The Araba of Osogbo, Ifayemi Elebuibon recently played host to royal fathers and traditionalists at his Ogbeyonu festival. TUNDE BUSARI who was there, reports
The roll call of traditional rulers, who graced the 2018 edition of the annual Ogbeyonu Festival observed by the Araba of Osogbo, Ifayemi Elebuibon in the Osun State capital, dwarfed the attendance at the previous editions.
The Olowu of Owu-Kuta, Oba Adekunle Oyelude, who was said to have been a regular attendee, again topped the list of the royal fathers including the Alayemore of Ido-Osun, Oba Aderemi Adedapo, the Owa of Esa-Oke, Oba Adeyemi Adediran and the Eburu of Iba, Oba Adekunle Okunoye at the grand finale of the festival.
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Hosted with funfair at the Elebuibon’s House of Culture and watched by Ifa priests and devotees, the cultural carnival also attracted Muslims and Christians who converged on the compound and relished variety of cultural events such as performances by Osun State Cultural Troupe, Ifalase Dance Troupe and Alhaji Sefiu Alao, a fuji music star.
Some days before the grand finale witnessed important activities like cutting of new yam, invocation of the sixteen Odu, offerings to the deity of twins, divination for children of Ogbeyonu, homage to the ancestors, music and dance for twins and presentation of film titled Adayeba.
Throughout the week-long events, guests were treated to different types of foods and drinks supplied by the organising committee, a group coordinated by the children of Elebuibon and their friends.
The festival was an occasion and indeed a platform that reunited Ifa priests who traveled to Osogbo from different places to honour and receive blessing from Elebuibon, who returned to the country from Brazil a few months earlier.
Expectedly, the fuji musician, Sefiu Alao drew more traffic of music lovers to the venue as soon as his voice echoed out of the giant speakers placed near the entrance to the compound. The Abeokuta-born’s performance significantly added social flavour to the cultural affair and electrified the whole neighbourhood.
The ebony black Alao impressed the audience with special compositions dedicated for the occasion, effort which earned him instant appreciation of Ifa adherents, who were nodding affirmatively on their seats during his show.
Other notable fuji acts that had also featured at Ogbeyonu festival included Saidi Osupa, Ramoni Akanni and others.
Reviewing the festival, the Olowu-Kuta made a case for a rebirth in Yoruba cultural heritage as a way to assert the identity of the children of Oduduwa among other ethnic groups not only in Nigeria but at world at large.
The widely travelled traditional ruler expressed regret at how foreign nationals shower appreciation to Yoruba culture abroad whereas the owner of the culture back home are wasteful.
Oba Oyelude affirmed that he had not missed any edition of Ogbeyonu festival, saying if there was any he had missed, he must have travelled out of the country.
He pointed out that Ogbeyonu festival is celebration of the beauty of Yoruba culture and tradition; the beauty, which, according to him, the Araba (Ifayemi Elebuibon) symbolises.
“Ogbeyonu is a festival that showcases the position of Ifa and the need to use what we have to get what we want. I am talking as a traditional ruler, a custodian of culture and one who must be seen as defender of the culture. I am here, and I shall always be here because it is our own festival,” he assured.
Elebuibon, who expressed his delight at the turnout of guests, appraised the festival as well organised, applauding his biological and foster children for rising to the occasion and using their respective experiences to put up the festival.
He also promised to do his best at all time in propagating Ifa faith, a divine assignment, which he said, he was sent to undertake in the world. The Araba stated that the history of his life is all about Ifa faith, hence the reason he would stop at nothing in projecting it.
“My history is an open book. In fact, I presented my autobiography at my 70th birthday last year. The book contains details of how I started my life as a kid under the tutelage of the late baba Ifaniyi Ajani. What I am saying is that Ifa is all I know. That is why I must not spare anything to propagate it to the world,” he said.
Elebuibon used the occasion to express his happiness at the way the Yorubas are now realising the need to return to the traditional religions, going by his personal experience as a consultant.
He said his clients are drawn from Islam and Christianity, a development, which, he remarked, further affirmed that he is on a right track.
“Or how can you explain me sitting here and they come from their different places of worship to seek my guide? That is my experience here on day to day, except when I am not in town. Even when I am out of the country, they drop messages. This is saying that they are appreciating what we are doing,” he said.
The Araba prophesised that in no distant time in future, traditional religions would witness upsurge return of Yoruba people who would have been tired of all kinds of disappointing news coming out of their places of worship.
He recalled a seminar he attended in Ibadan where he expressly declared that people, would return to their roots, saying that all the black people irrespective of religion they practice, are descendants of Orisa.
“I don’t just talk. I talk based on what I must have seen before I talk. The time is near when the prophesy would come to pass. Water will definitely return to its source. That was how I put it to them at that seminar,” he said.
On a final note, Elebuibon said plan was underway to make Ogbeyonu festival more attractive to more tourists including his godchildren resident in different countries.
“That is where we are heading now, and we shall get there because these faithful abroad are really appreciative of our culture more than what obtains here. I thank all traditional rulers that came and honour us,” he said.
and then