Inside Ogidi’s dazzling cultural festival
It was a mixture of spectacle, dramatic displays, dance and glamour at the seventh edition of the Ogidi Day cum New Yam cultural festival held recently in Ogidi community of Ijumu local government area of Kogi State.
From across the length and breadth of Kogi State and beyond, sons and daughters of Ogidi; cultural troupes and enthusiasts; foreign tourists and enthusiasts; sons and daughters of Okunland; friends and associates of Ogidi community; top government functionaries, traditional rulers and other guests found their ways to savour the Ogidi Day celebration which has assumed an international status over the years.
The cultural festival which has held consistently for the seventh year running, has continued to record improvements in terms of organization, turnout of guests at the fiesta and cultural performances/costume by troupes.
Although, the event was billed to commence officially at 10.00 am, as early as 6am, the entire Ogidi community was already agog in a celebration mood as the localsyoung and old; men and women - took to the streets singing their favorite traditional songs , and dancing to scintillating tunes by local drummers.
At the palace of the Ologidi of Ogidi, Alhaji Rabiu Oladimeji Sule, local drummers and dancers were seen singing and dancing ,in solidarity with the chief celebrant of the day.
Also at the residence of the Yeye Oba of Ogidi and Curator of Nike Art Gallery, Chief (Mrs) Nike Okundaye, locals were also seen singing and dancing to the admiration of guests.
Elsewhere across the community, the sound of gunshots by local hunters could be heard intermittently to further set the tone for the cultural festival.
Meanwhile, more guests and dignitaries had continued to troop in their large numbers to the Ogidi Community Hall Ground, venue of the cultural festival.
As the guests filed in to occupy seats in their designated canopies, cultural troupes from various states were seen carrying out dress rehearsals prior to the proper commencement of the event.
The arrival of the Ologidi of Ogidi, Alhaji Rabiu Oladimeji Sule and his entourage to the venue of the cultural festival, signalled the commencement of the event.
The Ologidi was ushered into the venue of the cultural event by masquerades in company of traditional chiefs, his subjects and associates.
Guests and dignitaries gave a rousing welcome to the Ologidi upon his arrival at the cultural event.
Soon, the event got underway with the singing of both the National Anthem and the Ogidi anthem.
A moment of prayer was observed and thereafter, the sounding of the ‘Ogidigbo’ (a local wooden instrument) was made to kick start the programme in earnest
The Director General of the Ogidi Day Central Planning Committee, Mr Tunde Ipinmisho (FNGE) set the tone for the day’s event.
In his welcome address, he urged the guests and dignitaries to “relax and enjoy the best of culture”, assuring that they would be no dull moment throughout the cultural festival.
“You are in for a rich spectacle. We will give you the best part of our culture and of those around us”, he said.
According to Mr Ipinmisho, the story of Ogidi Day was that of “a humble beginning” ,which has now become an international event now known on the “World Map”.
Explaining the essence of the Ogidi Day, Ipinmisho said, “The Ogidi festival is about two things; one, it is about our new yam; the period we celebrate the Ogidi festival is our New Yam Day. June 15 of every year is our New Yam Festival. So we now decided that if June 15 falls on a Saturday, we hold the Ogidi Day on that date ,but if not, we hold it the following Saturday.
“The essence of the New Yam Festival is to offer thanksgiving to the Almighty who gives increase. It is the Almighty Who gives the yield. In those days, what our people were doing was to bring their farming implements, their hoes and cutlasses and put in a corner of a room ,and then they cook food and keep it there.
“They were of the belief that the hoes and cutlasses too should eat. That practice is archaic now, because we know that there is only one God and it is the Almighty that brings the increase.
“Also, number two; it is about our Oba. The Oba is the symbol of our oneness as a community, so we use the occasion to renew our allegiance.
“Not many people come here except they have something doing. So, we felt we could use the festival to bring attention to Ogidi”.
There was indeed no dull moment for guests and cultural enthusiasts, as an array of troupes from Edo, Ondo, Lagos and other home based cultural groups ,were present to make the day memorable.
The event commenced with the homage to the Ologidi of Ogidi by the various cultural troupes and groups as mark of honour and loyalty to the royal father.
Members of the various cultural troupes and groups, who were colourfully attired, sang and danced in a procession to the point where the Ologidi was seated on the podium ,and prostrated before him as a mark of allegiance and honour.
The Bini Cultural Troupe from Edo State, the Ondo Cultural Troupe, the Eyo Masquerades from Lagos State and the Nike Okundaye group from Lagos ,took turns to pay homage to the Ologidi.
After these groups were done, various women and men groups in the community, the Tiv community in Ogidi, the Kiri Cultural Troupe from Kabba, the Sango Troupe, Egungu Monure and Omolere group, all took turns to pay homage to the Oba.
In the same vein, all the traditional chiefs, titled women of Ogidi, farmers, hunters and the Orotas amongst others, took turns to pay homage to the paramount ruler.
While on their procession to pay homage to the Oba, the hunters who were all armed with Dane guns and other hunting weapons, demonstrated their hunting expertise and shot intermittently into the air as a mark of honour for the Oba.
After paying homage, the Ondo Cultural troupe first took the stage and held the guests spellbound with their thrilling cultural display and dances.
In the same vein, the cultural troupes from Edo, the Tiv Cultural Troupe and host of others, also took the stage to showcase their rich cultural dances and performances.
The high point of the event was the presentation of the New Yam to the Ologidi of Ogidi, Alhaji Rabiu Sule by the Yeye Oba Ologidi, Chief (Mrs) Nike Okundaye.
The Ologidi on the occasion prayed for blessing, peace, progress and development of Ogidi land.
He called on illustrious sons and daughters of the land and other friends of Ogidi to continue to make their contributions for the overall development of Ogidi.
Speaking at the event, the National President of the Ogidi Development Union (ODU), Mr Eniolorunda Ralph Kayode said the Ogidi Day has assumed an image and a big status of its own.
He said ODU which is the organiser of the festival has added another traditional Yoruba feature called “Oriki” to this year’s edition of the Ogidi Day, to “garnish the viewing experience” of the guests.
He appealed to the federal government to include the Ogidi Day cultural festival on its annual tourism calendar, just as he also solicited government’s supports towards ensuring that the festival is re-packaged to attract foreign participation.
“It is the only cultural festival celebrated in the month of June throughout Nigeria; It is our own New Yam Festival, which is likened to human regeneration. It’s a celebration of life”, he said.
In his speech, the Chairman of the occasion, Chief Tunde Thani described Ogidi Day as a cultural festival that had witnessed tremendous transformation and called on individual and corporate organizations to support the fund raising.
Also in his speech, the father of the day, Chief Abiodun Ehindero, said the Ogidi Day was built around new yam which he noted has been existing for long period.
Ehindero therefore called on the youth to embrace agriculture in order to have a source of sustenance.
On the occasion, the National Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Mr Kola Ologbondiyan was honoured with the “Excellence in Service Award”.
Others honoured include the Kogi State Security Adviser, Retired Navy Commander Jerry Omodara and the Administrator of Ijumu Local Government Area, Alhaji Taofiq Isah.
Responding to the award, Omodara commended the community for the honour and urged them to continue to sustain their cultural heritage for peace in the community.
He urged them to cooperate with the government in tackling insecurity by providing useful information to the security agencies to eliminate criminals from the state.