Adherents of traditional religions across Nigeria yesterday, converged on the Osogbo, Osun state capital in numbers to join their counterparts in the state for the final rites of 2021 Osun Osogbo International Festival.
Tourists within and outside the country thronged the street of Osogbo to join the annual rites with thousands escorting the maiden calabash bearer to the shrine to show gratitude to the Osun goddess.
The maiden calabash bearer, (Arugba) left the Osun house in the palace at 9am to the shrine located in the groove closely followed by former bearers and the custodians of the shrine.
Adherents and tourists lined behind the Arugba to the groove showing gratitude for the previous years blessings and praying for more blessing in the coming year. The group arrived Osun groove around 11am to patiently waiting crowd that received them amidst prayers.
Speaking with newsmen at the groove, the Aare Onakakanfo of Yorubaland, Iba Gani Adams charged southwest governors to tackle insecurity to enhance the development of tourism in the region.
“Osun Osogbo festival is a brand on its own. Therefore, the Osun State Government must upgrade the Groove to an international standard as it is done in Brazil and other Caribbean countries.
“All the six governors in southwest have the capacity to promote the cultural festivals and heritage of their respective states. Oyo, Ekiti, Ogun, Ondo and Lagos states are blessed with different heritages and festivals.
“For instance, in Oyo we have Oke’ba dan Festival. Iyake suspended lake is another blessing to the Oyo state government. “In Ekiti, we have Ogun onire festival. In Ondo, we have Okota festival. In Ogun, we have Olumo festival in Abeokuta and in Lagos, there is Eyo festival.”
Also, renowned Cultural enthusiast and traditionalist, Araba Ifayemi Elebuibon stressed the need for Yoruba nation to device a means to defend itself and protect their cultural heritage.
“We need to be more alert and protect ourselves using traditional means and not just restrict our potentials to going to church and mosque to make prayers only. We need to deploy traditional means to protect our people.
“Yoruba across the country must rediscover itself to discover… . We must uphold the tradition and culture which God bestows on us,” he said.
In his remarks, the Ataoja of Osogbo, Oba Jimoh Oyetunji Olanipekun,said Osogbo town was blessed with the Osun river goddess, declaring that the festival ranks among the best in the world and urged the Osun state government to reinvent the glory of the Osun Osogbo Festival by providing the support that is needed to make Osogbo the business hub of the state.
He insisted that Osun Osogbo festival remains an annual fiesta for tourism attraction, adding that the state is capable of sustaining peacefully, culture, tradition and Yoruba heritage.
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