OJUDE OBA: Splash of colours, moments of glamour

The spectacle in Ijebu Ode, the capital of Ijebuland could be described as a splash of colours like the plumes of a beautiful bird. It was the yearly Ojude Oba festival,  celebrated two days after the Islamic Eid El Kabir as an act of obeisance and declaration of love to the paramount ruler of the Ijebu people; the Awujale of Ijebuland. Ojude Oba is now celebrated by all people of Ijebu descent irrespective of religious inclinations. The event  has  spanned  over 100 years since the first set of Muslim  converts within the geographical space known today as Ijebu Ode who decided  to  visit the reigning  Awujale  with gifts and accolades as a mark of  gratitude to him for allowing them to  practice their new found faith. The opportunity was also used to supplicate for oneness and unity within the king’s domain as well as long life and prosperity for him.  This aspect of unity got accentuated this year as the theme was OJUDE OBA: A RICH HERITAGE FOR IJEBU UNITY.

The theme also resonated with the submission of the main sponsor of the festival, Globacom, also reputed as the biggest corporate supporter of Arts and culture in Nigeria.

According to the brand,   traditions, cultures and religious beliefs are the ingredients which have united peoples and races throughout the history of mankind. The Ijebu race is not excluded in this truism. “This festival therefore, as well as other values and traditions which we hold dear, are  the pillars erected by our forefathers of yore as  the superstructure on which they hoped our  unity as Ijebu people, nay Nigerians, continues to rest. It is also a veritable platform for all sons and daughters of Ijebuland to congregate and brainstorm on developmental matters that will accelerate the political, social, historical and economic growth of the people”, Globacom said.

The event has continued to get better and more glamorous making Globacom to acknowledge that Ojude Oba has the potential to become a major revenue earner for the state based on the fact that large pools of tourists converge from different parts of Nigeria and the global community to celebrate the festival.

Globacom added that its sustained partnership with the Ojude Oba Festival Committee has deep roots in its passionate commitment to constantly be at the forefront of major initiatives propelled at accentuating the best of Nigeria’s cultures, values, desires and traditions of Nigerians.

Aderonke Sabitu, a native of Ijebu Igbo who attends  Ojude Oba regularly said, ”The festival has united all Ijebu people and even the Remos who all consider the event ‘as a common heritage’ She mentioned that Ijebus from other towns apart from Ijebu Ode are members of the Regberegbe groups which is one of the major markers of the festival. The age groups emerged at the turn of the 19th century, after the Ijebu people came into immense wealth by virtue of their industry leading to the systemic internalization of different age grades into its social fabric. The groups are graded according to the years of birth of members.  For instance, the present Awujale of Ijebuland, Oba Sikiru Kayode Adetona belongs to Egbe Mafowoku which is for people born between 1932 and 1934 and is one of the groups populated by the elderly in Ijebuland today.    The names borne by the groups can also signal major happenings around the birth years of the members. For instance, the Bobagunte group is populated by people born between 1959 when Oba Adetona ascended the throne, and 1961.  These groups have, in time, crystallised into instruments of social unity, cohesion and mobilization of human and material resources for the development of the Ijebu nation.

The parade of the descendants of the war heroes who gained notable victories for the ijebu Nation during the inter-ethnic Yoruba wars in the pre-colonial history of Nigeria would then follow after the parade of regberegbes. The festival gives these classes of people the opportunity to simulate the battle shows and displays. Each of the families including the Alatise, Shoye, Shote,  Otubu, Kuku and Balogun would file out with the leader of the family- in most cases the eldest in the family or his child or grandchild mounts upon horsebacks and dances to war-like drumbeats while bouts of gunshots ring, sending coils of smoke into the air.

Globacom rewarded the age grades as well as the warlords with cash prizes for their fashion sense, unity of purpose as well as contributions to the development of Ijebuland.  Egbe Jagunmolu Okunrin and Gbobaniyi Obinrin came first; Bobagbimo and Bobagunte Obinrin came second while Bobamayegun and Arobayo came third in the male and female categories respectively.  In the Balogun competition, the Kuku, Shoye and Alatise came first, second and third respectively.

Globacom, it will be recalled has been the festival’s main sponsor since 2006. It has also become an avenue for the company to bring its products and services closer to the grassroots. The town usually wears Globacom’s trademark lemon green colour as branded parasols, kiosks, and event-specific banners dot all the nooks and crannies of the ancient town.

Globacom, again this year held a musical fiesta where it paraded ace musician, Innocent Idibia known popularly as Tuface and Fuji musician of high repute, Saheed Osupa who entertained the crowd of excited Globacom subscribers who were admitted to the grounds of Equity Hotel venue of the concert, free of charge. Another feature of the music fiesta was a beauty pageant during which a bevy of young ladies of Ijebu origin tried to outshine one another to win the coveted Miss Ojude Oba Crown. After the keenly-contested competition, Miss Afolabi Mariam was crowned while Miss Obadiya Oluwasanumi and Miss Akiniyi Oluwabukola were first and second runners up respectively.

Olawale wrote from Ijebu Ode.