Ijebu-Ode Agog For Ojude Oba

The ancient town of Ijebu-Ode in Ogun was agog on Tuesday as sons and daughters of Ijebu celebrated the 2011 ‘Ojude Oba festival’ in a grand style.

The News Agency of Nigeria(NAN) reports that the festival with the theme “ Ojude Oba Races Ahead To Huge Success” was also witnessed by eminent personalities from all walks of life.

The multi-billion naira Oba’s Palace extension, which was the venue of the festival, was filled to the brim by tourists, participants, families and friends who were gorgeously dressed.

The festival started with an opening prayer and this was followed by the colourful display and procession of the 36 age groups in the town who also paid homage to Awujale of Ijebuland, Oba Sikiru Adetona.

The eminent personalities as well as tourists who were present at the festival were thrilled with colourful horse parade by the ‘baloguns and Dodondawa’, who are descendants of the war heroes of Ijebuland during the pre-colonial era.

Former Lagos State Governor Bola Tinubu, who was the special guest of honour, in his message, commended the leadership style of Awujale in fostering peace among the Ijebus.

He described Oba Adetona as a forthright monarch in Yoruba land, saying that the Ojude Oba festival under the leadership of the Awujale, had promoted unity and religious tolerance in Ijebuland.

Tinubu called for the unity of purpose among the Yoruba race and stressed the need for an established bond that would facilitate economic development despite the marginalisation of the Yoruba in Nigeria’s mainstream politics.

In his remarks, Governor Ibikunle Amosun said: “the festival connotes unity, oneness and sense of brotherhood among the people of Ijebuland.”

He said that the festival also signified religious tolerance and unity among various religious bodies in Ijebuland.

“There cannot be development without unity and therefore we must continue to do the things that will bring peace and development to Ijebu and the state as whole.”

Amosun assured the people that his administration would continue to embark on development programmes which would cut across the state.

Earlier in his speech, Oba Adetona urged political leaders in the country to be sincere with their citizens.

Oba Adetona who identified bad leadership and hypocrisy as the major cause of the challenges the country was facing, urged the political leaders to be stable in their promises.

The Awujale, however, congratulated the Ijebu indigenes for the celebration.

Ojude Oba festival is an annual event in Ijebu which normally takes place on the third day of Id-el-kabir celebration.

Dignitaries at the festival included Governor Fayemi of Ekiti , Governor Rauf Aregbesola of Osun, Oba Rilwan Akiolu of Lagos, the Obi of Onisha, Igwe Nnaemeka Achebe, former and serving senators and House of Representatives members.