A Professor of Ifa Divination, Prof. Wande Abimbola, who is former Vice Chancellor of the University of Ife (now Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife) has been appointed as Patron of World Orisa Congress (WOOCON).
This development was confirmed in a statement made available to newsmen through the Media Assistant to the Executive Secretary of NICO, Caleb Nor.
Prof. Wande Abimbola who has since accepted his appointment, expresses enthusiasm and excitement over the efforts being made on the initiative by the National Institute for Cultural Orientation (NICO), an agency of the Federal Government.
While expressing support for the initiative, which is aimed at putting the Yourba spirituality on the front burner for the world to see, Prof. Abimbola said this kind of initiative ought to have come years back.
He commends President Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu for supporting this kind of initiative to recognize Yoruba Spirituality Descents and accord them the harmonization they yearn for.
Prof. Abimbola is the President and Founder of Ifa Heritage Institute. He was Senate Majority Leader between 1992 and 1993. From 2003 to 2005, Prof. Abimbola served as Special Adviser to the President of Nigeria on Cultural Affairs and Traditional Matters. He was installed as Awise Awo Agbaye (Spokesman of Ifa and Yoruba Religion Worldwide) in 1981 by the Ooni of Ife on the recommendations of a conclave of West African Babalawos.
His appointment as Patron of World Orisa Congress (WOOCON) is crucial, considering his age long interest and struggle to position the Collective Yoruba Cultural Identity in particular and African traditional religion in general.
