Click on the Play Button Above to Watch Video of Otunba Dr. Gani Adams @ Okota Festival 2015
Your Excellency, Gov. (Dr) Olusegun Mimiko Governor of Ondo State.
Your Royal Majesty Oba Yisa Olanipekun Zaaki of Arigidi Akoko Ondo State.
All Royal Majesties Present.
The Guest Speaker,
Esteemed guests on the high table,
National Coordinating Council Members of OPC,
Olokun Festival Planning Committee,
Arigidi Council of Chiefs
Arigidi Leaders of Thought
Members of the Press,
Distinguished ladies and gentlemen
As it is customary with us at every occasion as promoters of Yoruba culture, we must begin every programme by paying due acknowledgement to everyone present at all events organized by us.
The reason for this practice is anchored on the belief and the saying of those of us from the kootu ojire land: the Yoruba people that those who fail to pay due respect to those they met must necessarily forfeit being welcomed.
Likewise the proverbial goat that fails pay homage must necessarily become incarcerated. Consequently, let me begin this address by paying special homage to Olodumare the omnipresence, the omnipotent, the omniscience, our creator and the everlasting God.
I also pay homage to the over two hundred gods and goddess (Okanlelugba Irunmole) that are domiciled on earth and are appointed by Olodumare to administer the entire universe.
We also pay homage to the aseda and the akoda. I acknowledge the importance of the various spirits (benevolent and malevolent) that dwell on earth in different forms and influence human conducts.
Having done this to invisible ones, permit me to also pay due respect to their manifestations and representatives on earth.
Importantly, I pay homage to our royal personages and chiefs who have come from far and near to be part of this year’s Okota Festival in this picturesque town of Arigidi that is blessed and surrounded by nature’s bounties. Permit me to greet with all respect and pay due obeisance to our royal host the Zaki of Arigidi-Akoko, His Royal Highness Kabiyesi Oba Yisa Abu Olanipekun, the Ondo State, Governor Olusegun Mimiko and his numerous chiefs for your generosity of playing annual host to the festival.
Kabiyesi, aseyi samodun ooo. To everyone that has spared time out of their busy schedule to be part of this festivity, Oodua a gbe gbogbo wa ooo.
By our nature, we Africans and Yoruba in particular believe in the existence of God (Olodumare), divinities (Orisas) and spirits.
The Orisas in Yoruba belief are either primordial or deified.
As primordial being, they are created by the Almighty God to superintend over the earth and as the deified; their exceptional exemplary lives and qualities during their sojourn on earth made other human beings confer the awe that led to their veneration.
In Yoruba worldview, spirits too are creatures of Olodumare, They are either those of our ancestors or those that dwell in nature.
As ancestral spirits, they are invisible remains of human beings after death. They are immortal and invisible entities.
On the other hand, nature spirits are spirits that inhabit or live in nature.
They dwell in the woods, bush, forest, and rivers. As Yoruba, we believe that spirits dwell in mountains, hills, valleys etc.
Usually, nature sprits are benevolent spirits. We believe they provide protection against enemies.
They house mineral resources that confer economic prosperity on our people.
In order to guarantee their continuous benevolence, we hold rituals, and perform ceremonies that hold them with great reverence.
Because of the importance we attached to them, they are venerated and worshipped.
Despite the importance attached to nature sprits, sadly, their worship is condemned and their followers are often despised.
Their adherents are intolerably often called pagans. As wrongly believed, devotees of nature spirits do not worship rocks, trees, rivers etc. Each time they gather, what they do is in reverence of the awesomeness of Almighty God.
The rocks, rivers and trees are mere representations of the greatness of Olodumare. The spirits that reside in them are representatives of Almighty God.
Worshipping them and organizing festivals for them are devised to court their blessings and prevent their wrath.
Therefore, it defies logic for instance to think that Nigeria’s host of the 2nd World Black and African Festival of Arts and Culture (Festac ”77) is the cause of the socio-political and economic adversities that have befallen our country Nigeria.
The basic question which we must ask ourselves and answer is that despite proliferation of faiths by the dominant religions in Nigeria, are our problems abated? Despite increasing appearances of churches and mosques in our society, corruption and other vices continue to attain geometric height in our country and even in the world.
Because of likely repercussions that might follow irresponsible and sinful behaviour and conducts, we often find it deceitfully convenient to ridicule those faith and belief that can assist our yearning for social national change and rebirth.
It is the need to correct these impressions and contribute meaningfully to the on-going discourse on value reorientation through change of our socio-political and economic life styles that informs Olokun Festival Foundation’s decision to institute the continuous celebration of this and other annual festivals.
Your royal majesty and highness, distinguished ladies and gentlemen, we gather here to celebrate Okota Festival.
The Okota river is located at the foot of the hills of Ede-uyo in Ijaja quarters of Arigidi-Akoko, Every July, indigenes of this great town come together to celebrate the festival in honour of the river goddess.
This celebration is therefore inspired by the benevolence of our highly revered Okota river goddess.
She is ascribed to possess great potent supernatural powers. Our commitment to annual celebration of this festival is informed by the numerous benefits we derive from its presence here in Arigidi-Akoko.
It should be understood that the strategic location of this river is a boost to agricultural production of the people.
The celebration of Okota festival is also a boost to the development of tourism and economic sustenance of our people.
As you can see, this festival has drawn people from far and near river. Along with the presence of the crowd this celebration has drawn is the brisk business they are doing.
On the whole, the celebration of Okota festival represent our people’s way of giving thanks for its benevolence, seeking forgiveness for our sins in past years, and praying for favour and blessings of the goddess.
Olokun Festival Foundation investment in organizing Okota festival annually is also an opportunity for the town to showcase the event as an important tourist attraction to the world.
Added to this, one of the ways the Olokun FestivaI Foundation continue to contribute to individual and governmental economic development efforts is through identification and exploration of prosperity potentials that are inherent in the development religious and cultural tourism. Annually, these two areas of tourism has been a boundless and inexhaustible source of economic growth for some country.
It is an indisputable annual pilgrimage by adherents of Islamic faith (I mean Muslims) to Saudi Arabia either for the religious rites of Umrah or Hajj has been of tremendous economic benefit to the country and her people.
Likewise it is a known fact that pilgrimage by Christians from different parts of the world to Israel is a huge economic platform for the empowerment of her people.
It also continues to contribute and boost the country’s revenue base and her Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
In line with these realities and the need for our country to explore extra and alternative revenue earner for Nigeria in the face of negative twists and turns in her economic fortunes that informs Olokun Festival Foundation continuous investment in tourism development through our indigenous cultural festivities.
Permit me to end this address by showing our huge appreciation to our royal highnesses for their continuous support for our all our programmes.
Your presence at most of our programmes gives us reassurances that we have the backing of our ancestors in all that we do.
Our prayer for you is long life and God’s continuous guidance on the throne of your forefathers.
We appreciate the presence of many government officials at this launch.
It is our hope that the government will not relent in keeping its pact with our people.
We appreciate and thank all our guests for their distinguished presence.
We also say a big thank you to members of the fourth estate of the realm for their continuous positive reportage of our activities.
Despite your busy schedule, you spared time to honour our ancestors with your presence.
My prayer is that you will continue to prosper in all your endeavours.
I thank you all for your attention.
Thank you all for coming
Otunba (Dr) Gani Adams
National Coordinator Oodua People’s Congress,
Chief Promoter Olokun Festival Foundation,
Convener Oodua Progressive Union
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