The Oluwo of Iwo in Osun State, Oba Dr. Abdulrasheed Adewale Akanbi, has urged traditional rulers to desist from worshiping their heritages but rather turn them to tourism that can generate revenue and also create jobs for the youths.
He added that deities are not meant to be worshiped due to their insignificance in the administration of communities stressing that, “They are just mere symbols and not gods as claimed by some people. ”
The Oluwo stated this while in an exclusive interview with ROYAL NEWS in his palace on Tuesday. He said: “I will never join them to worship deities. Who are even the deities? Let me tell you, if Oshun, Moremi or Oya among others were to be alive today and they come to my Palace, they will prostrate for me. So why will I be worshiping them?.
“It is time for all traditional rulers to go back to God and lead their subjects in the ways of God. Being an Oba or King does not necessarily mean that people should be fearing you. ”
He however advised monarchs to ensure that their cultures are embedded into religions practice in order to promote unity, peace and development in the society.
Speaking on the state of the nation’s economy, Oba Adewale urged the Federal government to dwell more into industrialization rather than clamouring that everybody should go to farm.
According to him, “I believe that if more industries are attracted into the country, more unemployed youths will be gainfully employed while more funds will be generated by the government. How many people can farming employ? Must all of us become farmers in Nigeria?
“Industrialization will consume less land and generate more jobs than farming that will consume large land and generate few jobs. All what farming can provide in menial jobs.”
He however urged President Muhammadu Buhari to look inward and persuade Nigerians in diaspora to encourage their friends as well as foreign investors to come and establish factories in Nigeria.
