igbo, Venerable Lawrence Otegbola, at the weekend, charged traditional rulers in the country to champion the crusade for unity among Nigerians.
The cleric, who gave this charge in his sermon during a thanksgiving service marking the 32nd edition of the Owu National Convention held at Ijebu Igbo, headquarters of Ijebu North Local Government Area of Ogun State, equally urged Nigerians to live in harmony with their neighbours irrespective of their tribes.
While noting that the Owu Convention is an event organized to foster unity and harmony among the Owu people across the country, Otegbola, however, appealed to the Owu people to see their diversity as major advantage capable to transforming the economy of the people and ensuring peaceful co-existence with others.
The Vicar reading from Psalm 133 in the Holy Bible said those in position of authorities must use such key positions to support others and lift them up.
This, according to him, is to reduce the alarming rate of poverty as well as insecurity in the country.
“We should use our key positions to support people around us for the progress of the society, we should strive to make others to grow and reduce level of poverty in the land.
“Your greatest achievements in life is raising people to become greater. Don’t allow anyone to discourage you from making people great”, he admonished.
The cleric, who also expressed concerns over what he described as “gradual extinction of the Yoruba Language”, called on sons and daughters of Owu to save the culture and traditions of the race from going into oblivion.
He lamented that the current generation of Yoruba children and youth no longer understand as well as speak the language.
To appreciate the beauty of rich tradition and cultural values of Yoruba, he stressed the need for parents to begin to encourage the speaking of the language in their various homes among their children.
According to him, speaking and understanding native language would preserve it and save it from going into extinction.
Otegbola said cultural celebrations such as the Owu National Convention, should always be used to project the rich moral values of the Yoruba people.
Also speaking as special host, Sen. Lekan Mustapha said “all hands must be on deck to foster unity not only within Owu people but among our neighbours in the spirit of the theme of this year’s convention”.
“The need to consolidate the legacies of our forefathers is now. Progress and development of the Owu nation and by extension Nigeria as a whole should be the concern of all of us “, he noted further.
The convention attracted several traditional rulers from Owu communities in Abeokuta, Ijebu-Igbo, Ibadan, Orile-Owu, other communities in Oyo, Osun and Kwara States among others.
Among dignitaries at the event was former President Olusegun Obasanjo, who was represented by his wife, Mrs. Bola Obasanjo and the National Secretary of ROUP, Johson Olu- Fatoki.
