Penultimate Saturday was another significant day in the history of Ogidi town in Ijumu Local Government Area of Kogi State as sons and daughters of the agrarian community, along with their friends and well-wishers gathered to celebrate the 2018 edition of the Ogidi Day. Apart from celebrating the day, it was also an opportunity to celebrate the New Yam festival, which signalled the beginning of harvest and gave the go ahead to the indigenes of the town to eat the new yam
Eminent personalities including the speaker of the Kogi State House of Assembly, Matthew Kolawole, the national publicity secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Kola Ologbondiyan, who was the most honoured guest, the immediate past permanent secretary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Olusola Enikanolaye, royal fathers, the Yeye Oba of Ogidi, who is also the curator of Nike Art Gallery, Chief Nike Okundaye, among others, were on ground to witness the occasion.
The arrival of the Ologidi of Ogidi, Oba Rabiu Oladimeji Sule, to the arena signalled the commencement of the programme with the monarch embarking on what was known as “Royal Dance” as he went round to greet the people that were already seated and awaiting his arrival. This was followed by performance by various cultural groups and troupes from states across the country. It was indeed a display of the rich culture of the diverse groups in Nigeria as groups from Tiv, Giri troupe from Kabba/Bunu, Ondo state cultural troupe, Bini cultural troupe, the egungun monure. the session displyed culture at its best.
Speaking on the importance of the Ogidi Day celebration, the director general, Ogidi Day 2018, Mr Tunde Ipinmisho, who was the President of the Ogidi Development Union from 2006-2015, said Ogidi had just emerged from a bitter dispute over succession to the Ologidi stool following the demise of the late Oba Adeyemi Are Jegede. He said the dispute created wrong impressions about the community, adding that the Ogidi Day festival was being organised to draw attention to positive attributes of the town, such vast arable land, rich culture, accommodating nature of the people and the achievements of its sons and daughters in all fields of human endeavour.
According to him, Ogidi has many sons and daughters to be proud of, among them are the late Olympic gold medalist, Sunday Bada; world renowned batik artist, Nike Okundaye; the serving Yobe State Commisioner of Police, Mr Sumonu Adeyemi; the nation’s Deputy Commissioner of Insurance, Mr. Olorundare Thomas; retired Executive Director, Nigerian Breweries Plc, Chief Gabriel Mesaiyete; Mr Gabriel Obando, a General Manager with the Nigerian National Petroleum Corpration and the Director, Technical Services, National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Mr Femi Oloruntoba among others.
In addition, Ipinmisho said the community was once strategically located along what used to be the Trunk “A” Kabba-Owo road, which gave it many advantages in terms of access, trade and commerce. However, with the construction of the new Ipele-Kabba Road which bypassed the town, he said the community had for long been largely isolated.The Ogidi Day festival, he said, was to draw attention to the infrastructure deficit in the town and to get people, who otherwise would not come to Ogidi to visit the community.
The guest of honour at the event however noted that there was the need for the country to place more emphasis of cultural tourism as it was capable of generating revenue and also stop the negative impression about Nigeria. He urged the promoters of Ogidi Day to explore ways of making the United Nations Education, Science and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) to list it as a world cultural tourism event, adding that this would provide acess to world heritage fund that could be used to further develop the event.
The Ologidi of Ogidi said the new yam festival was a time of celebration and thanksgiving to the creator for the miracle of creation as seen in the turning of slices of yam buried in mounds of earth but which soon sprouts and became whole. The arrival of the new yam, according to Oba Sule, signifies a renewal of the covenant of life and its sustenance by the creator.
The traditional ruler added that farming involved dangerous encounters with nature and other members of the animal kingdom, many of which are quite unfriendly to man. Therefore, ending a farming season successfully with rich harvests of yams, he said, called for celebration and thanksgiving. In the olden days when Ogidi people were idol worshipers and Oluwo was their deity, the Ologidi said all the implements of farm work such as hoes and cutlasses were at the onset of the harvest season, washed, brought home and assembled in a well-appointed corner of the house where they are served with all the food that is prepared on emidin (new yam) day. However, the arrival of Christianity and Islam has changed the tide.
The climax of the day was the presentation of the new yam by the Yeye Oba. She emerged from the rear with the yam which is wrapped in beautiful attire and was joined by all the cultural troupes in attendance as she made her way in dance and music to the dais where the Oba and the dignitaries were seated. The presentation was greeted by ululation among the women. The Oba received it and prayed for his people for long life, prosperity and general wellness. He then proclaimed that the people could now begin to consume the new yam as well as bring it to the market for sale.
The various displays and the dignitaries that added colour to the Ogidi Day 2018 showed that the town is a place to be during the annual event.
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