The traditional ruler made a passionate appeal to the US to whisk Nigeria out of its security quagmire.
The Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi, has called on the United States’ government to assist the Federal Government of Nigeria in addressing the rising security challenges in the country.
The traditional ruler, made the call in his palace on Sunday while receiving the US Consul-General to Nigeria, Jeffrey Hawkins.
He said the nation is at a critical moment, requiring the intervention of a major ally like the US.
“Nigeria is facing serious challenge in the area of security. I want to use this occasion to ask you formally to get the American government to assist Nigeria in terms of security,” the traditional ruler said.
“A part of the problem is that our country has porous borders. That is one of the reasons why Nigeria is being invaded.
“We appeal to America as a strong ally of Nigeria to rise and help. The time is ripe for America to help us,” he said.
The monarch also described the visit of the envoy as significant, saying the relationship between the two countries has remained cordial for a long time.
“Nobody is in doubt of your visit to Oyo. You rightly said that you acknowledge the position of Alaafin as the leading monarch in Yorubaland. You also talked about the need to have healthy relationship.
“We live in a fast changing world. While things are changing we have kept vital aspects of our culture alive. As human beings, we have to preserve our culture to know where we came from.
“Today, you have demonstrated the American spirit. We should continue to revitalise our relationship, not only through exchange of visits”.
Responding, Mr. Hawkins acknowledged the richness of Yoruba culture, adding that he decided to visit the palace with a large contingent because of their desire to know more about the institution.
“I do not know how to play the talking drum. But we appreciate the Yoruba culture and your kindness. We come from a remote part of Yorubaland to the centre of Yoruba kingdom and culture.
“We have a large group of visitors from the consulate. This enables us to know about your kingdom. We have diplomats and important people here. We are here to explore and understand your culture. We understand that at a time this kingdom spanned across many countries in Africa.
“We are also interested in knowing the roles of traditional kings in modern Nigeria. We want to know how the past and the present come together”.
