Jubilation at Ooni’s palace as winners emerge

There was jubilation at the Ooni’s palace in Ile Ife, Osun State as winners emerged in the Egbeje Ede schools pre-competition held during the week.

At the contest, representatives of Gracefield College, Akinremi Testimony and Iyanda Yakub came first and second respectively, while Kazeem Balqees of Shepherd Hill Model College took the 3rd position.

The seven schools that participated included Ife Girls High School, Oduduwa College, Oranmiyan Memorial Grammar School, Moremi High School, Shepherd Hill Model College, Gracefield College, and Vicayor Comprehensive College, all in Ile Ife.

In his opening remarks, His Imperial Majesty, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, Ojaja II; emphasised the need for Yoruba to promote Yoruba language at every sphere of life.

Represented by Sooko Kemade Eligbaju, the Ooni reminded participants that Yoruba language remains a salient part of Yoruba’s cultural identity, and must be protected and promoted.

Also speaking at the event, His Royal Majesty, Oba Rafiu Oyekanmi Mosobalaje, the Olupo of Oluponna, called on Yoruba descendants, home and abroad, to teach their children Yoruba language by ensuring it is spoken in their homes.

On his part, Prof. Ajibade Olusola of the Yoruba Language, Literature and Culture Department, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, called on education stakeholders to strengthen Yoruba language through policies that will make it a subject everywhere the language is being spoken and taught.

He advised the elites to stop looking down on the language, and change their erroneous perception that if a child speaks Yoruba at tender age, he will not understand English, which according to him, is a fallacy.

The organisers expressed their gratitude to Governor Ademola Adeleke of Osun State for his unflinching support to education, and the Ooni of Ife for endorsing the competition, as well as the CEO for his financial and moral support towards hosting the pre-competition.

Mr. Dayo Taiwo and Adetola Balogun, creators of Egbeje Ede Board, thanked the Osun State Commissioner for Education, Dipo Eluwole; Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Education, Alhaji Murtala Kehinde Jimoh, and Local Education Inspector, Ife Central Local Government, Adesoji Ezekiel Adeniran, for their support and approval of the inter-school competition.

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