Rise and rise of Ojude Oba powered by Glo

[SunNews]

By GBENGA ADESUYI

One festival which has grown in stature, dimension, clout and involvement of the crème de la crème is the Ojude Oba celebrated annually three days after Id el Kabir aka Ileya.

For over 200 years, the Ijebu in Ogun State, have used the platform of the festival to develop their race and project their sterling heritage to the world. But the ascension of Awujale, Oba Sikiru Kayode Adetona, to the throne 53 years ago gave the festival a new lease of life and a whiff of modernity.

Oba Adetona's exposure transformed the Ojude Oba to a non religious, non political festival that unites all Ijebu sons and daughters at home and in the Diaspora. The involvement of the national carrier, Globacom, as major sponsor of Ojude Oba about eight years ago gave the festival a great boost.

At this year's celebration, the Awujale was effusive with his praise for Globacom's support which he said had turned a local event into an international festival and the cynosure and model for many other festivals across the world: "It is gratifying that our Ojude Oba has been greatly transformed in dimension, quality and popularity. This transformation we owe to our major sponsor, Otunba Mike Adenuga, Jr., GCON and his company, Globacom. Our annual Ojude Oba Festival since the past eight years continued to enjoy tremendous patronage each year from Otunba Mike Adenuga with the result that the festival is today accessible to every part of the world through the satellite, print, electronic and the social media."

It is remarkable that each edition of the festival has been better than the previous one. The recent festival was not different as the Regberegbe, the age grades, tried to out-do one other to win the prize monies donated by Globacom. Indeed, Ojude Oba is a celebration of life and Awujale, who recently survived a domestic accident was hilarious to be alive to witness the celebration.

On the day of the festival, a Thursday, around 7am, the horizon over the Awujale's Palace, the bright morning suddenly darkened with legion of bats fluttering in the sky. It was a fitting welcome to gaily dressed Ijebu indigenes who arrived the pavilion in their colourful attires. Oh, what a beautiful collage of colours and uniquely designed accoutrements and innovations in African sartorial dexterity and grandeur.

The ancient and the modern trysted in a marriage of relics with the contemporary that made everybody a spectacle to behold! Such was the panoply of attires that an onlooker exclaimed that the Ijebu are simply unbeatable! The ingenious complementary blending of various cultures through skin hand fans and walking sticks held aloft added panache and verve to the ceremony.

As is customary, the Regberegbe, started over 100 years ago as a democratic system of administration, started paying homage to the Awujale through a variety of styles from the sublime to the unique as there was no room for ordinariness. The arrival of the Awujale, Governor Ibikunle Amosun, his wife, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Aminu Tambuwal and the Bayelsa State Secretary to the State Government, who represented his governor whose mother is Ijebu signaled the commencement of the festival.

With traditional drums and variety of songs, the groups filed from the terraces where they sat on green bucket seats emblazoned with Glo to do obeisance to the Awujale. The theme of this year's festival: "Actualizing the creation of Ijebu State, Noin! Noin!" dominated the requests of the various groups and some also put their requests for Ijebu State in songs.

The last age grade to match, Egbe Arobayo Obirin released fireworks of which sprayed the Awujale and the guests with miniature dollars as confetti. To underscore the inter-ethnic nature of the festival, the Hausa community, the Niger Delta indigenes resident in Ijebuland and the Igbo community paid homage to the Awujale.  The Mission to Rebuild Ogun State Group (MITROS) and the Glo delegation led by the Divisional Director, West Territory, Mr. Yomi Ogunbamowo, also genuflected to honour the paramount ruler of Ijebuland.

After the Regberegbes, came the Baloguns at their chivalrous best spiced with intermittent gunshots and colourful flags. The Bobagunte Okunrin group was adjudged best in the male category of the age grade competition while the Jagunmolu Obirin was adjudged as the best group in the female category for their scintillating performance during the homage to the paramount ruler and they won the princely sum of N750, each courtesy of Globacom.

In the Balogun competition involving horse riders, the Alausa Family came first, Adesanoye Family came second while the Kuku Family was adjudged third.

In the Miss Ojude Oba Beauty Pageant and musical concert held in the evening at the Equity Resort Hotel, Ijebu Ode, 20-year-old Environmental Health Technology student, Ogun State College of Health Technology, Ilese Ijebu, Ayeni Naomi Imoleayo, defeated 10 other girls to win the Miss Ojude Oba Beauty Queen crown and cash prize of N100,000. Twenty-year-old Anibi Omotoyosi of Babcock University, came second to win N75,000, while 23-year-old Olamide Victoria Odia, a Botany student, Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma, smiled home with N50,000.

Cross section of Nigerians commended Globacom for its robust support for culture and tradition in the country. Former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Chief Olu Adeniji, described Globacom as a proudly Nigerian company contributing immensely to the growth of Nigeria socially and economically. Otunba Gbenga Osinowo described the telecom operator as the savior of the masses that had been keeping the cost of telephony affordable and qualitative. Otunba Deji Osibogun commended Globacom for growing Ojude Oba Festival in leaps and bounds in the past few years of supporting the festival and prayed for the continued success of the company.

Speaking at the special banquet held in honour of the Awujale, Ogunbamowo thanked the Ijebu for their support for Globacom which had turned it to a household product and pledged that the company would not relent in providing sterling and affordable services. A delegation from the Oba of Benin led by Prince Victor Osarenren described Adenuga as the pride of the Black Race.

Globacom has again raised the bar with this year's Ojude Oba as Ijebu are eagerly awaiting the goodies that the proudly Nigerian company would roll out to celebrate the festival next year.

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