Kunle ADELABU
Accolades, awards, recognition have continued to pour in for Asa Arokolo, a cultural festival staged last year by the IREP –Ikorodu Division Rebirth Foundation, from local and international bodies and organizations.
The latest of the award was presented at an award dinner event organized by the Starlight Legacy Celebrity Magazine at the Ultra Modern Ikorodu Town Hall on Sunday, April 8, 2018, where the festival was honoured as the ‘Most Outstanding Event’ in Ikorodu Division for the year 2017.
Important traditional rulers across Yorubaland, government functionaries, eminent people, businessmen, tourism promoters and residents of Ikorodu division on Saturday, November 4, 2017, had gathered at two locations in Ikorodu division of Lagos State, Southwest, Nigeria , to revive the dying culture of Asa Arokolo with a memorable carnival-line festival.
The gathering also unveiled Asa as the main cultural practice which unified the people of Ikorodu division and Yoruba race in general and also to promote tourism development of the division.
The organisers of the cultural festival, IREP – Ikorodu Division Rebirth Foundation, is a socio-cultural and research-based organization founded by Hon. Sanai Agunbiade, the Majority Leader of the Lagos State House of Assembly and the ‘Opomulero’ of Ikorodu Kingdom.
It was indeed a cultural renewal and unification project as all components of traditional Kingdom in Ikorodu division, including traditional rulers and chiefs as well as key political figures graced the festival.
Asa, which is an important Nigerian culture, is a traditional festival which is characterized by men – young and adults, standing, walking and displaying on two delicate bamboo stilt sticks to entertain the public with great artistic and unimaginable displays.
The elaborate ceremony was held at the Ikorodu Ferry Terminal at Ebute-Iga in Ikorodu West Local Council Development Area amidst pomp and celebration.
The event also featured the launching of “Asa Arokolo” – a research book on Asa festival, written by Ikorodu Division Rebirth Foundation and published by Mega News Publication.
Nine major Asa communities in the division, which cut across four out of the six local councils in the division; Aga, Ijomu, Isele, Imowo-Nla, Agura, Imota, Igbogbo, and Oke-Elet staged their respective ASA to the admiration of the teeming gathering at the festival.
Meanwhile, Oba Kabiru Adewale Shotobi, the Ayangbure of Ikorodu, while presenting the award to the Convener/Scout Master of IREP-Ikorodu Division Rebirth Foundation, Hon. Agunbiade, stated that the festival was indeed a cultural renaissance which placed Ikorodu on the global world map.
He also stated that a replica of the Asa and researched books on the cultural display were donated to a Museum in United States of America during his last visit.
He commended Hon. Agunbiade for initiating and sponsoring the revival of the festival in the division.
It would also be recalled that Asa Arokolo, which was issued an official certificate by the Lagos State Council for Arts and Culture as an approved annual festival in the State, also made the list of festivals and cultural displays that were recognized on the Tourism calendar of the Lagos State Government which was unveiled recently.
