Akure holds Amole festival to offer prayers, seek better communal ties

Markets and shops were shut last Wednesday in Akure for the annual Amole festival. HAKEEM GBADAMOSI writes on the importance of the festival to Akure people.

Economic and social activities were grounded in the ancient town of Akure, Ondo State capital, last Wednesday, 12 September, 2018, as shops and commercial centres were closed down to observed the annual “Amole festival” meant to offer special prayer for both indigenes and residents of Akure community and its environs.

The age long festival which was preceded by another festival, known as Aheregbe was observed some few weeks ago, which also abhorred opening of shops, buying and selling while the paramount ruler of Akureland, the Deji of Akure, prayed for youths, pregnant women, and indigenes of Akure, both at home and abroad for prosperity.

ALSO READ: Fake EFCC official, policeman arrested in Lagos

Apart from the restriction of commercial activities on this special day, social activities such as burial or drumming was not allowed on during this festival and above all no creditor should demand from the debtors money owed, all in the spirit of love and peace for the people of the land.

However, before last Wednesday festival, traders and marketers had been duly informed across the state capital about the annual Amole festival.

The palace had issued a statement, signed by the Chief Press Secretary, (CPS) to the Deji of Akure, Mr. Michael Adeyeye, who notified the traders and leadership of markets about the closure of markets in order to observe the annual Amole festival. According to Adeyeye, the closure of the markets became necessary as part of the age-long tradition in observing the annual Amole Festival.

Speaking on the importance of the Amole and Aheregbe festivals, the community spokesman, the Asamo of Akure, Rotimi Olusanya, said the two festivals among others were necessary for peace to reign in the land.

While giving the historical background of the festival, he said “This festival originated from Oba-Ile. But there was a time we needed an oba and a king emerged from a neighbouring town, Oba-Ile, in the present Akure North Local Government Area of the state, but because he was a prince at Oba-Ile and at the same time entitled to the stool of Deji of Akure.

“When he was coming from Oba-Ile to rule in Akure, one of the conditions that he gave was that the festival which was being celebrated at Oba-Ile must be celebrated in Akure annually. Not that alone, he asked for permission from the Oloba of Oba-Ile that he should be given some chiefs to accompany him to Akure. So, out of the chiefs that accompanied him was Ejemikin. We have Ojomu; they were part of the chiefs that accompanied Oba Obagbiyi from Oba-Ile to Akure. We called the monarch Obagbiyi.

“It is a norm whenever we are celebrating the Aheregbe festival that there will be no buying and selling and we cannot restrict it to the oba’s market alone. Throughout Akure, during that time of the celebration of the festival, there must not be buying and selling. That was the reason for the closure of the shops.”

He, however, said the Amole festival is celebrated by blacksmiths and some chiefs and the Deji of Akure while the Onisibi who are the custodians of the tradition also ensure compliance on the closure of markets but had to be celebrated in the palace.

Some traders, who spoke with Nigerian Tribune, said they are used to closure of shops during the annual festival. Mr Samuel Chukwudi, who has been living in Akure for over 30 years, said the day affords him the opportunity to rest, saying “except Christmas, I come to my shop every day, even on Sundays after church.

“We usually observe this festival as a sign of respect for our host community and since they have explained to us that this is a day set aside to pray and bless both the indigenes and residents of Akure, we cannot but obey the stay at home order.”

However, another Igbo trader, Victor Akaraka, was of the view that the closure of shops during the festival usually causes serious setback to businessmen, and said “since it is part of the culture of Akure people, we have to comply. But as businessmen, it is really affecting our businesses.”

Another trader, Iyanuoluwa Daniel, who said such tradition should be abolished while prayer session should be organised periodically rather than closing markets, noted that the closure paralyses economic activities in the town whenever the traditionalists celebrate these days.

She however recalled that most traders had to comply with the directives, noting that during the last celebration of Aheregbe festival last month, the owner of an electronic shop who attended to customers against the order of the palace paid through his nose as he was heavily fined while the shop was temporarily sealed with palm fronds.

But Asamo said “as far as I am concerned, it is when we have peace that we can talk of economic growth. If we don’t have peace, we cannot have time to go to any market because those festivals that we are celebrating are for the peace and progress of the town.”

He said out of the 24 festivals celebrated in the town yearly, only two” Aheregbe and Amole usually lead to the closure of markets and shops.