•Why IBARA People Are In-Charge
2022 edition of the biennial cultural event in Ogun State, Yemoja Gelede Efe Festival, has held in Abeokuta. And the festival which started on Saturday, 14th May, had all the trapping of a well planned and painstakingly executed exercise. Though, of Yewa origin, Yemoja Gelede Efe Festival is being celebrated by the Ibara people who are, interestingly, based in Abeokuta because, according to findings, the Ibara people are, indeed, of the Yewa extraction in Ogun State.
That assertion was corroborated by all the sons of the soil that City People’s SAHEED OJUBANIRE engaged in brief interviews, in the course of covering the popular event for the magazine. To all of them, they are Yewa descendants, but nature only located them amongst the Egbas in Abeokuta. But yet, they still keep identifying with and promoting their cultural heritage within their place of domicile.
Lion Akeem Ajobiewe Gbadebo who invited and hosted the magazine for the coverage of the festival is one of the highly cerebral sons of the soil who are making efforts to ensure that their cultural heritage does not go into extinction. And that is why he took over the spearheading of the once in two years festival from his dad in their family and participated actively in all the cultural rites the festival demanded from the participating families in Ibara.
Below are excerpts from the interviews conducted at the one-week-long festival by City People Magazine:
(AKEEM AJOBIEWE)
For the purpose of this interview, please give me your name.
My name is Ajobiewe Akeem Gbadebo. I’m from Ajobiewe Ojiomeso Family in Ibara.
Today is the beginning of the Yemoja Gelede Efe Festival in Ibara. What is the festival all about?
Let me start like this. We all know that Osun-Osogbo Festival is synonymous with Osun people in Yoruba Land. It is the same thing the Yemoja Gelede Efe Festival is to the people of Yewa in Ogun State. And Ibara is a community of Yewa people which is interestingly located within the city of Abeokuta. This means we are the only people celebrating Yemoja Gelede Efe Festival in Abeokuta.
What is the concept of the festival about?
It is the culture, it is the tradition of the sons and daughters of Ibara. You know we have Ibara sons and daughters outside Ogun State and even outside Nigeria. And we use the festival to reunite all the sons and daughters together. It is like a homecoming kind of festival for the sons and daughters of Ibara who are scattered across the globe. And again, the theme of the festival is to correct the wrong things amongst our people and to celebrate the people who are doing good deeds in the community. If you are doing wrong, we would tell you that what you are doing is wrong, and if you are doing good, we would commend you to keep it up.
From the Ajobiewe family in Ibara, your dad was the one that was spearheading the festival, but you have now taken over that responsibility from him. When exactly did you take over from your dad as the representative of the family for the festival?
Well, my dad took over from his dad, that is my grandfather, many years ago. Though I didn’t meet my grandfather, but I took over from my dad two years ago. The festival is a biennial celebration. It is once in 2 years. So, this 2022 edition is my second festival of being the representative of the Ajobiewe family. There are other families from Ibara which also have one of their own representing their family for the festival. And currently, we have about 5 families who actively participate in the festival. Though, we had just 3 families the last time.
So, what are some of the activities that take place at the festival?
The first night is what we call “Efe Night” at the festival. And during the night, the representative of each family participating in the festival would come out on stage to showcase the talent he has in terms of “Efe” (Performance of songs and dancing with deep messages for the audience) at an open ground. And for about 6 days after the first night, there would be singing and dancing across the streets by the sons and daughters of Ibara.
How would you say the festival has affected your life personally?
Well, where ever I am, I always tell people that I am from Ibara. And it shows in me. Because whenever I’m about to do something wrong I always remember where I am from and all the songs that we have that warn us about doing wrong. And that has really helped in moulding my life and personality till date.
Finally, your grandfather handed over to your dad in terms of spearheading the festival for the family, and your dad has handed over to you too. So, would you be willing to hand over to your own son too in future?
The problem is, you can’t dislodge interest these types of things. My father handed over to me because I have interest in it. So, if my children do not show interest, I may not hand over to them because I still have younger siblings and cousins who are showing interest in it. Therefore, it doesn’t have to be my own children directly, that would take over from me in future.
(AKEEM AJOBIEWE’S FATHER)
For the purpose of this interview, can you give me your name sir?
My name is Yekeen Adetunji Ajobiewe.
What is Yemoja Gelede Efe Festival all about sir?
The festival is about reconciling or bringing together every son and daughter of Ibara. If there are some of them having misunderstandings between themselves, we would tell them that it is not so; this is how it should go. And we would reconcile them eventually.
So, the festival is mainly about reconciling the sons and daughters of Ibara; is that what you are saying sir?
Yes, but not only that. Some of them might be having marital issues too amongst themselves, we also find a way of settling it amicably for them. So, it is about the reconciliation sons and daughters of Ibara and bringing them back together as one.
So, do you talk to everyone generally during the course of the festival or you pick out those having issues and address them separately?
If possible, we talk to everyone generally. And if it is necessary, we pick out the ones having issues amongst themselves.
Okay sir. But for how long have Ibara people started celebrating this festival?
The festival is celebrated once in 2 years, but I can’t not say for how long the Ibara people have been celebrating it. Because I met my father celebrating it before I took over from him. And I have been spearheading it for the Ajobiewe family since 1952. And you know, before then, my father had been doing it. And my own son too, Akeem Ajobiewe has taken it over from me. And I believe he is going to perform.
(EFE OF IBARA)
For the purpose of this interview, please give me your name.
My name is Yahya Odunjo. And I am the one known as “Efe of Ibara” being the Head of all Efe Performers in Ibara. I’m from Odunjo lineage and the name of our Efe Masquerade is “Akoko Bi Owu, Amu L’enu Bi Abe”.
As the “Efe of Ibara”, what are some of your responsibilities?
My responsibility is to see to the unity of all the families partaking in the Efe Ceremony as part of the Yemoja Gelede Efe Festival, and how we can increase in number. The truth is, there are many families who are supposed to be participating in our Efe Performances during the festival, but many are afraid to come forward and be part of it. Even, my humble self, it took like six years before they were able to convince me to be part of Efe Performers back then. As a matter of fact, some of our fathers who were Efe Performers like Akeem Ajobiewe’s father and Baba Awelohun of blessed memory played significant roles in my becoming an Efe Performer, and I would be eternally grateful to them. Meanwhile, before now, the people partaking in the Yemoja worship of the festival, the Gelede Performers and the Efe Performers used to do their activities separately, but we have now succeeded in fusing everything together. And that was made possible by those of us who are the coordinators.
Since it is said that the Yemoja Gelede Efe Festival belongs to Yewa people which Ibara happens to be part of them, though, situated in Abeokuta here, does the festival takes place in the main Yewa communities out there like it is taking place here?
Yes, it is taking place there like it is taking place here.
When you celebrate the festival here, do you invite people from there down here and vice versa?
Yes. In fact, we have at least two Efe Performers from Yewa attending the festival here, not as performers, but as invited guests. And when they are having their own their too, they invite us and we go there.
As the “Efe of Ibara”, what are some of the steps you are taking to ensure that the festival continues to exist years to come?
Well, part of the steps is by ensuring that people like Akeem Ajobiewe who is well educated and sociable is coming to join us in participating in the festival. And look at it now, Akeem Ajobiewe who is my good friend has decided to bring a mainstream media house like City People Magazine to cover this edition of the event for us. And with steps like that, I believe we can preserve the cultural heritage for the generation unborn in Ibara.
Finally, what is your advice to other Yoruba ethnic groups who have abandoned their cultural heritage?
Well, I want to say that such Yoruba ethnic groups are not doing themselves any good. Because culture is different from religion. And practicing any religion does not stop us from preserving our cultural heritage. That is our real identity no matter any other thing we try to be. The truth is, our adopted religious beliefs have been the cause of our eroding culture and traditional practices and it is affecting our lives adversely in the continent of Africa. Once we learn of a way of managing our culture and tradition together with our religion, our lives would be better for it.
(OLORI AJE OF IBARA)
For the purpose of this interview, please give me your name.
I am Alhaji Mutiu Ayinde Ajepeaye, I am the Olori Aje of Ibara.
What is the significance of Olori Aje title?
Olori Aje is just like Minister For Commerce and Industry in the Federal Government. It is the highest title in the hierarchy as far as business titles are concerned in Ibara Land.
What can you say about the Yemoja Gelede Efe Festival that is being held in Ibara?
Well, it is a festival of the Ibara people. Starting from Yemoja; Yemoja is the originator of Efe and Efe is the originator of Gelede. Efe is a female, Gelede is a male. When the female is singing, the male will be dancing. And Yemoja is their grandmother. Yemoja is a water goddess and people come from all parts of Yoruba Land to worship Yemoja here. In fact, “Yewa” itself which happens to be our ancestral name today is, indeed, the name of a River and Yemoja lives in the river.
How would you advise other Yoruba ethnic groups who have jettisoned their cultural heritage?
My simple advice to them is that we should not say because of religion, we would abandon our culture. There is a difference between culture, tradition and religion. And if we maintain our culture with our religion, we would be better off for it.
(Baagbile of Ibara)
For the purpose of this interview, please give me your name.
I am Chief Fatunbi Ayinde Adeniji, the Baagbile of Ibara, the Oluwo of Ijaale.
What is the significance of Baagbile title in Ibara?
It is an “Ogboni” title. And in this instance, it is that of “Ogboni” confraternity which sees to the progress of the community at all times.
From your own perspective, what is the significance of Yemoja Gelede Efe Festival that is celebrated in Ibara?
Let me put it this way; like they celebrate Osun-Osogbo Festival in Osun, it is the same way that we celebrate Yemoja Gelede Efe Festival in Ibara. So, in Ibara, we have Yemoja, and we are the people who coordinate the worship of the popular Odo-Ogun in Abeokuta because we understand the goddess of the river. And that is the reason why Odo-Ogun has never caused any serious disaster to the community.
What is your advice to other Yoruba ethnic groups who don’t celebrate their cultural heritage like the Ibara people do with Yemoja Gelede Efe Festival?
There is nothing better than celebrating our cultural heritage because that truly, is, who we are. So, we need to always celebrate and promote our cultural heritage. We should never forget our source as black men. Because, any river which forgets its source runs the risk of drying off in no time.
(BAASEGUN OF IBARA)
For the purpose of this interview, please let’s have your name.
I am Chief Musbau Oloyede, Baasegun of Ibara, and the leader of Yemoja, Gelede and Efe Performers. And I’m also the Awise of Egba Land.
What is the significance of your Awise Title, please?
I am a traditional herbalist and the title stemmed from the profession that I’m into. So, I’m the Awise of all the traditional herbalists in Egba Land.
What is the importance of Yemoja, Gelede Efe Festival in Ibara Land?
The festival is our source as a group of people. It is has a lot to do with the origin of Ibara as a place. Because it is after we must have worshipped Yemoja, that we would perform Efe song and thereafter perform Gelede dance. There is no way we perform Efe and Gelede without first worshipping Yemoja. We worship Yemoja every year while we perform Efe and Gelede once in 2 years.
What are some of the things that Ibara Land has benefited from celebrating the festival?
There are so many. For instance, any woman who is having problems with conception, once she worships Yemoja, she is bound to have her own child. Even the legend of Efe and Gelede stemmed from the fact that they both approached Yemoja for the fruit of the womb. While Efe is the female, Gelede is the male, and after Yemoja granted their wish to have a child, they both started worshipping the goddess of river with singing and dancing which we celebrate as Efe and Gelede today.
(BAAROYIN OF IBARA)
For the purpose of this interview, let’s have your name please.
My name is Chief Okanlawon Oyewole, Baaroyin of Ibara Kingdom.
Why is Ibara Kingdom celebrating Yemoja, Gelede and Efe?
We are celebrating Gelede, Yemoja and Efe in Ibara Kingdom, and the purpose of this is to appreciate Yemoja, the goddess of river. We believe that she is the mother of all other descendants of Olodumare, our creator. So, Yemoja used to give people children, especially, the women people that have problems with conception. So, in most cases when they approach or appease Yemoja, Yemoja would bless them with children. And that happened to the origin of Efe and Gelede. History has it that Yemoja gave them a child, and Efe promised that she will be celebrating Yemoja to show appreciation that she gave her a child. Also, Gelede promised to be celebrating Yemoja too. And since then, the festival started. And nobody in Yewa Land can celebrate Yemoja like we, the people of Ibara.
How are people like you trying to ensure that this cultural heritage keeps going from generation to generation in Ibara Kingdom?
I want to tell you categorically that this Yemoja, Efe, Gelede in Ibara would never go into extinction. As you can see, we have new generation of our people that are taking it up. For example, you can hear about one Mr. Akeem Ajobiewe, a graduate and an intelligent person. He took up the thing in his family in 2020. His father was the one spearheading it in their family, and his father handed over to him in 2020. And since then, he has been doing it wonderfully. So, you can now see that after his dad, Akeem has taken it up. And I know his children and younger siblings would also continue with it in future. And mind you, this in not idol worship because many people may not know the difference. It is just a celebration of our cultural heritage which does not stop us from practicing our respective religious beliefs. For instance, Akeem Ajobiewe is a very good Muslim, likewise many others who are Christians too.
How would you advise other Yoruba ethnic groups who have abandoned their cultural heritage?
All I would say is that we should not muddle up religion with culture. And I want to appeal to every individual that we should not allow religion to erode our culture. We should always embrace our culture. When you go to Church and go to mosques, you should know the difference between religion and your culture.
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