In preparation for this years’ edition of Olojo Festival, the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, Ojaja II, has lauded the support of the loyal brand sponsors as well as welcoming new ones, encouraging them to give tourism the socioeconomic relevance it deserve.
The Ooni made this call recently at the flagged off of the 2024 Olojo Festival, at his palace, in Ife, Osun Sate, with theme: Evolving Transformational Domestic Tourism With Community Festivals, appreciating the every effort put in by various sponsors.
“I want to appreciate you all, our sponsors, for everything you have been doing. For always responding to my calls. May God bless you and may our ancestors guide you all. I appreciate the state government as well.”
Oba Ogunwusi who highlighted the ancestral and spiritual significance of the festival said revered cultural event, which is held annually in the ancient city to celebrates the day of the first dawn and honors “Ogun,” the god of iron and first son of Oduduwa, progenitor of the Yoruba people.
“It’s a time for spiritual exercises, prayers, and testimonies. The ‘Aare Crown’ is a sacred and mysterious being that bears the nature of humans, and its birth is celebrated during this festival.”
Ooni said that several prayers rendered to Olodumare through the iconic “Aare crown” during the Olojo festival had been answered with so much testimonies.
He said, “Olojo is the festival of dawn and the birth of the crown, “Ade Aare”, the crown of all crowns. 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.
“The crown does everything humans does, it is a very spiritual crown, very sacred. I am a living example and witness. I have actually charged the crown, I have prayed with it, that I want this done, this particular time.
“This is my ninth year on the throne, going to my 10th year by the grace of God, I have seen a lot of testimonies.
“I will pray with the crown worn on my head, I pray to the almighty God, Olodumare through the crown. I have never seen any failure in it. It is our strong heritage, our strong culture and tradition and we will continue to uphold it forever.
“We are not idol worshipers, these are things our ancestors left for us that are working and it will continue to work.
“These are things we should not joke about, It is our heritage, we should not compromise it with anything. It is created by nature, by God Almighty who is the supreme being.
“Olojo is the time when the crown comes out for blessings. This is a crown that has life in it till date, right from time immemorial.
“The crown changes the weather, it does not see the atmosphere except once in a year, during Olojo festival.
“In the crown, we see everything complete, we see the day, night, four corners of the world, the northern, southern, eastern and western poles.
“Olojo is the main new year celebration and this dovetails to everybody’s new yam festival all over because what is used to bring out yams are cutlasses and hoes made with iron.
“This is the time we get beautiful harvests, the time we get wallnuts, bitter kola. For us in Ile-Ife, we still uphold our heritage and that is why we celebrate the first dawn.”
Earlier, Mr Abiodun Bankole-Ojo, Commissioner for Culture and Tourism in Osun, appealed to sponsors of the Olojo festival to look into the possibility of developing some tourism sites within the state, like the Oranmiyan Groove.
“Please corporate bodies, stop giving us monetary and material gifts, come and develop Oranmiyan site as a tourist site. Government will not be able to do it all,” he said.
Mr Ayo Olumoko, Olojo Festival Chief Consultant, urged Nigerians and international tourists to grace the festival.
The Grand Finale for the 2024 edition of the annual Olojo Festival in Ile-Ife, will hold between September 26 to 29, 2024.
On Sept. 26, there will be Ayo Olopon Traditional Game, Festival Cultural Talent Hunt (Audition) and Olojo Festival Colloquium.
On Sept. 27 – Ojo Ilagun, Iwode Ile-Ife (Community cleansing) and Oonirisa’s terrestrial message to the world.
Sept. 28– festival grand finale official ceremony, Ojo Okemogun, and the Aare cultural procession.
Sept. 29 – Ojo Ajoyo (Asekagba). (Grand Royal Reception – Invitational). Adire Oodua Cultural Exchange Exhibition and Oonirisa’s Ife Award for Community Service, 2024.
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