….As Monarch Announces Festival Date
The Ewi of Ado Ekiti, His Royal Majesty, Oba Rufus Adeyemo Adejugbe has announced Wednesday August 21st, 2024 as the Udiroko Festival day in Ado Ekiti. The monarch who said the celebration marks the first day of the year in Ado Ekiti also reinstated that Udiroko festival is an important and significant day in the cultural history and calender of Ado Ekiti and an avenue to evaluate the progress attained in the town every year.
Speaking with journalists in preparation for the 2024 edition of the festival in his palace on Thursday, the revered Oba said Udiroko festival is a celebration of the cultural heritage of the people of Ado Ekiti and an opportunity to offer prayer for all sons and daughters of the town both home and abroad and others who reside in the town.
He added further that for over thirty years, Udiroko Festival has added meaningfully to the development of Ado Ekiti. “The opportunity of Udiroko for the past thirty years add to the development of the town. Some of these remarkable achievements through the festival include establishment of Faculty of law at EKSU which is a remarkable feat. Another one is getting the faculty accredited through the assistance of chief Afe Babalola.
“Also, from the front of the palace, if you were here thirty years ago you will know the situation of the palace from the gate house, everywhere was yearning for attention. We use the opportunity of Udiroko to tell the whole world particularly, the sons and daughters of Ado Ekiti the need for all of us to be ready to develop the palace and the kingdom. Glory be to God, Ado Ekiti and Ewi today is having a befitting palace which is a result of Udiroko festival.” The monarch said.
The first class traditional ruler also maintained that the festival was not as elaborate as this in the past, but since his ascension as the Ewi of Ado Ekiti thirty years ago and with the expansion and rapid growth in the town, the festival has improved a lot and ready to make Udiroko festival the greatest one in the world not in Nigeria alone.
Oba Adejugbe added further that, the festival also afford the people the opportunity to express their common existence as one and create the chance to come together to appreciate the creator and also, pray for the progress of the town every year.
The Udiroko festival according to the king represents the New Year Day celebration of Ado kingdom and also an expression of the significance of the first meeting of Ado-Ekiti people under the Iroko tree which marks the founding of Ado kingdom.
In his words, “Udiroko day is our day in Ado Ekiti and the day will be our new year. So you new comer will be surprised to hear happy New year or wondering what is happening. When we settled in Ado, we promised that every year, we will continue to remember the day we arrived here in Ado Ekiti, that is the art of Udiroko. Every year we thank God and also appease our fore fathers. We use the opportunity of the day to praise God individually and community level.
“Different homes will wake up in the morning and thank God like the Christians do on Christmas day or new year. On that day, our people will come around to the palace to declare their loyalty to the throne, that is why you see them sector by sector coming to greet Ewi and affirm their loyalty to the throne. We also use the opportunity of the day too to tell the whole town what have been our achievements in the year, what are the challenges we encounter in the past year and our projection for the coming year. In a nutshell, we use the opportunity of Udiroko to keep the whole Ado Kingdom informed.”
He affirmed that for this year edition of the festival which will last for a whole week, different activities which are unique in nature are on the way and will be unveiled on the festival day which will make the 2024 edition of Udiroko festival fascinating, distinct and eventful.
He stated further that many important dignitaries have been invited to grace this year edition of the Udiroko festival all over the world and also use the opportunity to avail the Government of the poor road network in the State which calls for urgent intervention from the government.
In a separate interview, the newly installed women leader in the town, the Eyegba of Ado Ekiti, chief Bolanle Adroju while pledging her support for the monarch said that in preparation for the Udiroko festival, the women in the town had engaged in charity activities for the homeless and the less privileged ones in the community.
