Kunle Adelabu
His Royal Majesty, Oba (Engr.) Kabir Adewale Shotobi, the Ayangbure of lkorodu, has assured those agitating for the scrapping of annual Oro festivals in Ikorodu Kingdom on the ground that women’s movement is usually being restricted during the festival, to accept the culture of Ikorodu which its people has seen as a way of life.
Oba Shotobi, while addressing the State Chairman of the National Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN), Comrade Lekan Biliamin Oba, members of the state executives and Coordinators across the 20 Local Government Areas and 37 Local Council Development Area (LCDAs) in the State that visited him on Tuesday, July 5, 2022, said that Ikorodu women are always happy celebrating the festivals.
The revered royal father also told his guests that he was once invited to the State Command of the Nigerian Police Force on petitions written by some group and that he told them that women’s are not being denied their rights, adding that the age – long tradition is their way of appeasing gods and pray for social and economic developments of Ikorodu.
He said Ikorodu people are always happy seeing their represetatives identifying with their culture and tradition.
“One of the Senators came to witness the Oro Liwe Festival and he walked with me from palace to Ita Efunlase which is Ajina and on getting there, he saw a mammoth crowd which stunned him and he said that we will have no problem if all these people have PVCs and that we would win Nigeria election easily”, Oba Shotobi recalled.
“He was taken aback because that was his first time of attending the Oro festival at Ajina.
“If we have our own people at the helm of the affairs as the governor, this is what that they would be doing with us and also take advantage of the such large crowd to mobilise residents and they would be happy that their governor is identifying with them.
“There was insinuation sometime that women are being deprived in Ikorodu during Oro festivals, that we are preventing them from going out, but I told them that the Oro is not preventing women from going out, rather, it is our tradition in Ikorodu and it is a must for us to always observe it”, Kabiyesi recalled.
“That was where it ended.
“Our mothers in Ikorodu always welcome Oro festivals and they are happy about it, because they usually enjoy the period more. This is a period that they usually have the attention of their men the most”, Oba Shotobi said with many in the palace agreeing with him.
“This is also a period for you (young men) to be happy because your girlfriends will stay with you and prepare you good meals”, the royal father said as chorus of ‘Kabiyesi o’ and laughter enveloped the palace.
“The festival also affords parents the opportunity to know whether their young ladies that is due for marriage is having a good suitor or not, because men usually visit their ladies who are indoor during the period.
“So, women are the ones enjoying the festival most than men and their prayers are always answered during Oro festivals”, Oba Shotobi said.
Ikorodu and other kingdoms in Ikorodu Division usually observe Oro festival, which is an ancient culture, twice yearly as part of their traditions. The festivals are used in cleansing the towns of diseases while prayers are also being offered for peace, social harmony and economic prosperity.
