Olokun Festival Foundation consistent for past 20 years in nurturing cultural promotion — Gani Adams

Aareonakakanfo of Yoruba land, Iba Gani Adams, has said that over the years, Olokun Festival Foundation (OFF) has been consistent in nurturing the idea of cultural promotion, noting that the body had drawn its appeal among cultural enthusiasts and traditional rulers who were the custodians of Yoruba culture and tradition.

Iba Adams, who is also the Chief Promoter of Olokun Festival Foundation (OFF), made this known at the 20th Anniversary Programme of the Olokun Festival Foundation, which took place on Friday at Sheraton Hotels, Ikeja, Lagos, disclosing that celebration of the annual event began “at a time when Yoruba race was losing touch with their culture and traditions.”

The Yoruba generalissimo, while pointing out that the journey being celebrated was never a bed of roses as it was “morphed with different experiences, the good the bad and the ugly,” however, thanked “God that despite the unpleasant hurdles placed on our paths by our traducers,” OFF had succeeded in translating the story into that of glory, even as he noted that all the over 30 festivals being celebrated annually across the South-West region were products of the spiritual world.

“Olokun Festival Foundation’s journey began at a time when Yoruba race was losing touch with their culture and traditions.

“Our aims and objectives, vision and mission statement were clearly spelt out in all our activities.

“Our attempt to reclaim our lost glory and rekindle our lost hope is a timely respond to the yearnings of the people of our race.

“The cultural revolutionary move that began exactly twenty years ago has been a blessing to our organization and to all members of our group,” he stated.

“Interestingly, we celebrated the

maiden edition of the Olokun Festival in 2002, at Alpha Beach, Lekki, Lagos.

“In the first edition of Olokun Festival we brought to the fore the dignity and importance of celebrating Yoruba culture and tradition.

“To the glory of the almighty God, Olokun festival instantly gained special recognition that attracted over 100 thousand tourists and participants from across southwest and beyond.

“Our defining moment in the history of the Olokun Festival Foundation was when we relocated to Suntan Beach in Badagry, where we are able to feel the spiritual blessing and the peaceful ambience of the Olokun river goddess.

“As I stand before you today,I am

happy to tell you that Olokun Festival Foundation is celebrating over 30 festivals annually across the southwest region.

“These include: Eledumare Festival in Lagos, Oodua Festival in Ile Ife, Oke Ibadan Festival in Ibadan,Oyo State, Osun Osogbo Festival in Osogbo, Olumo Festival in Abeokuta, Aje Festival in Lagos, Egbe Festival in Ibeju-Lekki, Ogun Festival in Ikorodu, Oya Festival in Kwara, Okota Festival in Arigidi Akoko, Ondo State and Ajagunmale Festival, among others,” he added.

Speaking further, the Yoruba generalissimo praised the commitment and resilience of members in confronting various challenges that had faced OFF, saying that it was a thing of joy that the 20th anniversary of the body was being used for promotion of cultural “activities to impact our society positively.”

This was just as Iba Adams disclosed that the Olokun Festival Foundation had impacted the South-West region positively in all areas of human endeavours, saying that the cultural promotion efforts of the body was not limited to festivals alone as, according to him, it has “also impacted the movie and the music sectors of the entertainment industry.”

According to him, this has seen to emergence of the A-list Yoruba Nollywood artistes as Olokun Festival Foundation global ambassadors, including the President of TAMPAN, Mr.Bolaji Amusan popularly called Mr.Latin; Madam Toyin Adegbola, a k a Ajoke Asewo; Fatia Balogun, among others.

“In our efforts to promote tourism across the South-West,we have opened up the tourism potentials of all the states in the South-West.

“Olokun Festival Foundation has trailed the blaze that today many of our traditional rulers are now calling us to pilot the celebration of cultural festivals in their domains.

“The traditional institutions had also benefitted immensely from this laudable idea,” Iba Adams stated.

The Guest Lecturer, Prof. Derin Ologbenla, Head, Political Science, University of Lagos, in his lecture titled: “Election and Electoral Process in Nigeria Context,” said democracy is in the process of developing in the country, even as he identified political parties already in place as vehicles for capturing power, but quickly noted that voters had a role to play by voting the best amongst them.

Prof. Ologbenla, while noting that political elites were part of the problem in governance of the country, observed that Nigerians voters in some cases were just concerned with bread and butter, during poll exercise and, thereby choosing wrong representatives.

“That is the mistake you make when you take something from them, that is the problem you cannot correct,” he said.

This was just as the University don advocated for an independent candidates to be allowed to contest elections in the country, saying that anybody that was popular in a community must be allowed to contest to serve his or her people.

Ologbenla, while deploring political god- fatherism, describing it as anti- democratic, however, noted that there had been improvement in the country’s electoral system, urging Nigerians to go all out and obtain their PVCs and stop thinking that they did not want to be partisan.

“We are in the year of politics, next year is the year of decision that will affect our lives. I don’t want anybody to think that politics does not matter to me. I don’t want to be partisan. Everybody should get his PVC, if you want political power in your control,” he said.

Speaking further, Ologbenla berated the State Houses of Assembly for refusing to pass various amendments that had to do with ongoing Constitution Review exercise, saying this was a dilemma that the country was facing, wondering what could have been the problem as the National Assembly that endorsed the amendments had representatives serving as members from across the states of the federation.

“The amendments were in general agreement, why the delay? This is the dilemma that must be sorted out. If not, the new government will not comply, then we would not have Nigeria’s democracy as we want it,” he said.

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