The Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, on Wednesday named his newborn prince after the 49th Ooni of the ancient Ile-Ife town, late Oba Adesoji Aderemi.
A statement by the media aide to the Arole Oduduwa stated that Oba Ogunwusi, unveiled the names of the prince during the eight days celebration at his palace.
The new prince was named at Ile Igbo, where 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 public.
The statement reads, “The day which climaxed the first eight-day of the three-week 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 public.
“Custodians of various deities known as ‘Oba Isoro’, Obas and Ife High-Chiefs traditionally offered prayers with items such as sugarcane, aadun (groundnut cake), 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.
“The 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.”
