This was confirmed in a statement issued by
the Coordinator of the Festival and Baagbimo of Ijebu, Chief (Dr.) Fassy Yusuf.
The Paramount Ruler of Ijebuland attributed
the cancellation of the annual fiesta to the detection of the lethal COVID-19
Delta variant in Nigeria.
The festival was earlier scheduled to hold
next week after the Eid-el Kabir celebrations.
Below is the statement from the Paramount
Ruler of Ijebuland:
The Awujale and Paramount Ruler of
Ijebuland, Oba (Dr.) Sikiru Kayode Adetona has approved the cancellation of the
2021 edition of the Annual Ojude Oba Festival of Ijebu Od
In a Press statement issued by the
Coordinator of the Festival and Baagbimo of Ijebu, Chief (Dr.) Fassy Yusuf, the
cancellation was attributed to the prevalence of the COVID-19 pandemic, its
likely upsurge with the Delta variant and the negligible number of people that
had taken the anti-COVID 19 vaccine.
Rather than expose peoples who will
converge on Ijebu Ode from all over the world to participate in the ancient and
unique socio-cultural and religious festival of the Ijebu nation, with its
parade of traditional-age groups and the spectacular durbar with unsurpassable
equestrian display, to avoidable and preventable health hazards, the monarch
directed that the 2021 edition be cancelled.
This is the second time in its known
history of more than one Century that the festival that unites Muslims,
Christians, and adherents of other faiths will be cancelled. The Ojude Oba
Festival is normally held two days after the Eid-el Kabir (Ileya).
In his message to the Ijebu nation on the
occasion of the 2021 Eid-el Kabir (10th of Dhul-Hijja 1442 AH), the monarch
thanked his subjects for the peace, progress, and tranquillity pervading
Ijebuland.
He prayed for additional economic and social
prosperity within Ijebuland and charged his people to remain resolute and be
optimistic that sooner than later, Ijebu State would become a reality.
Oba Adetona further charged his people and
visitors to Ijebuland during and after the festival to ensure they wear their
nose masks, wash their hands regularly with soap, keep social and physical
distances at public places, get vaccinated against the pandemic, and adhere to
other medical protocols as directed by the federal, state, and local government
authorities.
The Awujale thanked all the sponsors of the
festival for the mutually beneficial partnerships that have ensured the
unparalleled success of the annual festival in the past, while also hoping that
the 2022 edition would be a reality.
He further thanked his subjects for their
unflinching love, affection, loyalty, and solidarity in his sixty-one years on
the throne as Awujale and Paramount Ruler of Ijebuland.
Chief Yusuf disclosed that whilst the
monarch regrets that COVID-19 would not allow him to host his usual guests and
visitors, he assures all that he is in high spirit and will be celebrating the
Eid-el Kabir with his family and very few others as dictated by medical
protocols.
Oba Adetona prayed for the return of peace
and prosperity to all troubled areas of our great and beloved country, Nigeria.
The Ojude Oba Festival is one of the
biggest culture fiestas celebrated in the South-West region, attracting top
multinationals as sponsors with culture enthusiasts attending from different
parts of the world.
0 comments:
Post a Comment