Oodua People’s Congress (NEW ERA) has celebrated Odun Aje(festival of wealth) at the Owode-Onirin Spare Parts Market, Lagos.
Speaking during the event hosted by the Agboyi-Ketu chapter, the President of the group and chief promoter of Oodua Festivals Initiative(OFI) Aare Rasak Arogundaade (SADAM), said the festival was conceived to promote Yoruba culture and traditional rite.
He said: ‘’For years, we have actively promoted and contributed to the sustenance and advancement of our native traditional rite and culture. We have individually and together with like-minded individuals and institutions called upon the government to do more for the promotion of our forefather’s ways of life than the cosmetic actions they have taken over the years.
‘’ Lagos State is located beside the ocean. And like all other similarly located places all over the world, it has its benefits. Olokun Iserin-ade, the goddess of the oceans is well known for commerce and prosperity. It is on the oceans that foreign trade is conducted before the introduction of airplanes. Even today, bulk and large cargo are still transported only through this means. Closely associated with Olokun is the goddess Aje, whose symbol, a conch (big cowry shell) is found in the oceans. Aje is the goddess of trade and commerce. It is the goddess we associate more with trade and commerce and the one to whom we more often than not, call upon. It is not uncommon in Yoruba land to hear or see people invoking Aje early in this morning and at any time of the day.
He added: ‘’‘’ Declaring one day in August as Isese Day, or one day for use of Yoruba language as means of communication in the Lagos State House of Assembly (LAHA) is simply not enough when we consider how much our government(s) expend on sponsoring pilgrims to Saudi Arabia and Isreal.’’