Ikare-Akoko’s Oloke Meji Festival: A blend of history, tradition and panache

The people of Ikare-Akoko community recently celebrated the settlement of their forebears on the hills before settling in their present abode. HAKEEM GBADAMOSI reports the significance of the colorful festival to the people of the ancient town as they exhibited their rich culture and tradition.

It was a mix of tradition and culture, as well as a showcase of the rich culture of the people of Ikare-Akoko in Akoko South West Local Government Area of Ondo State, when the Okemeji Tako Tabo festival was celebrated recently in the ancient town.

The Okemeji hill which is regarded as significant to the creation of the town by the people was filled to capacity by indigenes and culture enthusiasts from all walks of life were all adorned in white attires.

The festival which symbolises the origination of the ancient town and its people who moved  from Ile-Ife, their first ancestral home and settled on the Ikare hills, was more elaborate this year with series of cultural exhibitions and events witnessed by high profile politicians and government officials within and outside the country.

Drumming, singing and dancing rent the air, while chanting of different folksongs were rendered to the delight of the crowd. This was meant to showcase the bravery of their forebears, who lived on the hills for many centuries before moving down to the community’s present geographical spread.

According to history, Ikare was founded by Agba-Ode, an Ife prince who was one of the grand children of Oduduwa. He migrated from Ile Ife during the period of disaster like other Yoruba princes, with his high chiefs like the Olona, the Olokoja, Akuko, Oloyinmo, Oniku and so many others, including members of his family.

He traversed various areas and eventually settled in Ikare based on instructions from Ifa. But when Agba-Ode was leaving Ile Ife, they were sharing the properties of their grandfather, Oduduwa. While sharing the crowns, Agba-Ode, who was relatively young, realised that he would not get any of the crowns and therefore went to Ile-Ife and picked one of the crowns.

Agba-Ode, however, settled at a place now known as Oke Iba, which is behind a hill popularly called Oke Owa Ale or Oke Baba wa, which means ‘the hill of our progenitor.’ That is why at Ikare today, the indigenes are referred to as “Ikare Omo Oloke Meji tako tabo”.

At that hilly place, Agba-Ode noticed two significant things when they got there during the dry season. He noticed a brook on the hill which is called Omi Atan, which is still there till today. Whether through dry season, the water never dries up.  This attracted the forebears to settle on the hill under a tree where there were weaver birds, a tree which is called Igi Akere. The uniqueness of the tree saw Ikare deriving its name from the tree: “Igi Akere”.

Speaking on the significance of the festival, the traditional ruler of the community, the Owa-Ale of Ikare Akoko, Oba Adeleke Adegbite-Adedoyin II, who was flanked by his high chiefs, said “Okemeji tako-tabo is the progenitor hill of Ikare dynasty. Our forefathers, starting from Owa-Ale Agba-Ode identified this hill through Ifa divination and settled around it over the years; history has it that positive answers have always been recorded over the prayers offered on the hill. According to history, the picture and description of the okemeji tako tabo had earlier been offered to Owa-Ale Agbaode when he left Ile Ife. The journey of Owa-Ale Agbaode and his group which culminated in their eventual settlement on this hill was actually pre-informed by Ifa divination. Ifa had revealed the unique features of the hill (a hilly place where there is a brook on top of the hill).

“Hence, the hill was discovered. Owa-Ale and his group settled there. As such, this hill is also referred to as Owa-Ale hill. The water in between the brook hill is called ‘omi atan’ (water that does not dry). Ikare shall be great again.”

Adorned with white attires, indigenes of the town who visited the hills believed to be husband and wife offered prayers to their ancestors while  special competitions were organised to showcase the rich cultural heritage of the land through dance, quiz competition, seminar and special town hall meetings.

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Oba Adegbite-Adedoyin said special prayers were offered to commence the four-day celebration. “On Thursday, as part of traditional rites and cultural heritage, I led the people of Ikare to our progenitor hills, okemeji tako tabo, where words of prayers were offered on development and progress of Ikare Akoko, Ondo State, and Nigeria as a whole. A special prayer session was also held on God’s directives and prolonged life in good health with respect to the political leaders using the governor of Ondo State as a point of contact to other political headships in Ondo State and Nigeria in general,” he said.

The traditional ruler while praying against calamity in the forthcoming general election in the country cautioned politicians against inciting and making inflammatory statements capable of causing chaos in the country. He appealed to political parties and their supporters not to view elective offices as a do-or-die affair, noting that many lives have been lost in the past due to political intolerance.

“We cannot afford to lose lives again; we must understand the incontrovertible fact that election is not a do-or-die affair. Candidates and their supporters must realise the need for peaceful poll. Politicians must not engage in inflammatory comment during the course of their campaigns, I will advice them to read the new electoral act in order to know the punishment tied to it,” the Owa-Ale said.

Underscoring the significance of the colorful festival, High Chief Okunade Rafiu, the Olona of Ikare, said “Okemeji Tako Tabo represents where the first progenitor settled ab intio before the descent from the hill.”

Also, the Yèyé Asa of Ikareland, Chief Mrs. Modupe Akerele, urged youths to embrace and promulgate the culture entrenched by their forebears, maintaining that no culture is prehistoric, but needs to be practiced. She urged the people to rise to the challenges facing their cultural heritage and try all possible means to protect the cultural beliefs and values from extinction.

Also speaking on the significance of the celebration of the hills, an octogenarian, Pa Akinsola Folahanmi, said  he has witnessed the celebration for over five decades and said the festival is very remarkable and symbolic, noting that the period is used by the traditional ruler of the town to pray for the peace and development of the town. He said “Owa-Ale communes with the ancestors and prayed for peace, unity and development of the town for days during this period”

A young graduate and indigene of the town, Miss Busola Adegbola, said the people of the ancient town always look forward to the day and celebration. She, however, urged leaders and stakeholders, to expose the festival to the world and get the attention of sponsors to promote the tradition, culture and customs of Ikare-Akoko people. She said this initiative would go a long way in preserving and protecting Nigeria’s cultural heritage, with the aim of putting them on the international map.

She said “we should not forget our source and we need to teach our children the custom and tradition, and also the myth surrounding our settling in this abode. This is a good period to showcase our culture, and one can see how beautiful and rich the Yoruba culture is. The initiative is birthed out of a desire to preserve and protect Nigeria’s cultural heritage with the aim of putting them on the international map.”