- Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, the Ooni of Ife sparked controversy after praising President Bola Tinubu’s economic reforms
- The monarch highlighted the closing gap between parallel and official markets as a sign of economic improvement
- Public reacted, expressing disappointment over the monarch’s comments and Nigerians' everyday realities
Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, has stirred public outrage after publicly commending President Bola Tinubu’s economic reforms, with many accusing the monarch of being out of touch with the struggles facing the average Nigerian.
The monarch's statement, made on Sunday, February 23, acknowledged the hardships caused by the reforms but suggested they were gradually yielding positive results for Nigerians.
Oba notes Nigeria’s gradual normalisation amid challenges
Oba Ogunwusi made these remarks at the inaugural Nigeria-Kazakhstan Business Council International conference in Abuja, where he also highlighted the bilateral relationship between Nigeria and Kazakhstan, which emerged from a meeting between President Tinubu and his Kazakh counterpart last year.
He said, “We all know the challenges of our dear country. I will give a simple example of a plane at the highest altitude dropping. Any casualty can come up in that process. But we thank God Almighty that things are normalising on a gradual basis in our country. These are all the fruits of the great things we are seeing as a nation now.”
He also noted that the gap between the parallel and official markets had closed for the first time in 20 years.
“We want to send a message on behalf of the private sector and the traditional institution of this country that we are getting there gradually as a nation. For the first time in 20 years, the arbitrage between the parallel market and the official market has been closed completely.
“It is quite evident that now our country is investor friendly. Our capital market is repositioned for a better inflow of foreign investment. Also, many Nigerian entrepreneurs that are here are looking forward to connecting with their associates from Kazakhstan as well,” he stated.
However, many Nigerians expressed disappointment with the Ooni’s comments, arguing that they failed to reflect the ongoing struggles faced by ordinary citizens.
The public voiced frustration over what they perceived as a disconnect between the reality on the ground and the monarch's praise for the president.
Public reacts to Ooni of Ife’s statement
TheRadar compiled some of the public reactions below:
“Economic reforms is only "yielding fruits" for people who are benefitting from this present administration; The common man knows that this regime is the w@rst so far in the history of Nigerian govt. The cost of living is high, insecurity issues persists, & to make matters worse, NG doesn't have a good image globally,” Daniel Regha reacted.
“What criteria did Ọọni use to conclude that Tinubu's economic reforms are bearing fruit? What specific benefits or outcomes are arising from Tinubu's reforms? What types of fruits are Tinubu's yielding? Waiting for Ọọni's respond,” Omooba Ayo stated.
“It's disappointing to see the Ooni of Ife praising President Tinubu when the reality is that many Nigerians are still struggling. The hardships people face under this government are very real, and such statements feel out of touch,” Justin Collins reacted.
“But the fruits are not edible,” Adenakan Rauf reacted.
“ What fruits exactly? The poor masses are suffering, food items are steadily increasing in price, what is the school fees of federal and unity schools?” Nonso reacted.
“He said “Fruits” , maybe he meant bad fruits . cuz if he meant good fruits Oriade fit collect from people with the kind frustration wey dey everyone body right now,” Vintage stated.
“Gone are the days traditional rulers spoke truth to power and held political office holders accountable. Today, traditional rulers are more of political jobbers than custodians of the culture.
“Political sycophancy doesn’t suit the Ooni of Ife. It doesn’t suit the Oba of Bini, neither does it suit the Emir of Kano.
“Traditional rulers are being abducted and beheaded in cold blood by bandits every time in this country, but these killings don’t ever move our traditional rulers to speak truth to politicians who swore oaths to prioritize the security and safety of Nigerians.
“Traditional stools in Nigeria have been reduced to endorsement tools in the hands of politicians who have failed the Nation,” Mezie Abia stated.
Nigeria has no reason to be a poor nation - Ooni of Ife
Meanwhile, TheRadar earlier reported that the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, pointed out that Nigeria’s poverty was unwarranted, given its vast agricultural resources, particularly in cassava.
The monarch praised Agbeyewa Farms in Ekiti North for transforming over 20,000 hectares into mechanised cassava plantations, boosting yields from 4–6 tons to 30 tons.