Ekimogun Day
One of the many positive things you cannot deny the Ondo people is the manner they show off their traditional attire. EMMA ANYA, who witnessed the last Ekimogun Day, reports this and other peculiarities of the people of the Sunshine State
From the Osemawe, Oba Victor Kiladejo, to Governor Segun Mimiko; artisan Segun Olatunji to
destitute Tunde Akinsiku, all came, wearing different designs of Etu (traditional attire), reflecting one unquestionable statement: we are Ondo people.
The event, where nearly everyone, including women, showed off the sophisticated cultural heritage of the Ondo people, was the 2010 Ekimogun Day held penultimate Saturday at the community hall, known as Oba Adesanoye Civic Centre.
Ekimogun Day is an annual event where all sons and daughters of Ondo Kingdom at home and in the Diaspora come together to showcase their culture and raise funds for the development of their community.
In the past 23 years that the Ekiomogun Day has taken place, hundreds of indigenes have benefited from scholarship awards and trainings, through the funds generated by the organisers of the event, the Ondo Development Committee.
And, of course, the most significant physical structure that serves as an eloquent testimony of the achievements of the ODC is the multi-million naira civic centre on Ademulegun Way.
One of the things that have continued to buoy development in Ondo Kingdom is the people‘s communal spirit. It was the same spirit that was on display on December 4, 2010.
With drums and trumpets reverberating from all corners of the civic centre premises, the people gyrated to music, hugged one another endlessly and exchanged pleasantries for almost 90 minutes before the event commenced officially.
First to entertain the gathering that also comprised friends and business associates of the Ondo people was the Fanana Cultural Group. The group, which comprises young women and men wearing beads, kept the audience on their toes as its members displayed dancing skills that would make the Atilogu dancers from the South-East green with envy.
After Fanana‘s performance was the traditional payment of homage to the Osemawe who, in appearance and carriage, showed that the Ondo have a rich monarchy that dates back to more than 500 years.
Surrounded by his wife, Olori Olayinka, and eminent personalities, including Mimiko, his wife, Olukemi, and the Deji of Akure, Oba Adebiyi Adesida, the Osemawe, responded to the homage by the high chiefs, honorary chiefs, Olojas and others in a majestic manner.
Next came a welcome address by the Chairman of the ODC, Chief Gbenga Akinnawo.
An eloquent speaker and highly successful industrialist, Akinnawo knew what the gathering first expected from him -a tribute to his predecessor, the late Prof. Ibidapo Oladapo.
Oladapo, he said, would be remembered for taking the ODC to a pinnacle, which he prayed for wisdom from God and the support of the entire Ondo to be able to match.
Akinnawo, who is also the Orunbato of Ondo Kingdom, assured that with his emergence as the ODC chairman, a new dawn had begun for the committee and the entire community.
He said, ”ODC marches forward with great strides to become a greater institution for social, political and economic development of our kingdom. In the few months of our assumption of office, ODC is being restructured for greater efficiency, performance and transparency.”
The Orunbato also announced ODC‘s plan to begin another physical project in 2011, adding that the committee had already keyed into the Ondo City Vision 2015.
The City Vision 2015 is an idea by the Osemawe to transform the community into a city status through accelerated physical development and social re-engineering.
After Akinnawo‘s speech was a short cultural interlude by Anibode Esho Cultural Group, which is made up of a woman, a physically-challenged person and a number of drummers.
The performance by the group was so electrifying that people began to wonder how the physically challenged was able to effectively pull such acrobatic stunts.
Shortly after this came the royal message from Osemawe, who described the event as impactful.
The Osemawe lauded the people‘s communal spirit, saying he believed that that would enable them to see his vision of turning Ondo community into a modern city comparable to what obtains in western societies.
After the royal speech came the special period that the gathering anxiously awaited. The chief launcher and the special guest launchers did not disappoint.
Taking their turns, the chief launcher, Otunba Adeniji and the special guest launchers - Chief Olusola Akinniyi, Gbenga Olaniyan and Leye Omoniyi - lauded the role of the ODC in the development of Ondo Kingdom.
For them, it was an honour to have been selected among the eminent sons and daughters of the community to raise funds for the ”upliftment of our kingdom.”
Stepping away from the podium, they announced millions upon millions of naira donated by them, their families, friends and associates.
The manner the donations were made was remarkably different from what obtained in past Ekimogun days. Each donor went up the podium, made a short remark and announced the total sum donated by him.
Before the event ended, Adeniji, a retired military officer; Akinniyi, Omoniyi and Olaniyan received special ODC awards for their contributions.
The day was not only meant to show to the world Ondo‘s rich culture, it was also one in which two late eminent sons of the community were remembered for being worthy ambassadors of the town.
The two, Brig. Gen. Samuel Ademulegun, the first indigenous Quarter Master of the Nigerian Army; and an academic and clergy, Ven. Jonathan Iluyomade, were honoured with the 2010 merit awards.
The awards were received by their family members who thanked the committee for the honour done their late parents.
The Ademuleguns, however, did not go away from the high table without eliciting a loud applause from the gathering. They announced United Kingdom scholarships for all Ondo students able to make As in their Senior Secondary School Certificate examinations.
Before the event came to an end, with a speech by Mimiko, prizes were presented to the winners of Inter Secondary Schools Debate and Essay Writing.
The events were part of the activities that heralded the Ekimogun Day celebrations.
In his remarks, the governor, who is also an indigene of Ondo Kingdom, assured the people that his administration would not renege on its promise to deliver democracy dividends by spreading development across the state.
He specifically mentioned education, health, urban development, industry and sports as areas where his government had performed creditably.
Recalling the promises he made to the Ondo community during his campaign and the decision to immortalise the late legal luminary, Chief Gani Fawehinmi, he said, ”As I am speaking to you now, we have completed the International Medical Diagnostic Centre located on Laje Road.
”There is no modern equipment that one can find abroad that are not there. Among other facilities we have are city scan, MRI, ultra sonography and mammography, which are all modern equipment. We would have commissioned it except for the road construction we are currently undertaking on the road to the place.”
Source:Punch
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