Promoting Yoruba Culture Through Olojo Festival
Yinka Kolawole writes that the Olojo Festival, which is an annual celebration in Ile-Ife in Osun State, was a clarion call for all to promote the Yoruba cultural heritage
In the face of declining cultural values, with more people leaning towards civilisation and borrowed foreign celebrations, greater efforts are being made by cultural enthusiasts to counter that narrative. These days, it is commonplace to see Nigerians trying to adopt foreign cultures and neglect their local traditions, which more often than not are deemed to be diabolical.
As part of the measures to counter that narrative, the Olojo Festival, an annual cultural celebration, commemorating the creation of the first dusk and dawn, was held in the ancient city of Ile Ife. The underlying message of the festival was for Nigerians to preserve and protect their cultural heritage at all costs.
Harmonisation of Yoruba Festivals
Organised by the Ooni of Ife, Oba Enitan Adeyeye Ogunwusi, the week- long festival was heralded by a press conference. At the conference, Ogunwusi called on the people of the Yoruba nation in Nigeria and in the diaspora to harmonise efforts towards promoting all cultural festivals and traditions of the race.
The monarch who spoke in his palace in Ile Ife was flanked by palace chiefs, priests and sponsors of the celebration- Bet9ja, MTN, Goldberg and Seamans Aromatic Schnapps. He decried the continuous description of adherents of traditional religion as idol worshippers. Urging people of the race to rise to the challenge and protect their cultural beliefs, Ogunwusi said the entire Yoruba race should jointly embrace the traditions of their forebears, repackage and export it.
According to him, "failure to admire our culture would surely destroy the labour our past heroes. We are not idol worshippers, but we are using the celebration of the festival to acknowledge and give due honour to all our deities that have contributed immensely to human existence. Olojo Festival symbolises celebrating the first day of creation and the beginning of existence in Ile- Ife, being the cradle of human race.
"The word "Olojo" implies reference to Olodumare, the creator and the owner of the day and that is why Olojo festival is being celebrated in Ife kingdom, the cradle of Yoruba's.
Christian and Muslims do celebrate and remember Jesus Christ and Prophet Mohammed in due times, same thing should be applicable to the traditional religion adherents."
Giving historical background of the Olojo Festival, Ooni said the owner of the whole universe ( Olodumare) would be appreciated during that period of celebration of Olojo. He therefore said: "All forces of nature such as rain, sun and water among others will interact for the betterment of the day and humanity. We all believe and worship one God in diverse ways. Olojo Festival is a day that God specially answers prayer not for Ife indigenes alone, but for all and sundry."
Chief Ayo Olumoko, the Olojo festival consultant, said this year's celebrations, which began with ' Gbajure Festival' on September 17, saw the Ooni wear ' Are Crown' on the last day of the month while performing the symbolic trip to ' Oke Mogun'. He had earlier charged all participants and indigenes of Ife to be law abiding during the celebrations and ensure that tourists coming for the festival enjoy their stay in the town.
Symbolic Visit to Oke Mogun Shrine
One of the highlights of the festival was the presence of wife of Ogun State Governor, Mrs. Funsho Amosun, and other foreign tourists, who accompanied the Ooni on the symbolic trip to the Oke Mogun shrine.
Adorning the mystic ' Are' crown, Ooni Adeyeye Ogunwusi, accompanied by Amosun, top officials of Osun state government, palace chiefs, priests and several thousands of participants, walked to Oke Mogun, where the monarch completed the rites of the festival.
Grand Finale The grand finale of the celebration that began with ‘ Gbajure’, the proclamation across town that the festival will hold, and thereafter, seclusion by Ooni for seven days started last two Sundays. Receiving various groups that had come around from all parts of the world to pay him homage at the palace court, Ooni of Ife, Oba Enitan Ogunwusi used the period to pray for peace in Nigeria and Osun.
At the grand finale of this year's edition of Olojo festival, the Osun State Governor, Mr. Rauf Aregbesola, said the preservation of the tribe's cultural heritage remains an important condition to ensure that the identity of the race is well preserved for the coming generation. Represented by Special Adviser to the Governor on Culture and Tourism, Mrs. Taiwo Oluga, the governor congratulated indigenes of Ile Ife for being at the vanguard of preservation of Yoruba culture. He promised to continue to support cultural activities as part of efforts to foster unity and promote harmonious relationship among people of different religious beliefs.