Kunle ADELABU
Prince Abiola Kosoko, Alashe of Ebute-Iga praying for the leaders of the tow boats on arrival from Igbo-Edun
The 2019 edition of the Liwe festival in Ebute-Iga community in Ikorodu West Local Council Area (LCDA) was celebrated amidst boat voyage, prayers, merriment, pomp and pageantries on Friday, March 22, 2019.
The traditional festival, which is gradually attaining tourism status, has been in existence for over 500 years and has annually been celebrated ever since.
As early as 6am on that day, Alashe of Ebute-Iga and Chief Executive Officer, Origin Zoo and gardens, Prince Abiola Kosoko, traditional chiefs and people of Ebute-Iga had started gathering at the shore of the Lagoon for the festival.
The sailing to ‘Okogo’ (Igo farm) by two canoes filled with the young men in the community was preceeded by rituals led by Chief Kosoko at the bank of the Lagoon.
At 9.23 am, the two canoes; Inoki and Majowun, filled with 45 privileged young men, departed the Ebute-Iga shore to an unknown destination at Igbo-Edun (Edun jungle) in what today known as Majidun, another reiverine community in Ikorodu.
While the canoes were away to ‘Okogo’ to retrieve an important ritual object for the cleansing of the town and waterways, the traditionalists and people of the town engaged in prayers for the safety and successful journey for the two boats and celebration which engulfed the entire Ebute-Iga community.
Between the time of the departure and arrival of the canoes, several visitors arrived the venue of the event from near and far. They had come to witness traditional festival, ritual and tourism at their very best.
By 4. 30pm, the Ebute-Iga shore (venue of the festival) started coming alive as hundreds of Ebute-Iga people and guests started arriving in expectation of the return of the two canoes.
At 6.05pm, the shore was filled with wide jubilation as the Inoki and Majowu canoes were sighted afar in the middle of the Lagoon.
Inoki canoe arrived the Ebute-Iga shore first at 6.27pm
Crew members of the two boats, upon nearing the shore, started diving acrobatically into the water to the admiration of guests, residents and their family members.
Prince Abiola Kosoko, Alashe of Ebute-Iga, while speaking with the media after the arrival of the two canoes, described the festival as an annual celebration aimed at cleansing the community and waterways of evils and bringing good tidings.
“Liwe festival is an annual tradition that is of two parts. The first one is the water voyage known as “Oko-Igo” which involves canoe sailing by our people out of the shore of Ebute-Iga to an unknown destination within the shore of Igbo-Edun now called Majidun.
“It is an annual tradition mainly meant to cleanse the town and the entire Ikorodu division of evil and water transportation troubles. This is what we are celebrating.
“Liwe is a tradition, deity and a religion. Liwe is usually the first festival to be celebrated within the Ikorodu and Lagos traditional xcircle. It ushers in all other festivals.
“Since the death of the founder of Ebute-Iga, we have had over 500 editions of Liwe festivals in our community”.
He revealed plans by the community to improve on the tourism status of the festival in the future.
“At the grand finale tomorrow (Saturday, March 23), we shall be unveiling a new logo of Liwe festival and a seven-day programme because we realized that the three days we have been using is not enough to showcase our heritages and accommodate our crowd. It is going to be called ‘Founder’s Week’.
“During the Founder’s Week, there will be Liwe festival, boat regatta, Egungun and Awopa festivals. Our intention is to bring all these religion festivals together to achieve a very big tourism attraction that would bring in people from within and outside Lagos State which had always being the case before now”.
Chief Kosoko, thereby, called on the government to give maximum support to the festival in a bid to making it a tourism attraction.
“Government has failed to get itself involved in the promotion of Liwe festival because they are looking at it from the other angle. Their involvement should simply be inform of promotion for one of the state’s tourism attractions that bring in international tourists and strengthen local tourism”.
Speaking further on the importance of the festival, the Alashe stated:
“Liwe festival provides good tide for water transportation. If you go on waterways now, the water hyacinths are all gone because we are doing Liwe festival and this will happen as long as we continue to do the festival.
“The festival takes away evil and unwanted guests on all Lagos waterways.
“The last notable person that I know from history to have given support to Liwe festival is Alhaji Lateef Jakande, the first civilian governor of Lagos State, during his regime and he did this because he understood the importance of Liwe festival and its drive and massive contributions to the safety of waterways during his administration”, Kosoko recalled.
“But now, we have been experiencing mishaps on our waterways because people that are supposed to carry out necessary traditional rites to prevent these mishaps are no longer being given needed supports. Sometimes, the secret of safety does not lie in the technology but in the tradition.
“I want government to consider its support for the festival from this point of view and let’s make it work.
“Ikorodu Division should be ready to take Liwe festival to a greater height and the people of Ebute-Iga should be ready to welcome those that would be coming to support the festival”.
Chief Murisiku Olalekan Gbadamosi, the Alashe Liwe of Ikorodu, who was a guest at the celebration, also spoke on the importance of the festival.
“We are here to preserve our heritage. The importance of Liwe is numerous to mention. This is how our forefathers used to do it. They do it in order to cleanse the community of evil and brings good things.
“In those days, things went smoothly because our ancestors always observe tradition.
“Liwe festival, which has been with us for ages, was used to established our towns and should not be relegated. Rather, it should be improved upon.
“I appeal to the government not to abandon or neglect our festivals. They need to give it same recognition accorded other religious festivals”.
Chief Lateef S. Eshinlokun, Baale of Ebute-Iga, while stating the importance of the festival, also called for government’s intervention.
“People are gathered here with us from far and near to celebrate this festival that was used in establishing this town. This festival has been with us since the creation of this community and we have been gathering annually to preserve it.
“The importance of Liwe festival is that it usually brings positive development to our community. Among the aftermaths of the celebration are economic prosperity, successful child birth and celebrations. It also forestalls troubles.
“We need government’s intervention to promote this festival as tourism so that our community can benefit more from it”.
Chief S.O. Ojebiyi, Baale of Palapo community under Ebute-Iga Kingdom, in his own remarks, said :
“Every Ebute-Iga person is part and parcel of the Liwe celebration. We usually gather every year to celebrate the festival that was used in establishing this community because of its importance.
“My expectations from the festival is that it should give us strength to continue the its celebration ceaselessly and that the progress and development of Ebute-Iga should be accelerated”.
The head (Baale) of Ewe-Nla community, another community under Ebute-Iga Kingdom, Chief Waheed Fatai, while speaking on the celebration, stated:
“I am very happy that we are continuing the tradition that was bequeathed to us by our ancestors and preserving it for the next generation and those yet unborn”.
While corroborating Chief Fatai’s statement, Prince Eshinlokun Obadimeji Oshodi, stated that the festival is all about the celebration of the tradition that was bequeathed to them by their ancestors which, according to him, is now a rallying point for the Eshinlokun families in Ikorodu, Lagos Island and abroad.
Chief Jamiu Aridegbe Kosoko, the head of Asajon chieftaincy family, stated that the annual festival always brings about economic prosperity.
“Liwe festival was brought to Ebute-Iga by our progenitor, Asajon, when he founded the town. Liwe is our first and major deity in Ebute-Iga Kingdom. We celebrate it annually.
“The celebration always gives our fishermen bountiful harvest and brings progress to the community.
“We need government’s support in the community to facilitate developments in terms of infrastructures and promotion of the
