The Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, has said he had partnered some universities and experts to ensure safety and protection of Yoruba artefacts when returned.
The monarch stated this during the on-site exhibition and opening of the ancient Olokun Heritage site in Ile-ife, Osun State.
Noting that Yoruba people were the first Material Scientists as far as Physics and Chemistry is concerned, Ooni said “but they are telling young people that the western world started that theory and technology.
“No, we have seen glass crucibles here dated over 4,000 years and our ancestors were passing it down from generation to generation and we can see it evidently. What we are using as a symbol for the Yoruba people was first of all dug here,”Ooni added.
The monarch who explained how the symbol of Yoruba people, Ori Olokun was discovered, said some of the artefacts are being kept in British museum.
“We are working on things that we have within our confine locally for them to know the traceability of how technology and science started in the whole world. We are way above the science that they are teaching now, it is very evident. But for all our artifacts and antiques to come back, we need to create a very good base.
“It is another thing to celebrate returning it back, it is another thing to plug it appropriately for the common use of all of us and those are the things that we want to established first.
“Things we have within our confine in terms of Archeological and Anthropological means and that is why we are working in conjunction with a lot of Universities.”
According to the monarch, “a set of Germans came in the early 19th century, Leo Fibohnior came in 1910 and they kept digging and that was when they saw the symbol of Yoruba people which is the Ori Olokun.
“Some first sets were taken from Wumonije compound all the way to British museum but this was freshly discovered here and it is actually linked to bronze technology, Iron technology which is the Iron and Bronze age all the way to using Aluminum as a technology, using Copper, using Gold.”
Credit: Daily Sun