By RhemDy News
The Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Abimbola Owoade, has led a delegation comprising traditional rulers and eminent personalities to Brazil for a proposed designation of Oyo as the International Heritage Site for Yoruba Exceptional Value by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisations (UNESCO).
The proposed proclamation is in appreciation of the importance of the Oyo Yoruba culture and traditions and to sensitise world leaders on the urgent for conservation of the culture.
According to a statement on Tuesday by the spokesman of the Alaafin, Bode Durojaiye, this was made known at the ongoing international Conference in Brazil.
Speaking on the essence of the designation, Durojaiye noted that Oyo Empire was in possession of all the land as Oyo was very fast in expansion and became one of the earliest states with
a central authority system.
He said this makes Oyo, probably the greatest of the forest states in West Africa.
"At the height of its existence, having fully developed a sophisticated internal system of government, Oyo dominated all other Yoruba kingdoms namely; Ife, Ekiti, Ijesa, Egba, Ijebu, Ondo, Sabe and Owu. It stretched into Dahomey, Togo and parts of the Ashanti in Ghana.
"This achievement marked a new phase in the history of the Yoruba; for it witnessed the effective transfer of power from Ile-Ife to Oyo which became the Centre of a new powerful empire with far flung cultural, political and linguistic influences. Oyo soon became the seat of government of the Yoruba people.
"Interestingly, the new identity of Oyo was diffused to all parts of Yoruba land with overwhelming adoption," he said.
Durojaiye maintained that the Alaafin is today duty-bound to stand for, and in defence of every Sango-Oyo soul either on the continent of Africa or in the Diaspora.
He recalled that with the transatlantic slave trade, the cultural heritage of the people of Oyo and traditions of Sango settled in the Bahia, giving rise to Candomble’ Ketu or Nago tradition.
"These old houses, many of which originated in the nineteeth century,
preserved the cultural heritage of the Yoruba people and led to thousands of others that are currently spread throughout Brazil.
"Due to the importance of their contributions to the formation of
African/Brazilian culture, these terraces are now protected and safeguarded by the Brazilian Government as heritage of Brazil," the statement noted.
Consequently, Durojaiye stressed that the Bahian and Brazilian people carry in their veins the rich, strong, virile African blood that has refused to be polluted or diluted by many years of contact with the outside world.
"Leaders of Candomble’s of Yoruba origin in Bahia are not only devoted, courageous but devotional in preserving the sacred intellectual property and the foundation of the Yoruba knowledge system, despite
the orchestrated condemnation of its relevance.
"Against this backdrop, the Candomble’ communities of Bahia and the
Brazilian Government organised an International Conference celebrating the historical, cultural, and spiritual legacy of Oyo, as the most significant city of Yoruba civilisation," he said.
Other dignitaries expected at the event include the representatives of the Nigerian and Brazilian governments, UNESCO, partner universities, and leading cultural institutions.
He stressed that the weeklong event holding at the Noble Hall, UFBA Rectory, Salvador, Bahia, Brazil, has as its theme: "Oyo, the Centre for Yoruba Civilisation".
A trilingual book in Yoruba, English and Portuguese languages, with the title, "Oyo, Centre For Yoruba Civilisation," was launched at the event.
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