• POROYE: Site where Orunmila broke bareness jinx in Ido Ekiti to be preserved
• Inside the 2o22 Edition of the World Ifa-Orisa Festival and Pilgrimage

By Kennedy Mbele

Olojudo of Ido Ekiti in Ido-Osi Local Government Area of Ekiti State, Oba Ayorinde Ilori-Faboro, has extolled Ifa traditional system, describing it as very important to the peace and prosperity of people and the society in general.
The monarch narrated a personal experience which, he said, strengthened his belief in the efficacy of Ifa.

He explained how he almost became blind consequent upon his refusal to heed the warning of Ifa and be proactive to its directive.

The Olojudo spoke when he received the President of the International Council for Ifa Religion (ICIR) and the National/State Executive members from across the country who, as part of the celebration of the 2022 Edition of the World Ifa-Orisa Festival and Pilgrimage, visited his palace in Ido Ekiti, the hometown of the legendary Poroye, one of the wives of Orunmila and mother of Olomo who broke the jinx of her barrenness on account of a relationship between her and Orunmila while she was frantically searching for the fruit of the womb.

Among the dignitaries present at the occasion were a former Director-General of Abuja International Carnival, Mr. Biodun Kayode Abe, and the representative of Prof Rasaki Ojo Bakare, Ekiti State Commissioner for Arts, Culture and Tourism, Prince Adebanji Adelusi.

Ilori-Faboro promised to always support the ICIR and requested for a design template of how the body wants the Poroye heritage monument to be constructed while promising to ensure the place is suitably constructed and preserved for the purposes the ICIR might want it for.

In his speech earlier, the ICIR President, Oluwo Solagbade Popoola, had recalled the legend which made Ido-Ekiti one of the significant towns to Ifa worshippers and an essential place to visit in the annual itinerary. Popoola urged the monarch to help preserve the historic site where Poroye and Orunmila met so that it would help sustain the annual pilgrimage.

Adelusi, on his part, congratulated the people of Ido-Ekiti for having an increased relevance in the traditional history of the Yoruba people as contained in the oracular account of Ifa. He informed the Olojudo in Council that Ekiti State Ministry of Arts, Culture and Tourism had begun collaboration with ICIR to further sustain the tourism potential of the annual festival. According to him, efforts would be made to develop the various sites in partnership with the various communities where such heritage monuments have been identified and also rebrand the festival for more global attraction.

Popoola saddled the state Director of Tourism with the task of coming up with a design template that would retain the cultural originality of the site.

Earlier the team had visited Oba (Dr) Edward O. Ajayi, Owa of Ilogbo-Ekiti , in his palace where Popoola informed him and his chiefs that efforts were being intensified to attract more attention to the hydra-headed palm tree which is a symbolic and unique heritage of the Ilogbo people. He said part of the efforts was the involvement of the Ekiti State Ministry of Arts, Culture and Tourism in the 2022 edition of the festival. He also informed the Owa-ilogbo-in-Council that there were 15 countries represented in this year’s celebration.

Adelusi urged the community to support the State Government in the quest to ensure that the site of the hydra-headed palm tree is enlisted as a UNESCO Heritage Site. This, he said, was the ultimate focus and a sure bet to attract all round development to the community.

Ajayi thanked the ICIR for being devoted to the promotion of Yoruba culture and heritage which had created global attraction to their unique palm tree which pre-existed before the first generation of settlers in Ilogbo-Ekiti.

The monarch assured the ICIR of the continued commitment of the Ilogbo people to the preservation of the site while urging them to fulfill the promises they made with regard to attracting more development to the community through the site.

After the visit to the palace, the mammoth crowd, consisting of ICIR foreign visitors and members, pilgrims, tourists, local traditionalists and custodians of the heritage site, was led by the royal father to the site, about 4 kilometers to the palace, and from where echoes and vibration of drums could be heard.

Pilgrims and tourists came with kola nuts and money as offerings to the palm tree. Among the indigenes of Ilogbo who joined in the warm reception of the visitors was a former Deputy Speaker of Ekiti State House of Assembly, Rt Hon. Adetunji Orisalade.

The ICIR team also visited the famous ‘Omi-Erin’ in Erijiyan-Ekiti in Ekiti West Local Government Area of the State. The first port of call, on arriving the town, was the palace of the Olohan of Erijiyan, Oba Adegoroye Omoseebi.

Adelusi informed the Olohan-in-Council that the state Ministry of Arts and Culture has endorsed the World Ifa/Orisa Festival and Pilgrimage based on its potential tourism impacts and inherent economic benefits to the people. He, therefore, urged the people of Erijiyan to continue to cooperate with the ICIR towards sustaining the festival. He said the community should also be prepared to play important roles in the collaborative synergy and partnership to develop the ‘Omi-Erin’ because it has a direct benefit to the local people.

The visit to ‘Omi-Erin’ featured individual and mass prayer sessions. Regular performances of traditional rites and rituals were also done.

The team’s visit to Ire-Ekiti, the home of Ogun, was no less eventful that the previous ones. The first port of call was the palace of Onire where the visitors and the ICIR leadership were warmly received by some chiefs on behalf of the Onire, Oba Victor Bobade, who was unavoidably absent.

The spokesperson for the Onire, High Chief Asaba of Ire-Ekiti, thanked the organizers of the World Ifa/Orisa Festival and Pilgrimage. He informed the ICIR leadership that the impact of the previous visit was already being felt. He said: “Just as it was predicted, Ire-Ekiti would soon become a university-hosting community”. That, Asaba said, would signify the beginning of a new lease of life for the community and its people.

The High Chief, however, charged the leadership of ICIR to re-programme the annual visit to Ire-Ekiti in such a manner that the chiefs and people of the community would not be waiting far too long for their arrival. He said if a full day could not be dedicated to Ire-Ekiti visit, the pairing could be with another relevant community not too far away from it.

After leaving the palace, participants moved to two places where special prayers were offered and sacrifices were made for the peace of the nation and the protection of individuals present. The journey to Umeri grove where Ogun is believed to have entered the earth was hectic. However, a lot of people walked through the rough road to the grove.

Ijan-Ekiti was the last place visited for the day. The significance of ijan in the pilgrimage activities of ICIR is its connection to Ifa through the Poroye legend. It is same legend that explains the mysteries surrounding the origin of the masquerade called Ede or Eegun- Ire both of which are top in the masquerade culture in Yoruba land.

After a brief introduction, High Chief Fapounda, who is the custodian of the Olomo grove, took the contingents to an open shrine where sacrifices were made to Olomo. A commemorative Ede masquerade came out to entertain and bless the visitors.

There was about 90 minutes of sundry cultural activities which included performances and rites, Chief Fapounda led the visitors in procession to the grove of Olomo, the progenitor of Yoruba masquerades.

At the Olomo grove, people lined up to present their prayer requests and made pledges which must be fulfilled once as soon as the prayer is granted or next year during similar visit.