Sango Festival: “We must preserve, sustain our culture, tradition”, says Oyo Regent
By Bode Durojaiye.
The Oyo Regent and the Basorun of Oyo, High Chief Yussuf Akinade Ayoola Layinka 1, has urged the Yoruba race to preserve and sustain the culture and tradition of people in their respective towns and communities.
High Chief Layinka made the plea on Saturday, while addressing visitors, tourists and worshippers of Sango at this year’s World Cultural Festival held at the Aganju field in the ancient Palace of Oyo Alaafin.
The Regent said that preservation of culture and tradition of people became necessary for the sake of the coming generations.
According to him, it is the duty of the current custodians of culture and tradition to work toward the promotion of Yoruba cultural heritage in their respective towns and communities.
On significance of the Sango Festival,
High Chief Layinka said Sango, during was powerful and had exceptional attributes that made him different from those that ruled before and after him.
He revealed that though, Sango reigned for seven years, he was the best king that ever ruled Oyo Kingdom before he later became a deity.
Said he, ” Sango Festival, which had become one of the recognised festivals globally, promotes Yoruba culture and heritage.
The Regent further called for the teaching of Yoruba History and Culture in schools across the state, according recognition to Yoruba religion and recognizing Yoruba traditions during State functions and programmes.
These propositions, if seriously considered, High Chief Layinka assertedi , are appropriate steps in collective efforts to re-invent the state.
According to him, “As Africans, we should be creative and think outside the box to reposition our values and use our cultural heritage to our best advantage in a competitive world. A properly packaged Yoruba cultural celebration will no doubt call the attention of the world to Oyo State as the home of culture and in no time will be a Mecca of Yoruba.
” Religion which is being widely accepted and practiced in the African Diaspora’’.
He stressed that Yoruba Civilisation is one of the enduring legacies in the world today and the most suited African Culture to arrest the attention of the world in this era of globalisation.
He Regent that the Yoruba civilization unlike others has Ifa as its system of knowledge and areligion that is today widely accepted and practiced in other parts of the world, especially in the African Diaspora despite the fact that unlike other religions, it does not proselytize.
“The state stands to benefit from the goodwill and interests of an expanding population of practitioners of Yoruba religion who are today rejecting other faithfuls and are in dire need of a religion with which they could connect in their search for identity and spiritual development” , the Regent asserted.
The Regent therefore prayed for sons and daughters of Oyo and its environs , admonishing them to continue to live peacefully.
