Ise agbe ni ise ile wa: Ooni of Ife, the king of farming, agriculture and hearts

The Ooni of Ife is totally being bae these days with his policies. He has carried farming and agriculture on his head like government work and we are here for it!

The Yorubas have a song:

Ise Agbe ni ise ile wa,
Eni ko sise, ama ja’le.

Iwe kiko, lai si oko,
KOI PE O! KOI PE O!!!

English:
Agriculture is our ancestral occupation,
He who does not work, will steal.

Education, without agricultural practices,
IS NOT COMPLETE! IS NOT COMPLETE!!!

The Ooni of Ife, the gatekeeper of all things cool and Yoruba seems to have taken this song to heart as he strives to revive agriculture in Ife.

Say what you will about this man (and I have plenty to say about his muddying the waters of our traditions with Christian beliefs!), he is certainly pointing that town in the direction of growth.

Last week, it was announced that he signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with a US based company SpringPort Technological Group to build a Technology, Media City and Agriculture Incubation Hub in the town.

The project is expected to create investment opportunities in farmland for Nigerians abroad. Employment is also on the list of pros as it will create jobs for a thousand Ife youths.

This is what monarchy in the 21st century should look like. He cannot change laws or directly rule the state of Osun -that task has been handed over to Aregbesola, the inglorious bastard.

But, by Orunmila, he can grow, nurture and improve his land. And he is doing exactly that!

Ki ade pe l’ori, ki bata pe l’ese, oba mi! – May the crown remain on your head and your shoes on your feet, my king!