Modakeke: Discontent as obaship tussle leads to ban on drumming during celebration

AKINWALE ABOLUWADE writes that this year’s Ogun Festival in Modakeke, a community in Osun State,
was tension-soaked as the Ogunsua royal family was restrained from rolling out the drum on the occasion.

There was tension in Modakeke, an agrarian community in Osun State over a directive that on no account should the traditional drummers perform in the town in the meantime. The directive, which purportedly emanated from Modakeke palace was said to have been signed by the Balogun of Modakeke, Chief Moses Oyediran.

According to tradition in Modakeke, the Ogunsua royal family usually rolls out the drum to usher in the Ogun festival which heralds the Egungun festival in the ancient town. However, the royal family is currently embittered that they were denied the opportunity to perform the rites as is traditional during the festival which kicked off on Wednesday.

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Against speculations in some quarters, the Chairman of Modakeke Progressives Union (MPU), Mr Julius Odegbemi, said that the directive which was issued to ban drumming in the town did not emanate from the union. He explained that the order was issued to the entire community and not to deprive the Ogunsua family.

However, a member of the Ogunsua royal family, Prince Ademola Oyesiji, has faulted the claim, saying that the order was aimed at distorting the celebration.

Oyesiji said: “We know where this is coming from and they cannot deny the fact. We are embittered that against  tradition, the Balogun of Modakeke, Chief Moses Oyediran, said that the drummers should not perform at this time when we are celebrating Ogun festival. It is customary that the Ogun festival is celebrated for seven days in Modakeke. During the celebration, the drummers would play the drum and we would dance from the Ogun shrine at the Ogunsua compound to Ogun Oja down to Ereta Osan where the third shrine is situated. What was their thinking for issuing the obnoxious order? Do they expect us to be happy that we were not allowed to perform the rites as tradition demands?”

Attempts to speak with Chief Oyediran on the directive were abortive as his Personal Assistant, Ms Ayo Olagunju, said that he was not available and could not be reached on the telephone. However, the MPU chairman said that the decision from the palace was in good faith and in the interest of the people of Modakeke.

He said: “The directive that was given against drumming at the moment was not given by the MPU; it emanated from the palace. The palace said that a certain ritual is being performed in the town as a result of a certain revelation and so drumming is forbidden for now. The policy of the MPU is that we must not go against the palace so we are in support of the instruction that was issued from the palace”.

Describing the ban on drumming during the festival as unfair, Secretary to the Ogunsua ruling house, Prince Ige Oyediran, said that the directive could be linked to the ongoing obaship tussle in Modakeke. “The order was issued in bad light to spite us.”

It will be recalled that there is a running battle between the Ogunsua royal family and the Balogun of Modakeke, Chief Oyediran, over right to the throne in the town. Oyesiji said: “Why was the order against drumming not given before the Ogun festival? Why did they wait until the celebration began before saying this? Although we tried to celebrate the festival without the traditional drummers but the declaration really affected our programme.”

During Saturday Tribune’s visit to the venue of the festival, armed policemen were seen parading the area to keep peace during the ceremony. One of the policemen, who spoke to our correspondent on the condition of anonymity, expressed satisfaction on the activities at the event saying that “we are happy that the people have conducted themselves peacefully so far.”

Ogun festival is an annual ritual that is widely celebrated in Modakeke in the month of July. The entire community is usually agog with trading and other activities rising to the peak. Sons and daughters of the town usually travel from far and near to witness the event. They turn out in colourful attires with many of them wearing uniform ‘aso ebi’ to mark the occasion. Women who are married to the royal family are expected to dance to the shrine with ‘ese’, a special delicacy made of maize with palm oil.

A princess from the family, Mrs Aderonke Adegbami, who described the celebration as a big event in the town, explained that Ogun became prominent in the town because the progenitor of Modakeke was a hunter as well as a warrior. “Basically, hunters and warriors in Yorubaland defer to Ogun, the Yoruba god of Iron. Modakeke was founded by Wingbolu who got favour from the Ooni of Ile-Ife of that time who gave him the land on which we settled till today.

“Modakeke originated aftermath of outbreak of war in some parts of Yorubaland in the olden days but our forefathers came and settled here. Other migrants from various communities came to join Wingbolu family at this place and they agreed to co-exist. We have been living together in peace since then up to this time.”

Mrs Adegbami, however, expressed regrets that the peaceful community has been experiencing tension as a result of distrust and unjustifiable claims that emanate from the scramble for the vacant throne.