Ibadan Cultural Festival 2018 Features

 2018 Ibadan Cultural Festival ended last weekend, the 30th edition of annual celebration of the socio-cultural celebration of the ancient town by the umbrella body of clubs in Ibadan, the Central Council of Ibadan Indigenes (CCII). TUNDE OGUNESAN reports on the first celebration of the newly installed executive members of the association which has beckoned a new hope of display of tourism, culture and tradition.

ON Saturday, March 10,2018, the curtain blaze on the weeklong celebration of 2018 Ibadan Festival cultural week at the main bowl of the Obafemi Awolowo stadium, Oke-Ado, Ibadan. The grand finale, was without any doubt, an icing on the reformed Ibadan week being celebrated by the apex umbrella body of about 250 socio-cultural clubs – home and abroad in Ibadanland- Central Council of Ibadan Indigenes (CCII).

The CCII and Planning committee as early about six months to the commencement demonstrated their resolve to have leap from the old order. The President General, Chief Yemi Soladoye, himself having been a former chairman of Ibadan cultural week planning committee in 2000/2001 and this year’s 19-man Planning committee headed by Asiwaju Nurudeen Akinade, waste no time to achive the target.

And true to the words of the President General, the 2018 edition was better managed, organised and a clear improvement from the previous editions.

The event kick started with Jumat prayer service at the central mosques and visitation to the Palace of the Olubadan of Ibadan and Sunday services between Friday and Sunday.

Unlike before, this year’s Ibadan week went cultural. From the name as “Ibadan Cultural and Festival week”, it became a carnival for all sons and daughters of Ibadan and not for the elites only. Beginning from Saturday March 3, visit to the Popoyemoja palace of Olubadan of Ibadan, Oba Asaliu Adetunji.

One of the major classics of this year’s celebration was the clear cut separation of conferment of awards from the grand finale and other events. But this year, Soladoye’s administration learnt from experience having served in two privileged positions of the CCII to know best. The current President General was chairman Planning committee for Ibadan week year 2000/2001 and second vice president 2011-2013, these platforms, without mincing words had prepared him for the great task of cementing on the achievement of his predecessors; notably the immediate past President General, Chief Wole Akinwande to hit the bull by the horn as soon as his executive assumed office in July 2017.

With that in mind, that gave the executive member the opportunity of extending the capacity of the award and at the same time somehow ‘brand’ the recognition of the sons and daughters of Ibadanland including other categories of those who have contributed to the development of Ibadan business and social wise. The awards were categorised as award of business friendship, patriotism and friendship.

From the former military governor of old Oyo state; Major-General David Jemibewon (retd), who was decorated as the Most Ibadan Friendly Former Governor of Oyo State (MIFFGOS); President, Defence and Police Officers Wives Association (DEPOWA) who is also the wife of the Chief of Defence Staff, Mrs Omobolanle Olonisakin as Most Patriotic Daugther of Ibadan (MPDI), Engineer Seyi Makinde,  Chief Tunde Afolabi, Commissioner for health, Oyo state, Dr Azeez Adeduntan, Chief Niyi Akintola, Mohaji Akin Alabi, Alhaji Abiola Ambali, Chief Bayo Adelabu, Mr Kabir Ayinde Tukur, Alhaji Azeez Oladotun Bello, Alhaji Kola Dauda Gbadamosi,Oba Muritala Babalola,Professor Isiaka Adekunle Amoo, Honourable Sikiru Olayemi Busari, Professor Kazeem Adebiyi Adekunle, Alhaji Omotunde Olanrewaju Lawal, Engineer Dr Sunair Akintayo Muali, Mr Yanju Adegbite, Comrade Michael Olukoya Alogba and Chief Olatunde Agbeja.

In all, 23 dignitaries were honoured in the spate of three days within the weeklong celebration without rancour during the event.

The thrills of the recognition is the award of Most Ibadan friendly former governor of Oyo State (MIFFGOS) conferred with Major General Jemibewon (retd) who was unarguably regarded without any partisanship as the architect of the real modern Oyo state.

Concretising this fact, Chief Soladoye has this to say on Jemibewon: “In the process of putting together this year’s cultural package, one person that came to the mind of all Ibadan people as the most qualified Nigerian to flagg-off this Ibadan cultural renaissance project project is Major General David Jemibewon (retd), the military Governor of Western/Oyo state for only three years (1975-1978) but left such indelible legacies in the areas of culture and infrastructure as if he was in power for 20 years. We all recall the Agbowo Shopping complex, the Adamasingba stadium, the Jemibewon road, the scretariat flyover, but more of significance to today’s event, the Ibadan cultural centre and the upgrading of our monarch from a cap-wearing king to the beaded crown wearing level. Ibadan cannot thank our fatherMajor General David Medayese Jemibewon enough and that is why today we recalled him’back home’from Kogi State to honour him with the award of the Most Ibadan friendly former governor of Oyo State (MIFFGOS). Sir, the event of today is a clear testimony to the fact that your cultural vision and foresight of some 40 years ago was not in vain.”

Oba Saliu Adetunji, was royally seated with his wife, Olori Rasheedat, the President General of CCII, Osi Olubadan, High Chief Senator Rashidi Ladoja, as the Ibadan traditional institution received in order the representatives of compounds, families in Ibadan come before them to pay traditional homages. In turn, the families, especially the war Lords have a reminiscence of their forefathers dressed in their famous regalia to bring back the memory of their heritage before the Olubadan and the general audience to the delight of the audience.

2019: I inherited powers to command guns from my father —Sunday Igboho

Notable masqurades like Alapansanpa, Atipako, Amoniloju, Kobomoje and Inagorilefoju were on display while there were also performance of Yoruba shows with poetry,  ewi, exhibition of traditional wedding, drums, dancers among others.

Addressing the crowd, the President General, Chief Yemi Soladoye proudly stood before the crowd to appreciate them for their support, having fulfilled his promise of staging a cultural festival that every Ibadan indigene will be proud.

It would be recalled that Chief Soladoye had assured at the beginning of the festival that “This year we are taking it to a very high level. It is not going to be an assembly of Ibadan people, wining and dining, but we are showcasing our own tradition and culture in Ibadanland this time around. Part of it this year is the tradition of Ibadan people as regards marriage, entertainment, masquerades and as it is relates to our dressing and food. These are the things we have packaged for this year’s celebrations.

“We also want it to be packaged in such a way that everybody will know up to the international level that Ibadan has its culture that we can actually export and which can contribute to toursim development in Nigeria.”

And true to his word, Soladoye on Saturday March 10, 2018, in the presence of the Olubadan of Ibadan, proudly attested that “today is a day of testimonies and appreciation. Culturally in Ibadanland, it is the day set aside for the ‘Aboke’ to offer special prayers and sacrifices for good luck for all Ibadan indigenes. I pray that Oke’badan continues to bless all of us.

However, the CCII still has a long way to go by making the festival a tourism lock down on the city of Ibadan during the celebration. Many more stakeholders, government, corporate organisations, artisans, market men and women, among others are more involved to unlock the tourism and trade potentials abound in the future and more participation celebration.