THE Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi on Tuesday expressed shock over the death of the Executive Director of United Nation Population Fund (UNFPA) and former Nigeria’s Minister of Health, Professor Babatunde Osotiomehin who he described as one of the greatest assets owned by the continent of Africa in the recent times.
According to statement signed by the director of media and public affairs, Comrade Moses Olafare, “Osotimehin played host to Ooni and his team on Monday 13th June, 2016 at his United Nation Population Building office in New York where he expressly accepted the king’s request of his support and that of the United Nations to put an end to infant mortality”.
It reads in part, “the entire royal court of Ife was thrown into what is probably the most shocking news in the last one year when the news came to us about the death of this great African who had served as the Executuive Director of UNFPA”.
“The palace recall very vividly how Kabiyesi Ooni and his entourage and other Yoruba top monarchs like Ajero of Ijero – Ekiti, Timi of Ede, Orangun of Ila, Olufon of Ifon, Alayemore of Ido – Osun, Elerinmo of Erinmo – Ijesa, Onigbaye of Igbaye, Alaagba of Aagba, and others were hosted at the UNFPA building in New York on Monday 13th June, 2016 and what transpired therein.”
“Ooni of Ife, then told the UNFPA boss during the visit that he had visited him as one of his important subjects being a descendant of Oduduwa who was making the race, Nigeria and Africa proud as the head of such a very important arm of the United Nation.”
“He asked him to support the continent of Africa especially Nigeria in the eradication of maternal mortality rate incessantly facing our women and also solicited his support and that of the United Nations for the youth development and widows empowerment in Africa.”
“Oba Ogunwusi deeply commiserates with his family, with the members of Oduduwa race worldwide, with our dear country Nigeria, with the continent of Africa, and the entire United Nations system on this sad death which is very shocking, very painful, and untimely especially at this time when Africa and Nigeria need him most.”
His death is also painful because the palace and his office were already packaging some women empowerment programs in addition to what he had started with His Imperial Majesty to put an end to childbirth mortality cases not only in Yorubaland but the entire Africa which had gotten to about 70% maturity stage”.
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