By John Odunayo
IN August every year, indigenes of Ado Ekiti and as well others in the Ekiti State capital or other parts of the country and indeed the world, who have witnessed or heard about Udiroko Festival, are looking forward to it.
This year, the cultural festival, which held on August 21, with the theme, ‘Sustaining the celebration of our historical heritage and cultural essence as a collective’ depicted beauty. It was culture, beauty and development come together.
As observed yearly, the Udiroko celebration is accompanied by feasting, dancing and merry-making throughout the length and breadth of Ado Kingdom and its environs.
Gorgeously dressed in manner that showed beauty and class, indigenes along with residents and guests thronged the palace, venue of the celebration to be part of the August event in the month of August. It was indeed a festival like none other.
Among guests at this year’s Udiroko Festival were the Senate President, Senator Godswill Akpabio represented by the Deputy Senate President, Senator Barau Jibrin; Senate Leader, Opeyemi Bamidele; Ekiti State Governor, Biodun Oyebanji; Ekiti State Deputy Governor, Monisade Afuye and former Governor of Ekiti State, Mr Ayodele Fayose.
The monarch, Ewi of Ado Ekiti, Oba Rufus Adeyemo Adejugbe Aladesanmi III, as usual, was royally dressed with majestic splendour and played host to the guests as the chiefs, groups and indigenes paid homage to him on the exalted throne.
Different traditional and cultural groups were on ground to treat guests and the gathering to entertainments.
The festival centres around the history of the Ewi of Ado Ekiti stool and the ancient community.
The Ewi, Oba Adejugbe, who went down history lane, said, “It is now a universal fact that Udiroko Festival strikes at the roots of the existence of Ado people as a collective. This festival dates back to the establishment of Ado Ekiti as a conquest.
“The Udiroko Festival, which marks the first day in the Ado Ekiti traditional calendar, is yearly celebrated to continually give a pride of place to our history, culture and tradition as a people.
“The celebration of this tripod of our collective existence as Ado people every year provides the ample opportunity to all Ado sons and daughters both at home and in the Diaspora to come together to appreciate God and pray for continuous peace and progress in the coming year.
“Through this festival, we constantly celebrate our ancient past and showcase the rich cultural heritage of Ado people in ways that give currency to the past and precisely situate the present for a productive future,” the monarch said, adding, “This is what we are doing today”.
The monarch called on the people of Ado Ekiti “to let us at all times inculcate the spirit of praying for our nation and our leaders”, as he congratulated Ado Ekiti community for a successful Udiroko 2024 celebration.
A highpoint of the yearly Udiroko Festival is the attraction of development to the state capital, the state and institution.
Oba Adejugbe had said days before the event that eminent Nigerians including those at the top echelon at the Senate were invited to the festival to draw attention to the parlous state of the federal roads in Ekiti State.
The developmental gains of this year’s edition of the cultural festival came to the open when the Senate President, Senator Godswill Akpabio; the Senate Leader, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele; and Ekiti State Governor, Biodun Oyebanji, took turns to address the throne.
The Deputy Senate President, Jibrin, while delivering Akpabio’s message, said, “The Senate President said we are going to do all within our power to make sure that we attract federal projects to be executed in this state.
“It is in this regard that he asked me to tell you that in next year’s Appropriation Act, that something substantial will be imputed to the budget to be executed in Ekiti State. In fact, if the Ewi has any project in mind, he should tell us so that I relay the message to him (Akpabio) so that that will be implemented”.
The Deputy Senate President, who thanked Ewi for his prayers, said, “I will go back to tell the Senate President that Udiroko Festival is a wonderful festival and a wonderful tourist attraction.
“I will also draw the attention of others that it is good that we always come to observe this festival here because it is something that everyone will cherish. I am delighted to be here,” Jibrin said.
Ekiti State Governor, Oyebanji, assured that he would hold Akpabio by his words to ensure realization of his promise of befitting projects for the state in the 2025 budget.
Oyebanji said, “I am going to hold him (Akpabio) by his words that in next year’s budget. Very good projects will come to Ekiti State. He has said it and we will remind him”.
The governor, who congratulated the Ewi on the celebration, said, “I am so happy that Udiroko Festival is taking an international dimension every year, it will continue to improve”.
The Senate Leader, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele, told the monarch that he and the deputy senate president would deliver his message, assuring Ado Ekiti kingdom of developmental projects in Ado Kingdom.
He said, Both the Deputy Senate President and I will be very clear to the Senate President as to which project he is bringing to Ado Ekiti in the 2025 budget allocation”.
Bamidele thanked the Ado Ekiti monarch for his support to the President Bola Tinubu-led Federal Government and the Biodun Oyebanji administration in Ekiti State. I am here to appreciate you for your supports”.
Bamidele lauded Oba Adejugbe for conferring chieftaincy titles on the Senate President and the Chairman, Senate Committee on Appropriation, Senator Olamilekan Adeola, a day earlier.
While Akpabio was conferred with the honorary traditional chietaincy title of Agba Akin of Ado Ekiti; Adeola received the honorary traditional chieftaincy title of Aare Akorode of Ado Ekiti.
The Senate Leader said, “We appreciate you for honouring two of our colleagues with chieftaincy titles. You have done this to us as an institution, not just to them as individuals and we are grateful for that”.
PHOTOS: UDIROKO 2024
