2018 Olumo Festival: Alake, Adams advocate cultural transformation

Alake of Egbaland, Oba  Adedotun Gbadebo, has urged all Yoruba sons and daughters to use the Language to promote culture and tradition of the race.

Speaking last Friday at the 2018 edition of the Olumo festival which was organised by the Olokun Festival Foundation in Ikija, Abeokuta, Ogun State, Oba Gbadebo,  said the  promotion of the Language is vital to the development of the race.

“It is very important for us as a race to revive our culture and tradition. What we are doing today is to celebrate Lisabi who was our progenitor, and at the same time, promote our culture and tradition.

‘‘So, I think we can always promote our culture and tradition by speaking the Yoruba language regularly to our children.” The paramount ruler,  added that the Yoruba language is not a vernacular. He, however, expressed appreciation to the Aare Onakakanfo of Yorubaland, Aare Gani Adams, who is also the chief promoter of the Olokun Festival Foundation,( OFF), for using his financial and human resources in promoting the culture and tradition of the Yoruba race across the South West. He urged him not to relent in his efforts to make Yoruba land a great race to be reckoned with in the world.

Meanwhile, in his speech, Aare Adams, expressed concern on the way the Yorubas treat their language. He blamed the colonialists for throwing the Yoruba culture, tradition and heritage into the dustbin of history, using  civilization as a method to relegate the cultural values of the race.

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He said:”The way we handle Yoruba Language is not too good for us as a race, our language is supposed to be our identity, it is our pride and it is the greatest weapon of security for us a people.

As a culture activist, Chief promoter of the Yoruba culture and tradition, and founder of the Oodua Progressive Union(OPU)- the most vibrant organisation, in 79 countries  across the world, it saddens my heart that the  Yorubas, with huge population of over 250 million people all over the world, is presently finding it difficult to take its pride of place in the world.” , he, however, applauded the effort of the Lagos State governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode for making the Yoruba Language an official language, using it as a criteria for admission into the universities in the state. “I commend the   trail blazing effort of governor Ambode, and I urge other governors in the southwest to emulate the Lagos State governor,’’ he said.

This year edition of the Olumo festival was sponsored by OFF, with prominent guests in attendance. These include all the Alake In Council of Chiefs and the high chiefs.The Olu of Owode- Egba, Oba Kolawole Sowemimo, Olu of Itori, Oba Fatai Akamo, Olu of Mokoloki, Oba Ademola Ogunbona, prominent sons and daughters of Egba land, former Commissioner, Oyo State, Prince Adeleke Ajala, Guest lecturer, and former Deputy Provost Federal College of Education, Osiele, Alhaji Nurudeen Sodipe.