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Different families in Okitipupa, Southern senatorial district of Ondo state, cutting across the ancient, cradle of the town – Idepe and down to the earth of the town in Okitipupa, have celebrated this year’s “Ere”. The traditional festival which started earlier in the week peaked on Thursday, the 30th of March with the outing of “Oguntawo” a masquerade from the pantheon of ‘the Ikale gods’.
There was fanfare and exciting display by different masquerades, representing the “Imale” (local name for the ancestral spirits of the community).
While tracing the origin of the festival, the Balogun of Idepe – Okitipupa, Hon. Chief Dr. Niyi Ikuemelo has this to say: “this is Ere festival, which follows” Iwo”. “Iwo festival celebrates the return of the dead to visit their people on earth, to bless them and to share spiritual bond with them and this occurs 9th day after the” Irokute festival “.
Continuing, Dr. Ikuemelo said Ere as it is, is synonymous with peace, tranquility, calmness, productivity and all manners of supernatural blessing for the land. He maintained that all the traditional festivals observed in the town, the Ere festival crowns them all, adding that regardless of the challenges the town has, Okitipupa has enjoyed peace and tranquility. “Yes, we have Obaship tussle but it has been diplomatically managed within the ambience of peace, so much that you wonder if there is any tussle at all. The gods of the land are celebrated as soon as the occasion calls for it and they have blessed our land, their land with peace, ” Ikuemelo maintained.
The British trained academic while regretting the lack of electricity supply in the town said a stakeholders meeting will be held soon to correct this anomaly. He also noted that the town is poised to attain social infrastructural and industrial development.
   
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