The Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, Ojaja 11, has reiterated the need to preserve the Yoruba culture and heritage for the benefit of the next generation.
Ooni stated this at Potsherd Heritage Conservation Awareness Roundtable on Thursday, in Ile-Ife.
The workshop was organised by Sungbo Archaeology Team in collaboration with the National Museum, Ile-Ife and AG Leventis Museum of Natural History, (OAU), sponsored by Nigeria Institute of African Studies, University of Ibadan.
Ooni, who was represented by Queen Aderonke Ademiluyi-Ogunwusi, said for instance, Potsherd was at the nooks and crannies of Ile-Ife, “with our fore-fathers using different types to decorate their houses.”
The traditional ruler lamented that because we did not value what we have, “foreigners have taken some away from us, while majority has been wasted today through our lackadaisical attitudes.”
He admonished the custodian of the heritage sites “not to look at the short hungry food offers to them, but to look at the long term capacity for generation yet unborn.”
He commended the organisers of the programme for presenting the Potsherd Heritage Conservation Awareness, saying that potsherd pavement is at any museum abroad and online.
Oba Ogunwusi charged people to preserve the potsherd for younger generations to know about it and to embrace other culture like: language, dressing among others.
Also, Prof. Adisa Ogunfolakan, Former Director, AG Leventis Museum of Natural History, (OAU), tasked the participants to spread the news of preserving Yoruba cultural heritage, “especially potsherd which God has bestowed on our ancestors.”
Ogunfolakan called on the people not to destroy the remaining potsherd pavement, but to preserve them and always call the attention of Museum staff to it for younger ones to know part of our heritage.
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In the same vein, Mr Joseph Ayodokun, General- Manager, Solidarity Fund for Innovative Project (FSIP), Nigeria Institute of African Studies, University of Ibadan, thanked the participants and appealed to them for more sensitization on Yoruba culture and heritage. (NAN)
