Oranyan festival : former Oyo State Governor, Olunloyo, Aare Ona Kakanfo, ex Federal Perm Sec, Olaopa, others to receive Pillars of Support Awards
By Bode Durojaiye.
Over 30,000 guests made up of indigenes and visitors will converge on the grounds of the ancient Palace of Oyo to celebrate this year’s weeklong Oranyan festival which kicked off today.
The theme of this year’s 10th cultural festival is ” A Decade of Cultural Awakening”.
Speaking today at a press conference held at Agbala Ogun inside the Palace to commence the festival, Vice–Chairman of the Festival Committee, Emeritus Bishop Ayo Ladigbolu said the festival week which begins from 12th to 17th of September is consecrated to all children of Oranyan, the first Alaafin of Oyo home and in the Diaspora “to commune together in a convivial atmosphere and ambience of love, celebrate their past glory, rejuvenate their cultural inheritance and essence, as well as showcase their uniqueness of values.”
He stated that the celebration was not only to celebrate and venerate our heroes past, but lubricate the tunnels of harmony, ignite the touch of unity and foster peace among the Yoruba race.
According to him, “The Oranyan Festival was inaugurated to immortalise and showcase to the whole world the deeds and worth of an enigmatic Oranyan, one of the seven sons of Okanbi, the son of Oduduwa, who was the first Oba in Yorubaland to establish an enduring empire which spread beyond its dialectical region and lasted more than 600 uninterrupted years”.
He added, “It is within this prism that we used to picture our past heroes and great men of valour and virtues who should be venerated, immortalized, while their deeds, acts and wise sayings are compiled, documented, reserved and preserved for generations yet unborn.”
Bishop Ladigbolu revealed that the Oranyan Festival is one of the steps being taken at making sure that “the contribution of the Yorubas to the emergence of modern and cosmopolitan world is not relegated into the background and shoved into the ocean of forgetfulness.”
Highlights of the festival include public lectures, free health care delivery and conferment of awards on distinguished eminent personalities for their contributions towards the sustenance of the festival from inception.
