Ado-Ekiti indigenes have celebrated their rich cultural heritage at the yearly Udiroko Festival, which marks the beginning of a new year in the community’s traditional calendar. This year’s festival lived up to its billing. Governor Ayo Fayose attended for the last time as governor. He leaves office in October, ODUNAYO OGUNMOLA reports.
The Udiroko Festival held yearly in Ado-Ekiti, the Ekiti State capital, has become a prominent fiesta in its cultural and tourism calendar.
It marks the beginning of a new year in the Ado-Ekiti traditional calendar, which is as old as the kingdom itself.
The festival, also known as “Olorunborun”, affords the indigenes the opportunity of coming together to develop their hometown.
It offers them the opportunity of reviewing developments in the kingdom and serves as the binoculars to gaze into the New Year and agree on projects to be carried out to give the town a facelift and a touch of modernity.
Walnuts, yams and other farm produce are used to celebrate the festival to remind the people of the importance of agriculture.
In the past, Udiroko celebrated the military prowess of Ado kingdom with its war commanders showcasing the spoils of war and slaves.
But the festival has received the touch of modernity and the major thrust of Udiroko now is the issue of development of Ado Ekiti, which has grown from being a district headquarters in colonial period to a local government headquarters and now a state capital.
The indigenes and non-indigenes pay homage to the Ewi, the monarch, who is the custodian of the people’s culture.
The most glorious era in the history of Ado Ekiti is the reign of the Ewi, Oba Rufus Adeyemo Adejugbe, Aladesanmi III, who ascended the throne in 1990.
The monarch has used the Udiroko to rally indigenes and non-indigenes to ensure massive development of the kingdom in infrastructure, commerce, education, social development and elevation of royalty to higher spheres of influence.
Some key projects include the Faculty of Law building at Ekiti State University, Palace Amphitheatre, Palace Hall, official king’s quarters in the palace, and the new Erekesan (Oba’s) Market,, which is nearing completion.
This year’s Udiroko was chaired by eminent lawyer and Founder AfeBabalola University, Ado-Ekiti (ABUAD), Aare Afe Babalola.
The Ado-Ekiti anthem was launched and relayed at the festival. It will be sung in public functions in the kingdom.
It was marked with a week-long of activities, which culminated in the grand finale held at the palace square with a massive crowd of people sitting in the terraces and under canopies provided to protect them from the rays of the sun.
Residents defied the rains that pounded all parts of Ado Ekiti that day and thronged the palace to enjoy the diet of culture on parade. As the festival wore on, they stayed in the arena to the end.
The festival enjoyed the patronage of Nigeria Breweries and MTN Nigeria with the products of the two corporate organisations made available for attendees.
Apart from the activities going on within the palace grounds, the youths swarmed round Fuji musician at the palace gate dancing enthusiastically to the music.
The traditional chiefs, honorary chiefs, market women, youths, age group organisations were all resplendent in their colourful attires.
The value added to the town by Udiroko was the motivating factor that drew a crowd to this year’s edition where Governor Ayo Fayose was marking his final appearance in office as he bows out on October 15.
There was an ovation as Fayose entered the arena at 3.19 pm with the shout of his nickname “Osoko” by the appreciative crowd who acknowledged that he did much for the town with his projects.
Fayose said the projects executed by his administration would continue to speak for him long after he might have left office.
He praised the people of Ado-Ekiti for their support during his tenure, which he claimed resulted in construction of legacy projects in the city.
The Ewi received homage from traditional chiefs, queens, honorary chiefs, traditional warriors, traditional police, market women, ethnic nationalities resident in the town and other interest groups.
The palace queens (Oloris), led by the Eyesorun, Olori Margaret Bosede Adejugbe, added colour to the festival with their eye-catching dance steps and the traditional drums they carried and beat
Fayose, a honorary chief, paid a special homage to Ewi and prayed that “Ado will not receive an unwanted visitor”.
He promised to allocate shops to market women displaced by the construction of the new Erekesan Market, including “pepper and vegetable sellers”.
The governor said: “I will give the shops back to the poor people who are interested in them and this will be backed with valid documents.
“The pepper sellers, the vegetable sellers will regain their shops back.
“I gave you my word that I will perform and work for you and to the glory of God, I have performed.
“To the glory of God, I came, I saw and conquered; I came, I saw and I conquered.
“Very soon, I will roll out the timetable for a tour round the state to say thank you to the people.
“Even if Eleka (Olusola) had been declared winner, I will still go. Don’t fight with anybody, continue to sing the song of praise.
“By the grace of God, the glory and plunder of Zion shall be returned.”
The shops had since been given out to the needy market women by Fayose in fulfillment of the promise.
Ado-Ekiti Local Government Chairman, Mr. Clement Bamisile and caretaker President of Ado Progressives Union (APU) stressed the importance of community development. He urged indigenes to always unite and lift their community to make it an envy of others in Ekiti and other parts of the country.
Babalola described Udiroko as a veritable platform for the people to remember the traditions of their ancestors.
He, however, expressed regret that some events he described as “enemies of progress” had eroded the great virtues of Ekiti.
Babalola decried the upsurge in criminal activities in the state such as robbery, daylight killings, stealing, destruction of property and kidnapping which he said were alien to Ekiti.
