2022 OJUDE OBA: Awujale Gives 10 New Age Grade Groups Royal Blessing

 

2022 Ojude oba is here! This year's festival will hold on Monday 11th July 2022 in Ijebu Ode and the tempo has been rising, ahead of the Festival.

What has heightened the tempo is the decision of Oba Sikiru Adetona,the Awujale of Ijebu land to give Royal Blessing & Traditional Recognition to 10 new Egbes on Saturday July 2nd and Sunday July 3rd, 2022. These are 10 new Ijebu age grade groups that have joined the other regberegbe as full fledged participants in this year's Ojude oba.

The Royal Blessing ceremonies were done  by the king.He also gave his Traditional Recognition to these new groups which have joined the other age grade groups. Kabiyeesi's royal blessing took 2 days to accomplish. The ceremony was held at the palace of the highly revered king in Ijebu Ode.

In a carnival-like manner, each group stormed the palace in company of their leader, Baba Egbe and Iya Egbe to visit the king and receive his royal blessing which is very important for them, before Ojude oba proper. They were cheered by their respective drummers and trumpeters ,as they danced and walked their way into the palace.

The newly blessed age grade groups are made of 7 female  and 3 male groups. They are as follows:Egbe Bobagunwa Obinrin Omoba  Akile Ijebu, Egbe Obayori Obinrin Akile Ijebu, Egbe Bobagunwa Obinrin Akile Ijebu, Egbe Obayori Obinrin Idris Temitope Akile Ijebu, Egbe Gbobaniyi Olanrewaju Akile Ijebu, Egbe Obaneye Obinrin Akile Ijebu, Egbe Obaneye Okunrin Akile Ijebu, Egbe Gbobaniyi Okunrin Global Akile Ijebu, Egbe Bobamayegun Obinrin Akile Ijebu, and Egbe Obayori Okunrin Omooba Akile Ijebu.

Each group has been waiting for the D day, since 2020, but COVID 19 really restrained their Royal blessing. With this done,they are now fully ready to rock this year’s Ojude Oba Festival. They were so excited and very happy to finally receive the  Traditional Recognition to partake in the much anticipated largely publicised occasion.

 They are going to storm the occasion in grand style and add spice to the day.

This year’s annual festival will come up on Monday 11th July, 2022, 3 days after Ileya Festival.

You need to watch out for the occasion which promises to be grand.Members say it’s going to be massive, as 10 more groups have now been added to the huge numbers of top age grade groups.

--Reported by Jamiu Abubakar in Ijebu Ode.