Okeagbe Community Organises A Nine-day Cultural Festival To Display Values
Culture has been described as a veritable tool for national integration if well explored and exploited.
The Chairman, Planning Committee on annual Ogosi Afa Okeagbe USE Festival, Bashorun Akinwumi Bada stated this on Friday.
The natives and residents of Okeagbe Akoko community in Akoko North West Local Government Area of Ondo State are preparing to witness cultural display which would commence on February 7, 2024.
According to Bashorun Bada, “the nine-day USE festival for this year scheduled for 7th to 16th February would showcase the rich cultural heritage and values of Ogosi Afa Okeagbe to the outside world.”
Chief Bada noted that a community without traceable cultural heritage or substantive history could not be regarded as a people, adding that” culture is the identity that distinguishes a particular group of people with reflection on their ways of life.
“Culture is an integral part of human existence, and as such I encourage the sons and daughters of Ogosi Afa Okeagbe Community both home and in the diaspora to attend this year’s USE festival, which usually serves as a reunion for indigenes of the ancient community.”
According to the programme schedule of the festival, USE festival celebrations would start on the eve of the main cultural displays.
The evening is known as “ASHENTA” participants would gather at Iloro quarters of Ogosi Afa to eat roasted yams with palm oil.
This would be washed down with assorted drinks, particularly palm wine while traditional songs extolling the virtues of our ancestors and the community are rendered.
On the following day, the traditional music “Pohunpohun’ and Eeo mai kerooooooo from all the age groups of Ogosi community with the majestic traditional dance of the people of the community would be on display.
Moreover, varieties of dance steps would be performed by male and female dancers to the sounds of Agogo (gongs) played by Origbo and Oyere age groups of the community, thereby demonstrating the historic harmony between the genders in Ogosi Afa Okeagbe.
The grand carnival of the event meant to celebrate all members of the community would be on February 16, 2024.
