The Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, has described the annual Olojo festival as part of the rich Yoruba heritage that must be upheld forever. This, he said, are also part of what their ancestors left for the people, saying “we are not idol worshippers.”
“These are things that our ancestors left for us that are working. And it will continue to work.
These are things we should not joke about. It’s our heritage. We shouldn’t compromise it with anything,” he added.
Speaking at the media parley flagging off this year’s Olojo festival with the theme: “Evolving Transformational Domestic Tourism With Community Festivals” at his palace in Ile Ife on Thursday, Oba Ogunwusi said that the festival is significant because of the spiritual exercises that characterise it and the testimonies it attracts.
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He said the celebration of the revered cultural event was held annually in the ancient city to celebrate the day of the first dawn.
He recalled that the festival was in remembrance of “Ogun”, god of iron, who is believed to be the first son of Oduduwa, progenitor of the Yoruba people adding that the festival marked the birth of the “Aare Crown”.
“Olojo is the festival of dawn and the birth of the crown, “Ade Aare”, the crown of all crowns. It is the crown that gave birth to all crowns all over the world with all the colours of the rainbow. It is called the spectrum of rainbow crown.