Soun mulls holding grand cultural festival – blend of Egungun, Oole – in December
Khalid ABRAHAM
Soun of Ogbomosoland, His Imperial Majesty Oba Ghandi Afolabi Olaoye Orumogege 111, has unveiled plans for a grand cultural festival every December.
The grand festival according to the monarch would encompass festivals such as annual Egungun celebration and Oole festival of the Soun ruling houses.
Oba Olaoye made this disclosure Saturday in Ogbomoso during a special attendance at a meeting of Egbe Omo Ogbomoso Parapo Agbaaye, at the association’s headquarters at Apaake.
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The Oba also used the occasion to present his 25-year development plan.
He debunked the insinuation that he had cancelled the annual Egungun festival disclosing rather plans are afoot to reschedule it for December to be celebrated along with other festivals.
The monarch said the grand festival would be packaged to be a source of revenue generation both to the community and individuals.
“We are planning to have a grand cultural festival in December, a kind of carnival that will encompass Egungun and Oole festivals and others.
“Some are peddling rumour we had cancelled Egungun festival. No, we have not, we are only rescheduling it for December. I asked Egungun practitioners, do you want to make money? If you want to make money l told them we needed to repackage the festival and hold it in December.
“It will be done in a way that tourists would be attracted in droves. It will be held towards Christmas for about a week when people usually have holiday so they can come around.
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“The era of beating and injuring people during the festival should be thrown into the dustbin of history. We call it a celebration, so, why inflicting injuries? We are repackaging the festival,” the Soun maintained, as he informed a committee named Cultural and Tourism Committee would be inaugurated this weekend to fashion how the project would look like. “We will showcase our culture in that one week and we will build on it. Certainly, it will boost our economy.”
Oba Olaoye who noted his coming to Ile Ogbomoso Parapo was a kind of familiarization visit, declared, “I am here to familiarize myself with you and to unveil and explain my 25 year development plan. 25 years represent a generation.
“Ogbomoso people are warriors and and are entrepreneurs per excellence. In fact, there is a common saying that anywhere you get to and don’t see an Ogbomoso person, you had better retreated,” charging members of the association to bring these attributes to bear in the efforts to reinvent the city.
The Oba solicited all hands to be on the deck to make the vision realizable saying those in the diaspora, whom he identified as any Ogbomoso person outside its physical boundaries, are expected to join those at home, “you must play prominent role in the task.”
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“We want everyone to buckle up in this task to reinvent our city. I want you to have another view of the diasporadve people and how you can participate in the 25 year developmental plan.
“Anyone who lives outside of Ogbomoso boundaries is a diasporan. We need everyone’s input in the drive. If you don’t know where you are going, every road will look like a better one. So, we have a roadmap, and l call on you to join in charting and exploring it together. I’m also here to let you know that you are the owner of Ogbomoso. We must work to make Ogbomoso great.”
He further noted, “If we all work together the vision will be achieved. It is beyond what an individual can accomplish. Less than 50 people contributed for the contract to resuscitate the ongoing pipe-borne water project in the metropolis, you can imagine if ten thousand of us come together to develop our domain, we will accomplish a lot. Let’s refocus our goals.”
In this vein, he submitted pipe-borne water restoration is at the point of materialization giving a timeline of one month.
“When I came on the throne, I realized there was no water in Ogbomoso, and I was told that there is a water work and I paid a visit to the place. On getting there, I was so excited and l started making consultations, I met with the water corporation chairman, l asked him what can we do and he retorted we needed money, how much and he told me. So, l met our people, the Ogbomosoland Consultative Council and others to discuss how to bring the water scheme back to life. I am happy to inform you that in the next one month, Ogbomoso people will start singing a new song on water supply.”
Aside the cultural and tourism committee the Oba revealed about 15 other committees would be formed to create templates for development, while calling for volunteers ready to serve and would not be after what to make. “We want people who have made money to constitute the committees and not those who will see it as an avenue to make money,” the Oba added, as he reiterated, “I will need to engage all of you in this 25 year developmental project, the only person who can make Ogbomoso great is you. I assure you, Ogbomoso of my own time will be a model city. Those who contributed towards the water project were they not in the city before? When we told them they listened, we only need to tell people, that is the era unfolding. Let’s all bear the task to make it light.
“As long as I live, you will always be proud of being sons and daughters of Ogbomosoland. I will never do anything that will bring reproach to Ogbomoso’s sons and daughters.”
Earlier, president of the association Justice Afolabi Adeniran (rtd) enthused, “We are extremely happy today to have His Imperial Majesty in our midst. The association is over 70 years old, and we have branches throughout the world and are all here today. We are happy we have a Kabiyesi that is worthy and capable, whose era has been auspicious.”
Dr Saka Balogun in his remark likewise expressed joy over the achievements the monarch has recorded so far, saying, “We are so excited. The visit of Oba Olaoye is a testimony to everything he has been canvassing. When last did we have water last in Ogbomoso but within few months of his ascension water restoration is almost complete. We support Kabiyesi because he represents what we seek. We want someone who will bring development and he is an embodiment of that.”
