Oldest And First Market In Yorubaland, ‘Oja Ife’ Gets Ooni of Ife’s Hope Alive Initiative Water Project

Fortune smiles on market men and women at Oja Ife, the oldest and first market in Yorubaland, in Ile-Ife, Osun State, when the Ooni of Ife,  His Imperial Majesty, Oba Adeyeye Babatunde Enitan Ogunwusi (Ọjájá II),  who in his usual magnanimity provided modern pipe-borne water for the use of the people in the market community. 

The project was undertaken by the Ooni of Ife’s charity organization, Hopes Alive Initiative (HAI), The HAI is being coordinated and supervised by the Deputy Chief Convener, Princess Temitope Adesegun. 

Located at a vantage position within Oja Ife, the water project is built to avoid the market men and women, as well as visitors to the market, the opportunity of drinking good portable water which has been sanctified to be highly hygienic.

The Iyaloja of Oja Ife was so glad about the water project. She thanked the Ooni of Ife “for always being there for us. Kabiyesi has always made everything possible for our comfort like the drinking water he just gave to us through HAI. We commended his heart of philanthropist and want to urge him not to relent in making life comfortable for us in the market.” 

The Sooko lai Ekun, Prince Adegboyega Ogunwusi who graced the official commissioning despite his tight schedules also praised the magnanimity of the Monarch and the HAI for giving the people in the market water which is precious and vital for human survival. He enjoyed the market men and women to make use of the water project effectively.

Princess Temitope Adesegun, while responding to the remarks of the people described the water project as divine, adding that the Ooni of Ife specifically gave the directive for the project to be sited in the market for the use of the people. 

“Don’t see the water as ordinary, it is the water of deliverance and the water that will bring joy to the people in the market, and I strongly believe that this water project will stand the test of time unlike what had happened with projects like this in the market,” she said. 

 Princess Adesegun disclosed that Ooni of Ife is a lover of people not just in Yoruba land, but generally a selfless man. She added that Oba Ogunwusi has given approval for the water projects to be sited in market communities in Ogun (Agbado market) and Lagos (Kola market). These, she said would be commissioned in the next few days for the use of the people.

Princess Adesegun further disclosed that the HAI has done over six water projects like this across various communities in the country. 

She revealed that, apart from the water project for the Oja Ife market, the Ooni of Ife through the HAI has also brought electricity supply to the market which has been in use since it was inaugurated recently. 

It would be recalled that the Ooni of Ife, through the Hopes Alive Initiative (HAI), recently reached out to Nigerians in the Pakuro community in Owode-Ofada Local Government, Ogun State and Iwaya in Yaba Local Council Development Area of Lagos State with unsolicited ‘Free Water For All project’ as part of His Royal involvement in alleviating the suffering of the people.