In this exclusive interview with our man, EMMANUEL ADEDIRAN, the Olukere of Ikere Ekiti, His Royal Majesty, Oba Obasoyin Ayodele Ganiyu Okomolose spoke on the relevance of the Ogoga in Ikere as well as issues bordering on the growth and development of the Ikere Kingdom as well as the Olosunta Festival which attracts Ikere sons and daughters from all over the world. He also delved into the problem of Fulani Herdsmen and insecurity in Yorubaland generally.
Excerpts below:
In Ikere Ekiti, the Olosunta Festival is usually celebrated in a big way; what is actually the significance of the celebration to your throne?
The Olosunta Festival is being celebrated annually in Ikere Ekiti. It is the unifying factor for all Ikere sons and daughters. And it is like the end of the year or the New Year celebrations for the Ikere people. It is during the Olosunta Festival that all the Ikere sons and daughters pray for good things for the incoming year and to thank God for what He has done for them in the preceding year. So, the Festival is a very important festival for all the Ikere Ekiti people. It brings unity among all the children of Ikere Kingdom.
What is the economic value of the Olosunta Festival? Does it add anything to the people?
Yes, you see, during the celebration of the Olosunta Festival, there is always an influx of people into the community. So, this adds more to the buying and selling of goods in Ikere Ekiti during the festival period. The festival is a nine-day celebration. For the nine days events, people will come from far and near, from both inside and outside the country to participate in the festival. And this is always a plus to the economy of the community and the state.
Kabiyesi, as the Olukere of Ikere Ekiti, what plans do you have in place to ensure that the tourism potentials embedded in the celebration of the Olosunta festival are well harnessed for the benefit of the state in general?
We thank God for the life of our Governor, Dr. John Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti State. The Governor is a lover of culture and traditions. He has been putting a lot of things in place to sell the cultural heritage we have in Nigeria to the world. The Governor has been trying to harness the cultural capabilities of the Ekiti people of which Ikere Ekiti is not left out for the purpose of showcasing to the world.
So, we are working hand in hand with the government on how best we can both collaborate to make the festival something that will attract the world as a whole to Ikere and Ekiti State every year.
How is the Olosunta festival celebrated yearly? Can you please expatiate, Kabiyesi?
Like I told you, the festival takes place for a period of nine days. In the course of those nine days, there are various programmes and activities already planned. Each day carries its own programmes and activities which are distinct from the other ones. We have Ijiro, we have the Ijesu, we have the Ipekele, we have the Abalosoke, the Abarodo, so, all these bear different things for the nine-day programme.
So, can you tell us what each of the nine days represents and means to the celebration of the Olosunta Festival by Ikere Ekiti people?
Like I have said earlier, each day has different programmes, and each hasits own significance. Like the day we called the Ijiro, it’s a significant day for the Olori Oba, that is, my wife to join hands with the women in the community to appease the gods by a way of carrying sacrifices to some special destinations. And this same Ijiro day, is always a day the Ogoga of Ikere Ekiti will come and renew his oath of allegiance to me as the Olukere of Ikere Ekiti for the year in season. This emphasises the relationships between the Ogoga and the Olukere. It is in the course of this Ijiro day that the Olukere will meet with the Ogoga while the Ogoga will be wearing ordinary singlet and wrapper tied round his waist while the Olukere will be on his ceremonial regalia and his beaded crown. This is always to remind the Ogogas their oath of allegiance to the Olukere of Ikere and remind them of their relationship with the Olukere and the people of Ikere.
The day of the Ijesu is the day when the youths will go to the farm with the King to go and harvest yams and they will all dance from the farm with the harvested yams to the Olukere’s palace. After the dancing, they will prepare the yams for eating first by the Olukere before it gets to the market place to be sold out to the public. The day we call Pekele is the day we beat drums called Agbafor the celebrations of the festival. The Pekele will be taking to the centre of the town where it will be beaten and celebrated at the centre of the community by the beating of the Agba drum while the people dance to it.
Are there any fetish practices involved in the celebration of the Olosunta festival?
Well, there is nothing fetish in it. Why I said this is because Olosunta is not a deity. Olosunta is a renowned strongman, leader and a spiritualist who was like the kind supporter to the cause and the peaceful co-existence of the Ikere Ekiti people during his lifetime. Instead of him dying, he entered into the rock and has a kind of alliance with the community that once he is celebrated every year, he will always make sure that peace reigns in Ikere Ekiti community and that everything goes on well. So, every year, what we need to do is to take the drum and celebrate the life and times of Ojo Olosun who entered into the rock. Ojo Olosun is his name. He was renamed Olosunta because he sleeps inside the rock. Sunta means rock.
Ojo Olosun is an Ifa priest who one day consulted his Ifa and was told the people of the community were planning to use him as sacrifice to the gods and that he should run away for life. But in an attempt for him to run for his dear life, he did not know that were laying ambush for him. Immediately he discovered that the people of his community had laid an ambush for him, they pursued him until he disappeared inside the rock and re-appeared on top of it. At the point the people of the community discovered that he had disappeared into the rock, they turned back and were about returning home when Ojo Olosun suddenly re-appeared on the top of the rock and called unto them. The people of the community who wanted to capture him and use him for sacrifice unto their gods took to their heels and were begging him not to leave them which then prompted Ojo Olosun (now Olosunta) to give them the condition of ensuring they sacrifice and worship him once in a year so as to appease him to allow peace reign in their community.
So there is somebody sleeping inside that rock?
Yes, there is. There is somebody who entered into the rock. Ojo Olosun now Olosunta is believed by tradition to sleep inside the rock till today. Just like we held how Prophet Elijah in the Bible rose on a chariot to heaven. In the time of Ojo Olosun, he vanished into the air, entered into the rock and appeared on the top of the rock to the surprise of those running after him to kill him.
When he appeared on top of the rock, he told them that was where he was going to sleep and live and that he won’t come back to live among them again. They begged him but he refused and gave them the condition to be worshipping and sacrificing to him yearly to appease him so that he could also help them by ensuring there is peace and unity in Ikere Ekiti. He pledged to them that he will continue to be a pillar behind the Ikere Ekiti community and the people to live in peace, void of war and diseases.
In what year exactly did Ojo Olosun enter into the rock?
Well, I can’t quote the year. But I know that it has been well over 400 years.
With the role you have just mentioned now that the Ogogas equally played in the yearly celebrations of the Olosunta festival, what is the synergy between your throne as the Olukere and that of the Ogogain order to ensure that the Olosunta festival is well celebrated?
Well, of recent, there have been some skirmishes between the Ogoga and the Olukere. This is because the Ogoga has become uncomfortable with their positions and the achievements of the Olukere in the community. But we thank God, with time, everything will be alright. And that collaborations and cooperation that has for once existed between the Olukeres and the Ogogas will continue.
Aside ensuring the Olosunta festival is celebrated yearly as the Olukere, what are the other plans that you have that the Ikere Ekiti Community becomes well developed in the state?
Well, one major thing is to make sure that there is peace in the community. This is because in an atmosphere without peace, there will beno development. So, majorly, what we do as Obas is to ensure peace in our communities and also make sure that our people key into government programmes. At the same time, we are farmers here in Ikere Ekiti, which is why at the beginning of the season, we have a festival we called Sooro festival.
Sooro festival is the planting festival marked every year. We encourage our people to do more their farming jobs so that hunger will not be our portion in the land.
With the role expected of the Ogoga in the Olosunta festival, are there any adverse effects on the people and the community if he does not partake in the festival?
I have told you that there is nothing fetish about the celebration of the Olosunta festival. It is cultural and social. And I said the other time that there is a day we call the Irun day. That is the ninth day of the Olosunta festival. There is nothing special that the Ogoga will come and do during the Olosunta festival that will create any adverse effect or danger in the IkereEkiti community.
The Ogoga has always been an alien to the customs and traditions of the Ikere Ekiti people. The Ogoga was a guest to the Olukere at the beginning, before I empowered him to be relevant in Ikere Ekiti Kingdom. So most of the customs and traditions of Ikere Ekiti people are not part of the things he does for us. Then, by his way of dressing, it is only for him to remember the manner he came to Ikere Ekiti. So, there is no effect if he refuses to renew his oath of allegiance as the role expected of him. It has nothing to do with the customs and traditions of the Ikere people because like I said, the Ogoga is a complete stranger to the customs and our traditions. So, there is nothing significant about his presence. The only significant thing about his presence at the festival is just for him to renew his oath of allegiance.
Going a little away from that Kabiyesi, and looking at the security issues in the country at the moment, as a foremost traditional ruler in Yorubaland, what in your own opinion, is the way out of these issues of killings, raping, abductions and banditry by herdsmen?
It is quite unfortunate that the dimension these issues are taking now is quite worrisome. Herdsmen from the time immemorial have been living together with others in the country for a very long time. Most especially since I was born, I have been used to seeing herdsmen moving from one place to another with their cattle without any problem. It is of recent now that some violent people, either the herdsmen themselves or those who used the herdsmen to perpetrate evils in their communities made things a bit hard.
And as a traditional ruler, there is nothing you can do to separate us from other tribes in the country. So, what we are doing is to try our best to sieve the good from the bad ones. I think you understand what I mean, so that we can be able to identify these killer herdsmen from the original herdsmen. And when we do this, then, we can be able to curb the actions of these killer herdsmen. And as traditionalists here, in the history of the Yorubas, there is no time any enemy has ever overran the Ikere Kingdom till date. It has not happened in history. So, the issue of these herdsmen too will not be more than a war.
So, I believe we have been making some traditional arrangements to see to it that they don’t come to our community; I mean the killers herdsmen and not the original herdsmen. We are doing much as well. We want the government to help us fish out these killer herdsmen from all our communities in the state. And we as a community are fully ready to collaborate with the government to find a lasting solution to it because we cannot say now that the Fulani herdsmen should start leaving Yorubaland. That is not realistic. We have been living together. And I believe we will continue to live together in peace.
Is there any report of intrusion by these Fulani herdsmen within your community before you?
There have been reports of disturbances on our farms. But like I said, we have our own traditional ways of doing things. I don’t think it is proper to be blaming Mr President all the time. We as traditional rulers have our own way to get to the government if we have anything to tell them or we have any information to give them. So, we are using those windows to advise government on how to handle the situation. And at the same time, we are doing our best too to drive evil away from our land.
Recently, the Ooni of Ile Ife went to President Muhammadu Buhari in Abuja to appeal to him and made a statement that the Yoruba Nation is not ready for war. Just a week after, the Alaafin of Oyo wrote a formal letter to Mr President informing him that the Yoruba Nation are not afraid of protecting its territories from external enemies killing its people; with these two statements which sounded somehow contradictory to each other, what would you say?
There are no contradictions in the statements of our two revered traditional rulers in the Yoruba Nation. The Ooni of Ile Ife, Oba Eniitan Ogunwusi Ojaja II and the Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi are the two foremost traditional rulers in the Yorubaland. There is nothing contradictory about their statements. Even though I align so much with the position of the Ooni of Ife, we will continue to meet Mr. President to discuss with him and make him realise his mistakes. The Ooni of Ile Ife’s position, I think is much more concerned with ensuring that killings and kidnappings are put to an end. Likewise, I will support the Ooni who said that the Yorubas are not ready for war.
He said it because there is no need for war only because of few skirmishes about insecurity in our land. That there are a few security lapses and skirmishes in the country today is not enough to cause a war. You know, Hausas, Fulanis and Yorubas are all among these kidnappers who are being tagged herdsmen on a daily basis. So, you don’t go to war without knowing the reason for the war. There is no war. And we are not ready to go and fight any war that is not in existence. He is not saying that the Yorubas are afraid of war. No. The Yorubas can fight but there is no war now. If there are few security breaches, I believe they will be attended to. I believe the government will see to it.
And my revered Baba, Iku Baba Yeye, the Alaafin of Oyo, what he was trying to say was that the Yorubas are not fearful people. What the Alaafin is saying in essence is that killer herdsmen will be fought away from Yorubaland. That does not mean that there is going to be war.
Is that not actually calling for war Kabiyesi?
When there are security issues affecting the lives of the people, solutions must be looked for. There are many problems in the North as well, in the East and in the Middle belt and in the Niger Delta as you well. But you know our people in Nigeria, mostly you pressmen, you take things too far at times. And when you want to bring something down, you pressmen will do everything within your power to bring it down. If you want to take things up, you will take it up at all cost.
You are the ones labelling every kidnapping as herdsmen issues. And this at times makes things turn very volatile. That is why people are now seeing it from the angles of a war – like situations in the country. There is no war.
In my own pilgrimage to the Olosunta Rock, our deity there has spoken that there is not going to be war in Nigeria no matter what anybody does. No war in Nigeria, there will only be peace. So, what the Alaafin is saying is that everything is not a war – war situation. He said that there are killer herdsmen attacking our people and he called on the Yoruba people to identify these people and resist them. So, that is not declaring war. Somebody is trying to destroy and you try to stop that thing from destroying you. When we say war, war does not know man or woman. It doesn’t know tribe. So, that is the difference.
Two years ago, Otunba Gani Adams was installed as the 16th Aare Ona Kankanfo of Yorubaland, do you think he has been able to protect the Yoruba Nation enough by the virtue of his position?
To me as a person, Otunba Gani Adams is a very young man. You know we all learn everyday. He has been doing his best as the Aare OnaKankanfo, at least to protect the interest of the Yoruba Nation, most especially both the cultural and traditional customs of the Yorubas everywhere including in the diaspora. And I believe that as he grows in that position of Aare OnaKankanfo, he will continue to learn and know more about the institution of the Aare Ona Kankanfo and the position and what to do for the Yoruba race.
Since these herdsmen troubles started, he has been speaking. And I believe if the cause arises, he will be there to defend the Yoruba Nation.
Lastly, Kabiyesi, what is your message to the people of Ikere Ekiti on the celebration of the Olosunta festival.
My message to the people of Ikere is to first applaud them for their peaceful conductduring theOlosunta festival and to wish them the best in everything they do; and to pray that all of us will be alive to witness next year’s celebrations in the mighty name of God.
I also pray that every indigene of Ikere in the diaspora will remember home and come home to join hands with me to develop this community called Ikere Ekiti. And I also pray that peace will not elude us in this Ikere Ekiti and in Ekiti State as a whole.
I also pray that Dr. John Kayode Fayemi, the Executive Governor of Ekiti State will be able to bring every plan he has for Ekiti State into fruition by restoring the values of Ekiti and making Ekiti a prominent state in the comity of states in Nigeria.
