The Ooni of Ife, Oba Enitan Ogunwusi has said that Google originated from the ‘Ifa’ also known as the oracle.
‘Ifa’ refers to the verses of the literary corpus that are usually consulted by people who believe in its efficacy before embarking on any project or activity.
And according to Ogunwusi, who is the custodian of Yoruba culture and tradition, without ‘Ifa’ , google would not have been created.
Ogunwusi said this during the press tour of the tourists sites within the ancient city ahead of the Tourism Innovation and Development Innovation Conference (TIDA) slated for April 24.
According to him, ‘Ifa’ originated several thousands of years ago and is seen as the voice of the almighty God referred to as ”Orisa Oke” which is supreme to other lesser gods.
He said, “Without Ifa, there could never have been the google, so the google is the modern day version of ‘Ifa’ .
“Ifa is all about information, getting knowledge from the almighty God.
“Whenever you search the google for information or knowledge, you are consulting Ifa; and without Ifa, there would not have been the google.”
Ogunwusi said that ‘Ifa’ as a form divination was all about sourcing for information and knowledge through traditional consultation.
The traditional ruler added that Google could be regarded as the modern way of sourcing for past information and what was likely to happen in the future too.
Ogunwusi explained that if the modern day youths and the educated wanted to know the date of any important event, they would search for it from the Google.
‘That is part of the functions that Ifa’ does for its believers and followers;that is the truth but it may sound strange, ” he said.