Kunle Adelabu
-Charges govt, elected reps, political appointees for town’s development
The 2024 Eyibi festival kicked – off on Tuesday at Oke – Eletu community in Ijede Local Council Development Area (LCDA) of Ikorodu Local Government of Lagos State, Southwest, Nigeria, with prayers and performances by Agemo masquerade.
The annual event started with sons and daughters of Oke – Eletu, as well as guests and friends of the town arriving the town from other parts of Ikorodu and the state, to celebrate the beginning of the festival which was previously made up of two separate festivals that have now been merged.
Eyibi, which comprises of the Eluku and Agemo festivals, are celebrated in major Ijebu/Remo towns.
As usual, this year’s celebration started with Ituworo (the uprooting of important traditional leaves) used in praying for peace, harmony and economic prosperity.
To achieve this, Agemo and Eluku custodians journeyed to Igbo Iseke (an important traditional forest) to obtain the leaves and on their return in the evening, and on their return, converged on Oke Eletu night market square for prayers and performances.
The Eletu of Oke Eletu, Eletu Adeniyi Omotayo Ajayi, later joined them in company of sons and daughters as well as guests that he has been hosting in his palace since the beginning of the festival.
At the market square were Alashes. Eluku practitioners, Agemo practitioners, women and residents of the community in their large number. They took turns in paying homage to the Eletu of Oke Eletu and offered prayers to him.
The atmosphere at the market square, however, became turbo-charged when Agemo masquerade made a triumphant entry into the gathering and wowed the cheering crowd with exciting performances, while moving dexteriously around the market square.
The masquerade intermittently paid homage to the Eletu and Alashes before retreating into its shrine after completing the rituals at the market square and accepting the prayer leaves for the continuation of the prayers.
Meanwhile, Eletu Adeniyi has extended his appreciation to family chieftains and members, residents and friends of the community, for their support towards this year’s Eyibi festival and his administration.
He charged residents of the community on the need to live in peace, harmony and love, and emphasised that it s true that the community is capable of experiencing social harmony, political stability and economic development.
He als called on sons and daughters of the town and residents alike on the need to invest in it.
He also called on the Federal, State and Local Government to consider Oke Eletu for developmental projects and also appealed to the Senator representing Lagos East, Ikoodu Federal Constitunecy, Ikorodu Constituency II and Iede LCDA Chairman, on the need to extend developments to Oke Eletu.
The Eletu said that like from the time immemorial, said that this year’s Eyibi festival would also be used to pray for the unity, peace, harmony, social and economic development of Oke Eletu, Ijede LCDA, Ikorodu Division, Lagos State and Nigeria in general.
He specially thanked the Chairman, Ijede LCDA, the Ayangbure of Ikorodu, entire Council of Obas and Chiefs in Ikorodu Division, Alajede – in – Council, Sen. Tokunbo Abiru, Rep.Babajimi Benson and Hon. Aro Moshood Abiodun, for their support and efforts towards the development of Ijede LCDA and Ikorodu Division in general.
The Eyibi festival continues on Thursday with the Eluku festival, while the social gathering comes up on Friday. Other traditional activities continue thereafter.
