Agbaakin Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oloye Lekan has continued too receive encomium over his recent appointment as a cultural ambassador for Ife National Museum.
This is just as the appointment as received the endorsement of the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan, Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Saliu Adetunji and the Awujale of Ijebuland, Oba Sikiru Adetona.
Alabi, a veteran broadcaster, was appointed due to his giant and consistent stride at exhibiting the cultural heritage of the YORUBA.
According to the curator of the museum, Mr Joseph O. Ogundele, “It is our pleasure to announce the nomination and the appointment of Oloye Lekan Alabi, Agba Akin Olubadan, a veteran journalist, a consummate public relations expert , a first class culture enthusiast, a paragon of intrinsic values and ethics of behaviour and an avid promoter and preserver of heritage, archaeology and cultural artefacts as the Cultural ambassador of national museum, Ile – Ife.”
He went on to reveal that “The appointment is based on the personal justification of the recipient, who has not allowed his cosmopolitanism, debonair, vagaries of globalisation, the advent of vogues, the frequencies of style in seasons and the dynamism of the social society to becloud the intrinsic and innate cultural values in him, first as an Ibadan man and second as a Yoruba entity.”
He said “ We have taken note of his agrarian passion for cultural etiquette , in terms of dressing , ethics , values and traditional protocol . We are proud to single him out as one Yoruba man who have in the past two years never adorned any dress which is not traditional in concept and style.“
Ogundele said: “He , Oloye Alabi is a paragon of responsibility. A complete Omoluabi who also show great interest in the Ile – Ife Archaeology and Material Culture which is the nexus of the National Museum, Ife. His mastery of the import of museum and relevance to the perpetuation of intergenerational history cannot be quantified. Oloye Alabi has proved to be an authentic man of culture both in words, deeds and action . Hence, he has been found fit and proper , overshooting the benchmark of who could be our Ambassador . Thus we are proud to appoint him as the Cultural Ambassador National Museum, Ile Ife.
He informed that the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Babatunde Ogunwusi, Ojaja II, has not only endorsed the appointment, but has agreed to host the investiture on July 7th, 2017.
Meanwhile, the Ooni, Olubadan and Awujale I have described the appointment of Alabi as a round peg in a round hole “It is a well deserved and long overdue appointment for a Yoruba icon and prominent son who has contributed immensely to the sustenance and veneration of Yoruba culture.”
In a brief interview with Tribune Tourism Magazine, Alabi expressed gratitude to the management and staff of he National Museum , Ife who found him worthy of being their Ambassador pointing out “I will not relent or rest on my oars in the crusade for the promotion and appreciation of the time – honoured Yoruba tradition and culture.”
Oloye Alabi thanked the traditional rulers for the implicit confidence they repose in him by their endorsement adding “I will never let them down.”
He called on all lovers of tourism , arts and culture, tradition and heritage to make it a date on July 7, 2017 at the Ife Museum , where the investiture will take place.
