Ooni Of Ife Names Son After Predecessor, Adesoji Aderemi
The Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi Ojaja II, on Wednesday fulfilled his promise to name his newly born prince after his predecessor, Sir Tadenikawo Adesoji Aderemi.
The day which climaxed the first eight-day of the 21 days cultural rites traditionally observed at the Ile Oodua Palace of the Ooni of Ife for naming newborn princes and princess started with the traditional movement of the Ooni from his private residence in the palace to the sacred Yeyemoolu well to offer prayers and traditional rites before moving through various palace chambers; from Ile Ogun to Ile Odikeji and Ile Omirin, finally to Ile-Igbo to mount the oldest stool of Oduduwa at Ile Igbo where a reigning Ooni occasionally sits whenever there is a very important event.
At Ile Igbo, spiritual obeisance by the Isoros and other traditional rites were offered to formally welcome the royal baby to the Ife Royal Court and announce his names to the general public.
Custodians of various deities known as ‘Oba Isoro’, Obas and Ife High-Chiefs offered prayers in the traditional way with items like sugarcane, Aadun, honey, dried fishes, money, pen, bitter colas, cola nuts, alligator peppers, snails schnapps, water, palm oil, doves and other Yoruba core prayer items.
After the prayers and sacrifices, the Ooni consulted Ifa oracle through the Araba Agbaye, head of Ifa priests worldwide, before making the baby’s names public.
Names of the prince handed by Araba Agbaye to High-Chief Lowa of Ife, Chief Adekola Adeyeye who officially pronounced them to the anxious crowd are: Tadenikawo, Adesoji, Aderemi, Eri-Ifeoluwasimi, Adeiwa, Inioluwa, Ademide, Adegbite, Diekoloreoluwa, son of Ogunwusi.
The birth of the prince on Wednesday, November 18, was greeted by three phases of 21 day traditional rites according to the dictates of Yoruba customs before it was rounded off today within the premises of Ile Oodua Palace of the Ooni.
Ooni Ogunwusi had pledged to name his prince after the 49th Ooni of the 3rd dynasty and first African Governor of the old Western Region in Nigeria, Sir Tadenikawo Adesoji Aderemi who Ooni reigned from 1930 to 1980.