By Japhet Davidson

Governor Ademola Adeleke of Osun State has charged corporate organisations and individuals to take advantage of the potential and develop the tourist sites in the state to boost the hospitality business.  Even as the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, has described the annual Olojo Festival as the festival of the largest ethnic group in the world which must be upheld forever.

Adeleke and Ogunwusi spoke during a news conference on the 2024 Olojo Festival with the theme “Evolving Transformational Domestic Tourism With Community Festivals.” held at the Ooni’s palace in Ile Ife.

The governor who was represented by the Commissioner for Culture and Tourism  Mr Bankole Ojo appealed to the sponsors of the festival to do what he called direct sponsorship. “Take responsibility and develop one of the tourists sites in the state like the Oramiyan site and your name will be written in gold.” He also urged Ooni Ogunwusi to talk to people of the state to be receptive and welcome visitors to the state.

 On his part, Oba Ogunwusi who stated that the festival is significant because of the spiritual exercises that characterise it and the testimonies it attracts, said “the festival was in remembrance of “Ogun”, god of iron, who is believed to be the first son of Oduduwa, progenitor of the Yoruba people adding that the festival marked the birth of the “Aare Crown”.

“Olojo is the festival of dawn and the birth of the crown, “Ade Aare”, the crown of all crowns. It is the crown that gave birth to all crowns all over the world with all the colours of the rainbow. It is called the spectrum of rainbow crown.”

Ooni said that several prayers rendered to Olodumare through the iconic “Aare crown” during the Olojo festival had been answered with so many testimonies.

Continuing, he said, “The crown does everything humans do, it is a very spiritual crown, very sacred. I am a living example and witness. I have actually charged the crown, I have prayed with it, that I want this done, this particular time.

“This is my ninth year on the throne, going to my tenth year by the grace of God, I have seen a lot of testimonies.

“I will pray with the crown worn on my head, I pray to the almighty God, Olodumare through the crown. I have never seen any failure in it. It is our strong heritage, our strong culture and tradition and we will continue to uphold it forever.

He added that they were not idol worshippers, but rather custodians of their ancestors’ legacy, which continued to benefit them.