Many Illustrious Ijebu sons and daughters on Sunday defied the rains to converge in Ijebu-Ode, Ogun State to grace the annual ‘Ojude Oba’ festival in the town. The memories will sure linger for a long time, including the birth of a baby
The ‘Ojude Oba’ celebration in Ijebuland drew indigenes of different age groups, their friends and associates from far and near.
Some of the dignitaries in attendance at the 2017 fiesta included a former Governor of Ogun, Otunba Gbenga Daniels, Otunba Olasubomi Balogun, the Proprietor of First City Monument Bank, Chief Kola Banjo, Chief Dayo Adeneye, and many others.
Some Ijebu-Ode residents who deliberately abandoned their usual Sunday routines told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that the Ojude Oba celebration was core to their unity as a people.
Otunba Wahab Osinusi, Chairman, Ojudu Oba Festival Committee, said that the pomp and pageantry displayed in the “Ojude Oba’’ was an appreciation by the Ijebu Muslim faithful to the Awujale, for giving them the freedom of religious worship.
According to him, pledging allegiance to the Oba was core to having a peaceful and controllable reign over all of Ijebu territory.
“The reign of the Oba has become extremely great with the sustenance of this festival and we must remain faithful to his rule.
“Over the years, the “Ojude Oba’’ has brought so much love, peace, prosperity and stability to indigenes both within Ijebuland and across the diaspora,’’ he said.
Osinusi said the gods will continuously bless partakers of the festival for their yearly contributions to ensure its success.
Kayode Adetoro, a 24-year-old U.S.-based entrepreneur, said that the glitz and colours of the “Ojude Oba’’ were second to none globally.
“I have always attended this festival since I was 18 with my late grandfather and every year, it opens my eyes to a lot more fun, people and traditional rites than I have learnt from previous ones.
“Describing the parade of colours at the festival as that of a rainbow is not out of place because the Ijebu people use it to showcase their dress style, as a people.
Otunba Olutoyin Osibogun, an ijebu indigene, said that the festival was an annual platform for sons and daughters of the soil to meet, interact and network across board.
“We do not only showcase our culture but we help generations to learn and emulate the very essence of the festival.
“Unity is what every Ijebu man stands for and with the current situation of the Nigerian economy, we are using this as a platform to stay strong in these trying times,’’ she added.
‘Ojude-Oba’ festival began over 100 years ago. Today, the festival is usually attended by over 250, 000 people from across the six geopolitical zones of Nigeria.
It is often sponsored by the incumbent Awujale, the people of Ijebu-Ode, individuals and corporate organisations.
Oba Sikiru Adetona, the Awujale and paramount ruler of Ijebuland, expressed his happiness for the grace in participating in this year’s edition of the Ojude-Oba celebration.
Adetona, who showed much vigour at the event, thanked the people for their prayers and support while delivering his speech on Sunday at the festival in Ijebu-Ode, Ogun.
The monarch extolled the grandeur of the event which he said had continually put Ijebuland in the limelight of tourism.
“I want to thank the people who have contributed to the success of this programme which has been made possible by their support and benevolence.
“I am happy that the Almighty God in His blessings and grace gave me the strength to witness this day with you all despite the rumours about my health and life.
“What we are doing today, it is God who made it possible and I will also appreciate the state government, Globacom and others for the success of this event.
“This festival has been around for centuries, being unique in its organisation, which makes it difficult to be emulated elsewhere,” Adetona said.
Governor Ibikunle Amosun congratulated the monarch for witnessing another Ojude-Oba event, a programme he said had surpassed others of its kind in splendour.
“I congratulate all of us here who have been able to see this event once more and above all I thank God Almighty for preserving our Kabiyesi’s life.
“From his speech, we can all see there is no need for us to fear or be anxious for him. He displayed much dexterity by his presence here.
“I congratulate the Awujale and the entire people of Ijebuland,” he said.
Otunba Subomi Balogun, the Otunba Tunwashe of Ijebu and founder of First City Monument Group, said the event meant a lot to the people.
“It gives the opportunity for us to pay tribute to the Ijebu throne and forefathers and to thank God for what he had done in bringing prosperity to Ijebuland.
“We have many reasons to be particularly grateful for this year’s event as we are all glad that the kabiyesi is with us despite all the frivolous stories around.
“It gladdens the heart of all Ijebus. The Ojude-Oba is a festival that has surpassed anything like it all over the world,” Balogun said.
In his goodwill message, the Ojude-Oba Chief Guest of Honour, Dr Sulaiman Adegunwa, thanked the people for always coming out to extol the king.
Adegunwa, a renowned businessman and former chairman of Sterling Bank PLC, said the Ojude-Oba had cemented its place as the envy of other cultural festivities.
This year’s festival witnessed the birth of a baby. The baby girl was delivered at the basement of the arena.
The new mother, in her late ’30s, was said to be a member of the Regberegbe age group in Ijebuland.
According to Janet Adekemi, a cleaner at the courtyard, in the heat of the Ojude-Oba celebration, a lady screamed in pain and knelt down at the basement of the arena. She was later identified as Mrs Abibat Ayanlola, 32.
She recalled that onlookers had no idea what she was going through until she raised her wrapper and the head of a baby could be seen.
“It was a few minutes to 1:00 p.m. when I heard a lady shouting not too far away but many ignored her.
“No one knew the magnitude of what the woman was going through until she started crying with all of her strength.
“All I saw was the head of her baby and other women immediately rallied around her to help.
“A few skilled Traditional Birth Attendants came to her aid and assisted her to deliver the baby, just as onlookers prayed in their mother tongue, while some traditionalists chanted incantations,” she said.
Adekemi told NAN that both mother and baby were immediately moved to the Ijebu-Ode General hospital for proper medical attention.
Abayomi Oke, younger brother to the Head Queen, told NAN that the new baby was a gift from the gods to mark the celebration of 2017 Ojude-Oba festival.
“Only special children are born at such events and of a truth, I know that the 16 Alagemos (gods that protect the land) will always be with that baby.
“We will do everything possible to send words across to Gov. Ibikunle Amosun and the Awujale, that a child was born during the 2017 celebration,” he added.
Mrs Ayanlola received a cash gift of N100,000 from Amosun. A visibly elated Ayanlola, on Monday received the donation from the state Commissioner for Health, Dr Babatunde Ipaye, who visited her at the State General Hospital, Ijebu-Ode.
She thanked the governor for the gesture and all those who assisted her and the baby during the episode which she claimed caught her unawares.
In a chat with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) after receiving the gift, Mrs. Ayanlola narrated how medics came to her aid when they heard her distress call.
Ayanlola told NAN that though, she hails from the Awori clan in Ogun, she regularly attended the annual celebration of the Ojude-Oba with keen interest.
Narrating her ordeal further, Ayanlola said that she never expected she would suddenly go into labour having been told by her caregivers that the expected delivery date was Sept. 12.
According to her, what more can I say. God spared my life and my baby’s, now the governor came to my aid with a cash gift of N100, 000.
“I am a caterer by trade, while my husband, Lukman is a transporter, but personally, I travel down every year from where I reside to partake in the Ojude-Oba Festival which thrills me.
“I went to urinate having been pressed while partaking in the event. As I came back, I started feeling uneasy and decided to relax a bit on the stairs of the pavilion.
“Before I realised what was happening, I couldn’t stand on my feet again and then went into labour before eventually birthing at the spot.
“It was the quick intervention of the emergency medical team that saved my life and that of my baby.
“I normally attend my antenatal clinic, which is programmed for Thursdays and was told my date for expected delivery was Sept. 12.
“I thank God for living through this episode and also thank Ogun Governor, Ibikunle Amosun, for his benevolence through the financial support,” she said.
Ayanlola says the baby is her fourth child having had three children, all males.
Ipaye advised pregnant women to take necessary steps in ensuring that they remained healthy by conforming to their doctors’ advice, particularly after 35 weeks of the pregnancy.
The commissioner urged them to minimise travelling, saying that it posed a great risk to their safety and the development of the baby.
“She took a great risk, but was lucky that the emergency team prepared well for such eventuality.
“Usually, when we have large gatherings like this in Ogun, it is customary for us to always have an emergency medical team on standby.
“The baby was delivered with the umbilical cord round her neck which created some complications in her birth as we have to eliminate the risks.
“If that level of care was not given, the baby might not have survived and the possibility of losing the mother too was high, because she lost a lot of blood in the process.
“She was delivered of the baby on the floor which was not the best place for such activity; so she was immediately rushed to the hospital for proper care afterwards.
“I advise pregnant women that when they are close to their delivery time, they should not to be too far away from their caregivers or their family members,” he said.
