Osun Osogbo festival kicks off as thousands participate in walk
Acarnival procession to herald the 2019 Osun Osogbo festival has begun with thousands of Osun devotees, indigenes, groups, associations and ethnic nationalities in attendance.
The pre- festival programmes will commence on August 5, 2019 while the festival grand procession to Osun grove will hold on August 16 with an all white party and award night afterwards.
Speaking after the walk, which kicked off from Betterlife and spanned Ahmadiya - Oja Oba junction - Obate – Sabo junction – Balogun Agoro - Isale Aro – Jolayemi – Isale Osun to the Ataoja palace, Gboyega Oyetola, governor of Osun State, said assured that the state government would provide adequate security during the festival period, as well as, continue to support and enhance the quality of Osun Osogbo to woo more participation.
Oyetola disclosed that the festival attracts people from across the world, including
the diaspora and that the government has brought new tourist product, Karaole Odua, which will be used to bring Yorubas in the diaspora to their roots.
The governor, who was represented by Obawale Adebisi, supervisor in charge of the Home Affairs, Culture and Tourism Ministry, said, “Our effort is to bring Yorubas home annually in August during the celebration of Osun Osogbo festival. It will boost participation and enhance the quality of the festival. “
The governor reiterated that he would drive the state economy with tourism aside taking active part in the annual Osun Osogbo festival and other festivals. “What we are doing today is to ensure that we give necessary support to the community and we also get maximum support in return for government programmes and policies.
“The festival every year brings millions of Naira to Nigeria. Though not directly to the purse of the state government but we are planning on capturing more data and register participants so that it can bring in revenue to the purse of the state government,” Governor Oyetola said.
In his address while receiving the participants of the walk at the palace, Oba Jimoh Oyetunji, the Ataoja of Osogboland, said that the insinuation that Osun deity had been sold was fallacy, explaining that the Walk for Osun was to create awareness that the Osun Osogbo festival 2019 was around the corner.
According to Oba Oyetunji, “Usually, the celebration of Osun Osogbo festival commences by cleaning of the town called Iwopopo whereby citizens of Osogbo and tourists gather to do the task. But this one is a special occasion, special in the sense that it is awareness to the public that the alleged stolen spirit of Osun is fallacy. Osun deity remains there and we started this year’s own with Walk For Osun, where everyone regardless of the ethnic group came to me and we moved round Osogbo to tell people that Osun remains where she is.
“Osun Osogbo is a very significant festival. There is the involvement of UNESCO, which has made the site a World Heritage one. This places Osun Osogbo on the world map as a tourism destination and the federal, state and local government have shown enthusiasm in promoting Osun festival. The state government is nearer to me and the celebration of the festival is not done only done by the Ataoja, its custodian, and its people but in collaboration with the Osun State Government and they have been upright”.
Speaking at the event, Toye Arulogun, managing consultant of the firm managing and marketing the festival, commended government’s efforts at improving on the security situation in the country, pointing out that the insecurity was not terribly bad as being painted.
Arulogun said that the Walk for Osun was a contemporary element that was introduced to the celebration of the festival in 2019. “Today, thousands of people walked with us to herald the celebration of 2019 Osun Osogbo festival. The walk signifies peace and unity between different ethnic groups. What we are bringing in is an element of contemporariness, as we cannot do anything about the tradition”.