Ooni of Ife adopts son of a corn seller who drew his pencil portrait

The Ooni of Ife Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi has adopted Samuel, a 17-year-old boy who drew his pencil portrait. He was really impressed with the boy's skill and talent, in order to show his appreciation he decided to turn the boy's life around by adopting him. And after his tertiary education, the boy will be employed to work in the palace.

He wrote,

"I got tagged on twitter a few months back from a young man who made a brilliant pencil drawing of myself, in my appreciation for his art I invited him to my palace."

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"17 year old superlative Samuel who is just about to graduate from secondary school has been adopted by me, his fees till his tertiary education will be taken care of by me, and he will be gainfully employed right here in my palace.

The Ooni was impressed with Samuel's mother, a corn seller, on their meeting. He described her as a woman with 'incredible heart of motherhood', in her appreciation of him

“Its clear that if we all work together as a people, irrespective of our special positions or privileged social status, we can deliver access to sustainable socioeconomic opportunity that suit our people.

“It was an endless gratitude for me meeting his mother who is a corn seller and who demonstrates an incredible heart of motherhood. She reveres in awe of the stool of Oduduwa at the sight of me.

According to him, the gesture was in furtherance of his drive towards providing support for young Nigerians who are working hard for a better future despite the odds.

“I thank God for the position he has put me in. Since my ascension, my royal stool is dedicated to ambitious young Nigerian populations who are daily pushing hard through the barriers of economy instability and uncertainties to gain better livelihood and reconstruct the multifarious challenges that are existential to our survival as a nation,” he added.

“I look forward to continuing in the mission of discovering beautiful souls and Samuels out there who need help and I will continue to help and support all that I can.”