Rallying sons and daughters from all walks of life, Ife played host to some South-West governors, royal fathers, Yoruba film actors and a huge presence of allied corporate organisations.
The festival, which was celebrated from September 26 to 28, 2013, brought a ray of hope as it made the town more colourful and brought it economic gains through tourist patronage.
Adjudged an upscale event, majority of the tourists and visitors to Ife described the 2013 celebration of Odun Oranmiyan, organised by Plabsy Travels and Tours, as a festival full of new trends, which should be sustained.
In addition, going by the promise of the organiser, who assured the Ooni of a new brand Odun Oranmiyan brand the event enriched with the persence of corporate sponsors, among who were the Grand OAK, Vitafoam and AJINOMOTO who flooded the venues of the festival with different products while souvenirs and branded gifts were given to people.
Starting the opening on September 26 with the registration of contestants for the drum and Ayo Olopon competitions, Ife town witnessed the streaming of visitors and tourists from neighbouring towns and states for the festival.
Day two (September 27) activities, which coincided with the celebration of the World Tourism Day, was unique as it featured a thought-provoking lecture, with the theme: ‘What is in a name,’ by the Osile of Oke-Ona Egba, Oba (Dr) Adedapo Adewale Tejuoso, Karunwi lll.
Day one ended with the grand finale of the Ayo Olopon competition, giving the locals opportunity to show their unique skills in the game as the winners were given lots of beautiful prizes and souvenirs.
Oba Tejuoso, who was filled with spiritualism and enthusiasm, spoke with candour to drive home his point on the personality of the heroic warlord, cultural legend and king, Oranmiyan.
Making references to different authors and oral account of the history of the Yoruba nation, existence, legends and festivals that are tied to each deity especially Oranmiyan, Oba Tejuoso declared that culture and heritage, as the case may be, should rather unify than divide the Yoruba nation.
According to Oba Tejuoso, who claimed to be the last great grandson of Oduduwa:
Oba Tejuoso enjoined the Yoruba to stop all wars and needless bickering and rivalries capable of derailing meaningful progress, as Oranmiyan Festival has been ‘promoting Yoruba unity through her history.
However, the Ooni of Ife, Oba Okunade Sijuwade, represented by the Obalufe, Oba Folorunso Omisakin in an opening remark, highlighted the importance of understanding history in sustaining and strengthening bonds of unity and harmony and not division.
“Knowing the past helps us to understand the culture of today; the celebration of our cultural heritage helps us to sustain our own cultural identity,” the Ooni said and commended the governments in the Yoruba states in “assisting in maintaining the cultural identity and strengthening the emotional, cultural and spiritual bonds that bind them to their origin, Ile-Ife, the Source.”
Ooni noted that other kingdoms across Yorubaland have also been promoting their cultures and historical places saying the Ataoja of Osogbo recently celebrated the Osun Osogbo; the Orangun of Ila celebrated his community’s festival, while the Alaafin of Oyo remembered and celebrated Oranyan as the first Alaafin, among others.
Ooni cautioned against the bastardization and politicisation of Yoruba tradition and culture and enjoined children to recognise, respect and appreciate their cultural heritage.
He also tasked tourists to visit Ife to see the ancient Oranmiyan paraphernalia of office, including the Opa Oranmiyan, among others.
Also, the Governor of Osun State, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, who was represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Moshood Adeoti, commended festival consultants, Flabsy Travel and Tours Ltd and Ife people for celebrating Oranmiyan, adding that celebrating Yoruba’s common heritage is a pivot for forging a common front.
Aregbesola stressed that celebration of culture should serve as a bond of unity and rallying point for all Yoruba people.
“In celebrating Oranmiyan, we are identifying with the character of Oranmiyan, who had adept leadership qualities, virtues of compassion, which leaders of today should emulate,” he added.
He also noted that celebrating Oranmiyan would bring enlightenment to young people and tasked all Yoruba people to use the festival to fortify the walls of unity and forge a common tie. He harped on the importance of using festivals in Nigeria to accelerate economic development by developing all tourism sites and actively promoting same to attract tourists from all over the world.
The festival, which got to its climax on September 28, started with a carnival float and procession from the Ooni’s palace to the Opa Oranmiyan grove where royal fathers, chiefs, devotees, sons and daughters of Ife, from within and outside the town, converged to pay obeisance to Oranmiyan.
One after the other, the platform where the Oranmiyan staff is located host groups who devoted time to pray and ask for blessings and healings.
The 2013 edition displayed a line up of experienced judges, among who were Agbaakin Kayode Owolabi, Lawrence Omidiora, Oluomo Gbenga Owolabi, Chief Festus Onigbinde, Chief Jimi Solanke, Professor Moses Awogbade and Mr Yomi Ogundele.
Odun Oranmiyam ended with a grand drum competition where the Baale Onilu of Ife, among five others, emerged the winner with the star prize of a small refrigerator and a cash gift, while others went home with standing fans and different brands of electric irons.
Oranmiyan presents a storyland for tourists —Chief Solanke
An ardent culture promoter and storyteller Chief Jimi Solanke, who was one of the judges of the drum competition, at the just-concluded Odun Oranmiyan, described the festival as a renaissance in the promotion of Yoruba culture and legendary heritage.
“The festival is very important for the promotion of our culture because it is a better way of telling our rich stories to visitors and tourists.
“Nobody can tell our story better than us and in doing this, we must make it a collective responsibility by involving all and sundry.”
Culture is our true identity —Chief Onigbinde
Chief Festus Onigbinde, who stormed the competition arena in unique traditional attire, said the Yoruba cannot be separated from their culture because it is the only factor that show the true identity of the people.
“We are one people, with one mission and destiny, our heritage is a big socio-economic product for our people. This drumming competition will not only promote the different aspects of the Yoruba instrument of communication (talking drums), but also attract younger apprentices to sustain the art of drumming, dancing and passing information.
Onigbende called on the organiser to keep up the tempo and build on the success of this year’s edition for posterity’s sake.
tribune.com.ng
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