Kunle Adelabu
All roads lead to the Ikorodu Town Hall come tomorrow (Thursday, December 16, 2021), as another Asa Arokolo festival (man on the delicate stilt sticks) is scheduled to hold with all its fun, display, razzmatazz and cultural richness.
Asa display is scheduled to hold at 10am at the Ikorodu Town Hall, while the entire royal fathers in Ikorodu Division as well as eminent personalities and crowd of residents are expected to be in attendance.
The annual festival, which berthed in 2017 and was recognized by the Lagos State Government same year as one of its yearly cultural festivals, is being organized by the IREP – Ikorodu Division Rebirth Foundation led by the Majority Leader, Lagos State House of Assembly and representative of the Ikorodu Constituency I, Hon. Sanai Agunbiade who is the group’s Convener and lnitiator of cultural and tourism development.
About 100 Asa masquerades from Aga, Ijomu, Isele, Igbogbo, Imota, Mowo Nla, Oke Eletu and Agura are expected to preform with their musical groups at the event.
This year’s Asa festival, which logo was unveiled weeks back, is themed, ‘My Culture, Your Culture, Our Culture’.
The official local fabrics (Ankara) picked for the event has been on sale since few weeks ago, for N2000 at the Hon. SOB Agunbiade Constituency office, Grammar School, Oke Ota – Ona, Ikorodu.
Aside from the musical displays by the nine communities that will be performing at the festival, alongside other cultural groups, Alhaji Sule Alao Malaika, the official musician for the festival and who has a massive following in Ikorodu because of his culturally inclined songs, will also be entertaining guests and residents at the festival.
Speaking with THE IMPACT, Otunba Dare Odufowokan, the Co – Chairman of IREP – Ikorodu Division Rebirth Foundation, said that the group has mobilized every segment of lkorodu division and the state at large in order to have a massive turnout on Thursday.
“We have been doing this for some years now and we are improving with every celebration. This year’s festival will not be an exception”, he said.
“We have put in place necessary plans which we have started implementing to give guests and residents a great outing. We are actually expecting large turnout because people are ready to identify with their cultural heritage that we are assisting in preserving”.
He also stated that the royal fathers in the division have given their blessings to the festival during the organisers tour of palaces.
“You know that royal fathers are the real custodians of culture and tradition and they have all given their approval that we should go ahead with it. They have all given their blessings during our visitation to them.
The Chairman, Contact & Mobilisation Sub – Committee, Hon. Jimoh Azeez Olosugbo, speaking with our reporter, assured guests of great hospitality from the Ikorodu people.
He also said that there would be traffic diversion at Owolowo and Olubi roads.
“We have touched every segment of the community and we have all hands on the deck to stage another funfilled Asa festival through which we are showing the hospitality and cultural values of the people of Ikorodu division.
“We want our people from various communities in Ikorodu Division to troop out to embrace their own culture come Thursday, December 16, at the Ikorodu Town Hall. It’s going to be a spectacle as the Asa masquerades will stage grandiose displays.
“On that day, we are going to have some changes in vehicular movements. The intention is to prevent people coming to the Town Hall from bringing in vehicles. They are to park at the Ita Elewa open ground and walk to the event ground. We are creating a carnival-like atmosphere and that is why we want guests to alight from their vehicles and feel the atmosphere, which will be turbo-charged, while walking down to the venue.
“It is also interesting to know that we have made provision for some traditional foods all in attempt to also preserve our local diet”, he added.
Meanwhile, organisers have charged guests and other attendees to use their face masks and observe all other necessary COVID-19 protocols right from the main entrance of the lkorodu town hall.
