In Ado-Ekiti, Udiroko Festival fosters communal development

The Olorunborun is a remarkable day in the life of both Ado Ekiti as a community and its indigenes. That day marks the new year of the people and they gather in their numbers under a designated Iroko tree at the palace of the Ewi of Ado Ekiti to receive their returning warriors and pay homage to their traditional ruler. And that marks the beginning of Udiroko.

Today, the Udiroko Festival has grown to huge proportions and has become an avenue for the people of Ado Ekiti to regroup, pray in thanksgiving, plan the new year and seek ways of further improving the town. Thus, to every Ado Ekiti indigene, Udiroko is a day to look out for every year, and when the occasion is announced they’d turn out in your best clothes to the palace to listen to their king, learn more about the developments in the community and generally make merry.

ALSO READ: See reasons Ben Bruce withdrew from Bayelsa East Senatorial race

On another plane, the celebration, which is as old as the kingdom itself, presents the people the opportunity to see their warriors and military chiefs and the king’s wives (Oloris), led by the Eyesorun. In the early days of the kingdom, the warriors were said to have used the opportunity of Udiroko to showcase their prowess and a fair for their spoils of war.

Also, in those days and up till today, the common snack for the festival is walnuts, which are freely distributed among the people as food at the palace arena. The walnuts usually get to the people after the address of the Ewi, which often marks the highlight of the festival.

Before the address by the Ewi, his wives, known as Oloris, would file out in their splendour to sing the praises of their husband. They accompany the Eyesorun, who would lead the drum-carrying queens to the arena for the session, which is regarded as a moment of solemnity. The Oloris are followed by the traditional chiefs from the three Quarters of Oke Ewi, Odo Ado and Oke Ila. Then honourary chiefs, prominent sons and daughters and dignitaries also pay their respects to the Ewi.

This year’s festival was unique as it marks the last time Chief Ayodele Fayose, the Apesin of Ado Ekiti, would celebrate the Udiroko Festival as a sitting governor of the state. Governor Fayose had also led other honourary chiefs to the festival. The touch of modernity has also impacted the ceremony.

The people of the state capital, in their thousands, had defied the rains that had poured ceaselessly in all parts of Ado Ekiti that day and had thronged the palace to enjoy the display of rich culture and undying tradition on parade. They had the confidence of the roofed palace amphitheater and had defied the downpour to wit hipness the celebration.

The Ewi, Oba Rufus Adeyemo Adejugbe Aladesanmi III, noted in his address to the people that the festival had received the touch of modernity and that the major thrust of Udiroko in the contemporary times was the issue of development of Ado Ekiti, which he said had grown from a district headquarter in colonial period to a local government headquarter and now a state capital.

Oba Adejugbe used the occasion of the 2018 Udiroko to rally indigenes and the entire citizenry to ensure massive development of the kingdom in the areas of infrastructure, commerce, education, social development and elevation of royalty to higher spheres of influence.

The monarch had stated that key projects in Ado Ekiti, such as the Faculty of Law building at Ekiti State University, Ado Ekiti (EKSU); palace amphitheater, palace hall, official king’s quarters in the palace, the new Erekesan (Oba’s) Market nearing completion, among others were fruits of previous Udiroko festivals.

The Ewi hailed Governor Fayose for executing landmark projects in his palace like the hall, amphitheatre and other infrastructure in the town, including the flyover and the new Oja Oba market.

Oba Adejugbe said: “Forever, the name of Peter Ayodele Fayose will not be forgotten in the history of Ado-Ekiti. You have done these for yourself and in the future, people will be asking who did these and they will answer that they were done by Peter Ayodele Fayose.

“You did it during my reign but in your name and I pray that as you leave, everything you brought here, wife, children and property will not be lost.”

This year’s Udiroko was chaired by eminent legal icon and the founder of Afe Babalola University, Ado-Ekiti (ABUAD), Chief Afe Babalola (SAN), the Aare Bamofin of Yorubaland, who, in his speech, described Udiroko as a veritable platform for the people of the town to remember the tradition and culture of their ancestors.

Aare Afe Babalola (SAN), however, expressed regret that some activities of those he said were “enemies of progress” had eroded great virtues of Ekiti. He also decried what the said was the upsurge in criminal activities in the state such as robbery, daylight killings, stealing, destruction of property, saying these were “alien to Ekiti.”

The Ado Ekiti indigene decried the lack of a motorable highway; absence of rail lines, airport, steady electricity supply and lack of water as issues that would continue to deny Ekiti the inflow of investors. According to him, the development of Ekiti was the responsibility of both the state government and the people, saying they must all join hands to lift their home state.

Oba Adejugbe had, in his speech, praised Chief Babalola (SAN) for siting ABUAD on Ado Ekiti soil, saying the University was “one of the best in the world.”

The winding down of the Fayose administration on the 16th of this month was seen by many as one of the motivations that drew unprecedented crowd to this year’s edition of Udiroko. Fayose’s special homage to the Ewi had drawn a special admiration and applause of the crowd at the palace grounds.

Governor Ayo Fayose, in his speech, noted that the various developmental projects his administration executed in Ado Ekiti would continue to speak for him long after he might have gone as governor.

Fayose praised the people of Ado-Ekiti for their support during his tenure and stated that their support resulted in the construction of legacy projects in the town. He promised to allocate shops to market women displaced by the construction of the new Erekesan Market including “pepper and vegetable sellers”.

The governor said:  “I will give the shops back to the poor people who are interested in them and this will be backed with valid documents. The pepper sellers, the vegetable sellers will regain their shops back.

“I gave you my word that I will perform and work for you and to the glory of God, I have performed. To the glory of God, I came, I saw and conquered; I came, I saw and I conquered. I will tour round the state to say thank you to the people.

“I would still have left he office of the governor anyway, even if my deputy, Professor Kolapolp Olusola Eleka, had been declared winner of the election. However, I urge you not to fight with anybody. Continue to sing the song of praise. By the grace of God, the glory and plunder of Zion shall be returned.”

The official Ado-Ekiti anthem was launched and relayed at the festival. The new anthem would be sung at public functions henceforth in Ado Ekiti kingdom.

The Udiroko day signaled the grand conclusion of a week-long array of activities which had included interdenominational Christian orayers; traditional games, Ewi Football Cup competition; health care, walk, lecture and others.