By Editor
Ado Ekiti, the Ekiti State capital on Thursday, played host to hundreds of devotees of Ifa, the legendary Yoruba repository of knowledge from across the globe at the occasion of tenth anniversary of Oke-Igeti heritage festival celebration.
Anchored by International Congress for Ifa/Orisa Spirituality in conjunction with the Ekiti State Ministry of Culture and Creative Economy, the occasion drew participants from the six South West states as well as representatives from Latin America and West Indies.
Guests from all walks of life filled the expansive main Hall of Ewi’s Palace, Oba Rufus Adejugbe to serenade the beauty and insightful knowledge of Ifa divination and its monumental role in shaping the Yoruba world view.
The event also showcased Ekiti as the home to almost all the Yoruba gods and deities particularly Orunmila, father of Ifa divinity who, history said, had spent over 600 years in Oke-Igeti in Ado-Ekiti.
In his keynote address, the guest speaker, HRM Oba Sunday Fatoba, the Alara of Ara- Ikole Ekiti who obviously was the cynosure of all eyes, delivered a powerful speech with the theme: “Our Culture, our Life” where he defined culture as the totality of the way of life evolved by a people in their attempt to meet the challenges of living in their environment
According to him: “It is a dynamic structure or rules shared by a group of people that existed from generation to generations”
Amidst wild ovation the royal father, who came to the media space early this year as a lone survivor in a brutal attack by some bandits narrated his experience noting that he was able to escape unhurt because he embraced Yoruba culture.
“My name is Fatoba and whenever they celebrate Ifa festival in my domain I always participate wholeheartedly providing all the requirements needed for the celebration”
The monarch, who unveiled for the first time, the graphic details of his miraculous escape from the assassin’s bullets on January 24, 2024 through metaphysical forces of Yoruba culture, enjoined his audience to look inward and embrace the good old practices of the ancestors especially on personal protection and community security.
Continuing, Oba Alara said: “We are where we are today in Africa and Nigeria in particular because we are being controlled and hypnotized by the colonial masters to see our culture as inferior to them through the introduction of their own religion which is christianity. They surpress African culture and civilization”
He urged the participants including royal fathers and leaders of thought to pay more attention to traditional religion and practices so as to counter the false religion imposed on the people by foreigners.
In his brief address, the Commissioner for Culture and Creative Economy represented by Prince Banji Adelusi, a Director in the Ministry said the Alara has spoken the minds of all the participants as his speech captured the very essence of the festival which according to him, came on board ten years ago.
Devotees of Ifa and royal fathers came from Lagos,Oyo, Ogun and the diaspora graced the historic occasion. Earlier a traditional pilgrimage was paid to the Oke-Igeti shrine in Ado-Ekiti where Ifa originated
