The Ooni of ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi has been commended for displaying fatherly concern on Saturday when he suddenly ordered his convoy to stop and look for one of the journalists that followed him to an event after he was said to be missing.
The Ooni and his entourage were all returning from the final of the Ooni invitational tennis tourney held at the Civil Service Club in Osogbo when the monarch was told that a photographer, who was part of his entourage to the game, Kunle Bowade, was left behind.
It was gathered that the Ooni insisted that the journalist must be found before the vehicles could leave
the spot where they were parked.
Despite pleas from his entourage to proceed with the trip, saying the missing journalist would join them later at Ile-ife, the monarch refused and sent some people to go after the missing journalist.
He insisted that, they came together and they must go back to Ife together adding that, there was no way he could leave anybody behind.
The stoppage of the convoy was said to have caused a traffic snarl on the ever-busy road and the vehicles in the convoy were not allowed to move until the journalist was fetched and brought to join the monarch and his entourage.
Some of those, who were said to be in the convoy were a former Kano State governor, Rabiu Kwankwaso, Ataoja of Osogbo, Oba Jimoh Olanipekun and other dignitaries.
The Director of Public Affairs, Ooni’s Palace, Moses Olafare, confirmed the incident.
He said that was not the first time the monarch would insist that everybody who left the palace with his team must return as a unit.
Olafare said,
“That is Kabiyesi’s style. He cares about everybody regardless of their status. He treats both the highly and lowly placed people equally. He loves and accepts everyone.”
