Esther Onyegbula

The lawmaker representing Badagry Constituency 2 in Lagos State House of Assembly, (LAHA), Mr Setonji David has urged traditional rulers and chiefs to preserve their culture for our younger ones.

David advised the Relaunch of Ikoga-Zebbe Jeke Dance Annual Festival on Monday in Ikoga, Badagry.

The lawmaker said that western education was trying to de-emphasise our culture, adding that we should not allow it.

According to him, by preserving our culture, the younger ones will know that we have a rich culture. Our cultures are so rich and I am happy to be part of this gathering today, watching Jeke dance. We should respect our culture and allow it to flourish, we should not allow western education and culture to de-emphasise our culture,” he said.

He commended the Aholu Sano of Ikoga-Zebbe kingdom, De-Ovitotode Toyi 1, for relaunching the annual dance festival back to the town.

Aholu Saheed Adamson, the Aholu of Ajido kingdom said the reawakening of Jeke dance culture back to Ogu community is a thing of glory.

According to him, we should not allow the rich culture of Ogu people to perish.

He commended the monarch for reawakening the culture of Jeke dance back, adding that this is projecting the Ogu people’s culture to the world.

Speaking, the Aholu Sano of Ikoga-Zebbe said the Jeke dance had been in existence before they were born.

According to the monarch, we don’t want this culture to perish.

“The aim and objective of the dance is to foster peaceful coexistence among the members of the kingdom,” he said.

In his remarks, Dr Tony Dansu, the Coordinator of the festival said the dance festival started about 100 years ago.

“We came to meet Jeke Dance and there is a particular part of the dance that we don’t feel should go into moribund because it is a social dance that connects everyone that belongs to this community.

“Every first Sunday of January, you will see all natives of this community and others converging here to dance to this cultural music,” he said.

Dansu, who is a lecturer at the Lagos State University (LASU) Ojo, said the event of today is a project purposely designed to reactivate the already dying Jeke Cultural Dance.

“It is also to upgrade it to the status of an annual festival, in line with its historical usual performance on every first Sunday of January.

“The objectives include resuscitation of one of the cultural heritages that are almost in extinction and institutionalization of an annual festival that will be unique to Ikoga-Zebbe as an Ogu kingdom.

“It is also to foster the spirit of peace and unity among the various quarters, units and communities that made up the kingdom and showcase the rich cultural heritage of the kingdom to the world.

“Enhancing the economy of the communities of the kingdom through the performance of the dance and facilitation of the official recognition and adoption of Jeke as one of the Ogu cultural dances by the government,” he said.

The drums of the Jeke Dance were unveiled by the king and the young dancers stepped out to dance to Jeke music.