According to history, Ogidi Community in Ijumu Local
Government Area of Kogi West senatorial district of Kogi State is a Yoruba town
and is known for its formations of igneous rock mountains and a traditional art
industry.
It was believed that they migrated from Ile-Ife to settle
down in present Ogidi.
It shares boundaries with Kabba in Kabba/Bunnu Local
Government Area, and three towns in Ijumu Local Government Council namely,
Ayere, Iyara the headquarters of Ijumu Local Government Council and Ogale.
The language spoken in Ogidi is the Okun dialect of Yoruba.
The men are traditionally farmers and hunters, and the women are renowned for
arts, craft and trading.
The traditional ruler of Ogidi community is His Royal
Majesty Oba Rafiu Oladimeji Sule, the Ologidi of Ogidi Kogi State.
The vegetation is a mix of forest and Savannah. Coffee,
cocoa, cassava, cashew, yam, maize, sweet potato, groundnut and kola are some
of the popular produce from the town. Livestock–cattle, goats, sheep, poultry
and their products–are also available in Ogidi.
The town is traditionally ruled by an Oba like other
communities in Ijumu Local Government on a rotational basis between the two
ruling houses of Itaji and Okelare.
The current Oba, Alhaji Rabiu Oladimeji Sule, is from the
Okelare Ruling House in accordance with the tradition of the forebears, which
is duly recognised by the government of the country.
In line with this, it is known that the next king would be
from Itaji Ruling House. Notable personalities came from Ogidi community such
as Chief S. A. Ajayi (OFR) JP a renowned polyglot and a former minister in the
First Republic and an associate of Late Ahmadu Bello.
It is also the home town of Nike Davies Okundaye, the
renowned batik artist. The late Police officer, Sunday Bada, an Olympic gold
medalist, hails from the town.
However, recently, the rocky community came alive as it
celebrated the Ogidi-Ela Day Cultural/Yam Festival with glitz and glamour.
The Ogidi Day Cultural/Yam Festival is a week-long event
celebrated annually with cultural performances, presentation of new yam, chieftain investitures, and awards amongst others.
Other activities featured also include free medical
outreach, novelty match, Jumat service, expedition to the Oroke Oda mountain
and a bonfire.
According to Ologidi of Ogidi, Oba Alhaji Rabiu Oladimeji
Sule, the celebration of New Yam Festival started many years ago.
He told THISDAY that some group of elders one day came
together and said there was need to celebrate New Yam Festival in Ogidi.
According to the traditional ruler, yam is a miraculous
plant considering that it germinates when planted and because of that they
decided to celebrate New Yam Festival annually.
This colorful and big cultural annual event normally takes
place in the month of June as it attracts large turnout of illustrious sons and
daughters from Ogidi community both at home and in the Diaspora; members of the
diplomatic corps, tourists, high profile personalities and cultural
enthusiasts.
During this year’s New Yam Festival, an array of troupes
from Calabar, Efik dancers, Edo dancers, Swange dancers from Benue, Aduni and
Neferetiti, dancers from Ondo, Osun, Nike Davies Okundaye group and Olaga
dancers and other home-based cultural groups were on ground to add colour and
glamour to the celebration.
During the festival, people trooped out in their hundreds as
early as 7a.m. to the palace of the paramount ruler, the Ologidi of Ogidi to
pay him homage before heading for the venue.
However, boys and girls, men and women, the elderly people,
traditional rulers, cultural enthusiasts and various groups mostly in colourful
cultural attires, began early to file out to the venue of the fiesta.
Before the proper commencement of the festival, the entire
community was already agog in celebration, as various cultural groups in
ecstatic mood moved round the streets dancing to the tunes of their local drums
and gongs, to the admiration of the people.
The arrival of the King to the venue signalled the
commencement of the festival as the paramount ruler of Ogidi, Ologidi of Ogidi
land, Oba Rabiu Oladimeji Sule, arrived the venue of the cultural fiesta amidst
rousing ovation and ululations from the mammoth crowd.
All the traditional chiefs, titled women of Ogidi, farmers,
hunters and the Elegbejegbe groups amongst others, led the King to the venue in
a colourful way.
At the venue, all groups paid homage to the Oba. They
include, the Olokoro/Olu-Otun group, the Orotas, various women and men groups in
the community, the Ebira community in Ogidi and also Iyamoye group.
These groups sang and danced in a procession to the point
where the Oba was seated and prostrated before him as a mark of allegiance and
honour.
While on their procession to pay homage to the Oba, the
hunters, who were all armed with guns and other hunting weapons, demonstrated
their hunting prowess and shot intermittently into the air as a mark of honour
for their paramount ruler.
The Oba, on the occasion prayed for blessing, peace, progress
and development of Ogidiland as he called on illustrious sons and daughters of
the land to continue to give their quota for the overall development of Ogidi.
He also appealed to the state government to come to their
need, particularly on the road leading to the community from Kabba which needs
rehabilitation. The revered traditional ruler also called on the state
government to partner with various interested organisations towards making the
Ogidi Yam Festival an international one.
Speaking at the event, the President of Ogidi Development
Union, Mr. Kayode Eniolorunda, said the concept of Ogidi Day as the biggest
cultural event in the country in the month of June has come to stay.
According to him, it is hoped that in the nearest future,
the fame and glamor will go far beyond the shores of the country as he urged
all the sons and daughters to come together, bury their differences, bond in
unity and join this progressive train already firmly in motion, the destination
of which no power can anymore resist.
The President also used the occasion to thank the royal
father, the Ologidi of Ogidi and all Chiefs present at the occasion including
the former President of ODU, Mr. Tunde Ipin!isho. Also speaking at the
occasion, the Onigboho of Igboho, Oba John Bolarinwa Oyetola, Olubiyi 11, said
the significance of the festival cannot be over emphasised because of its
importance in the annals of Yoruba history.
The Oba noted that there is no ambiguity in relation to the
origin of this great Kingdom stressing that Ogidi, the founding father of Ogidi
Kingdom migrated from Ile-Ife to settle at the present day Ogidi Kingdom and
has his roots firmly rooted in Ile-Ife, hence, a son of Oduduwa and by
extension a significant part of Yoruba nation.
“It is therefore significant that no Ifa divination can be
completed without mentioning Ogidi, Ogidi malaja, awo Ile-Ife,” he said.
He noted that he has come to realise that the people of
Ogidi Kingdom have existed in unity and peace over the years, which has
contributed to the development of Ogidi town.
He therefore urged all sons and daughters of Ogidi to
continue to live in harmony to give room for further development of Ogidi
Kingdom.
Source: https://www.thisdaylive.com
Source: https://www.thisdaylive.com
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