IT IS WITH GREAT JOY AND EXTREME DELIGHT THAT I WELCOME EVERY DISTINGUISHED DIGNITARY HERE PRESENT TO THE ROYAL COURT OF IFE, MOST PARTICULARLY, I WISH TO WELCOME HOME HIS EXCELLENCY THE PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF BENIN DR. THOMAS BONI YAYI, TO ILE IFE, THE SOURCE AND A PRINCE FROM THE ROYAL COURT OF SABE IN BENIN KINGDOM.

IT WILL INTEREST THE WHOLE WORLD TO NOTE THAT THE CONFERMENT, OF THIS SPECIAL AND DISTINCT CHEIFTAINCY TITLE ON THE NUMBER 1 MAN IN THE REPUBLIC OF BENIN, HIS EXCELLENCY, DR. BONI YAYI IS NOT THE FIRST.

A FEW YEARS BACK THE RETIRED PRESIDENT OF TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO CHIEF R. T. ROBINSON WAS INSTALLED AT THE SOURCE HERE AS A CHEIF ALONG WITH HIS WIFE.

ALSO IN 1982 DURING THE VISIT OF THE LATE POPE JOHN PAUL, THE YORUBA TRADITIONAL COUNCIL WAS PRIVILEGED TO CROWN THE POPE WHEN HE VISITED NIGERIA. IT WAS DONE BY THE PRESENT OONI OF IFE ASSISTED BY BOTH THE THEN ALAKE OF EGBALAND, LATE OBA OYEBADE LIPEDE AND THE THEN ORANGUN OF ILA, OBA WILLIAMS AYENI AND THAT CEREMONY TOOK PLACE AT THE NATIONAL STADIUM IN LAGOS AND SOME OTHER WORLD DIGNITARIES HAVE ALSO BEEN HONOURED AT THE SOURCE IN THE PAST INCLUDING THE FORMER HEAD OF STATE OF NIGERIA AND HIS WIFE CHIEF (GEN.) & CHIEF (MRS.) YAKUBU GOWON.

IT IS OUR JOY TODAY TO HONOUR A DISTINGUISHED AFRICAN WHO HAS DONE EVERTHING HUMANLY POSSIBLE TO ADVANCE THE COURSE OF GOOD GOVERNANCE AND A PRINCE FROM THE ROYAL COURT OF SABE KINGDOM. THIS TITLE TO BE CONFERED ON HIM IS SOOKO ADIMULA OBANINUOLA WHICH MEANS EVERYTHING HE TOUCHES FROM TODAY WILL BECOME VERY SUCCESSFUL.

THIS VERY SPECIAL TITLE WAS LAST TOUCHED WHEN PRINCE LAGELU WAS ON HIS EXPEDITON TO FOUND IBADAN IN 1401 AD.

DURING THE UNFORTUNATE SCAMBLE FOR AFRICA, THE POWERFUL COUNTRIES OF THE WORLD AT THAT TIME SHARED OUT THE ONLY BLACK CONTINENT AMONG THEMSELVES IN THEIR DESIRE TO EXPAND THEIR VARIOUS EMPIRES. UNFORTUNATELY, THIS WAS DONE WITH SUCH MINDLESS INPUNITY THAT EVENTUALLY WITNESSED THE SEPARATION OF CHILDREN FROM PARENTS AND ONE GROUP OF SIBLINGS FROM THE OTHER.

IN CASE OF NIGERIA AND THE REPUBLIC OF BENIN WHERE WE HAD THE YORUBAS THRIVING IN LEAPS AND BOUNDS THE BOUNDRY CREATED BY THE SCRAMBLERS, AMONG OTHERS, LEFT THE YORUBA ETHNIC GROUPS BALKANIZED. THIS IS WHY WE HAVE A VERY LARGE PERCENTAGE OF THE BENINOISE NATIONAL POPULATION AS YORUBA PEOPLE OR PEOPLE OF YORUBA DESCENT AND THAT THE SOURCE IS ILE IFE THE CRADLE AND THE NATURAL ORIGIN OF THE YORUBA RACE. WE THANK GOD THAT WHEREVER THEY LIVE TODAY - FROM THE WEST COAST OF AFRICA, TO THE CARRIBEANS ON TO THE UNITED STATES, TRINIDAD &. TOBAGO, JAMAICA, HAITI, BRAZIL OR EVEN IN ARGENTINA, THEY CONTINUE TO DO US PROUD AT HOME HERE - AT THE SOURCE.