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| Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Olayiwola Adeyemi III and Alesha Akeem |
IF he was not on the throne , perhaps
the Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Olayiwola Adeyemi III, would have been
mentoring historians in Nigeria. This much he demonstrated recently
when popular pencil artist, Alesh Akeem, paid him a visit. The artist
is currently on tour of his project "Celebrating 10 Kings,"
which is an initiative of Alesh Akeem and his management, “The
RedAce Company.”
Receiving Akeem with the love of a
father in his Palace, Oba Lamidi Olayiwola Adeyemi III, who was
professor of Ancient and Modern history did not only bless the
celebrated artist, he also took him on a trip into the past,
reuniting the artist with the history of the black race. The Alaafin
noted that as Africa continues to re-write its history and stride
into the millennium, there is urgent need for leaders in the
continent to begin a systematic documentation of what they have in
the name of cultural property.
These, he pointed out, should include
objects made by forefathers, the monuments of the land and things
created by us today that would become of historic importance
tomorrow.
Oba Adeyemi said,"Africa is
opening up herself to the world in a way that she had never done in
the past. We are no longer 'the Dark Continent' and Africans are no
longer 'the primitives.’ The civilizations that once flourished in
Africa have become the issue in the Art world today. Hence, the
head-count of our cultural property should be properly and fully
documented in this regard."
For the representative of Alesh Akeem’s
management, Olubunmi Adeyera, Oba Lamidi Olayiwola Adeyemi III is
being recognized in the project for his continuous effort in
maintaining peaceful co-existence between the Yoruba nation and other
ethnic groups in Nigeria. The projects, according to Akeem, is aimed
at recognizing 10 traditional rulers in Africa with outstanding
excellence, and by extension showcasing the Nigerian monarchical
system to other parts of the world.
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