The Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, Ojaja II, on Sunday paid a courtesy visit to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu at his Ikoyi residence in Lagos, where he extended Sallah greetings and expressed strong support for the administration’s proposed Forest Guard initiative aimed at bolstering national security.
Speaking to journalists after a closed-door meeting with the President, the revered monarch said his visit was both to celebrate the Eid-el-Kabir festivities with Tinubu and to brief him on insights from his recent diplomatic trip to Kazakhstan.
“I’m here to greet Mr. President for the Sallah break and also to appreciate all the great things he’s doing for our dear country,” the Ooni said. “I went to a country called Kazakhstan and came back with feedback. The good things he’s doing are opening Nigeria up to so many nations that now want to work with us.”
Oba Ogunwusi lauded the Tinubu administration for its ongoing efforts to reposition Nigeria’s economy and global image, particularly applauding the elimination of currency arbitrage between official and parallel markets as a positive signal to international investors.
“In history, there is no arbitrage again. You bring dollars to Nigeria to do business, and you take it out, no dual exchange between the central bank and the parallel market. The world is watching us as a nation,” he noted, adding that nation-building should not be left to government alone.
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He also underscored the growing importance of traditional institutions in supporting national development. “We traditional rulers should lead by example, work in tandem with the government, and give hope to our youth. This is another testimony of hope for Nigerian youth,” the monarch said.
Turning to matters of security, the Ooni praised Tinubu’s plan to strengthen grassroots policing through the revival and restructuring of the Forest Guard system. He described the move as timely and crucial for improving safety across both northern and southern regions.
“We’re very happy with the Forest Guard structure and the new platform to bring in more police force to continue to comb the entire forest,” he said. “Once security is addressed, there will be a solid platform for investment to flow into Nigeria.”
Reaffirming his support for the President, the Ooni described Tinubu as “a bold president committed to a better Nigeria,” and encouraged citizens to adopt a hopeful and united mindset. “It’s about time for all of us in Nigeria to come together and look at Nigeria as a cup half full, not half empty,” he concluded.
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