Regent of Ayeka, Princess Oluyemi Bajowa Celebrates Ejo Festival
– Steve Ovirih.
The record breaking first female regent in Ikale Land, the regent of Ayeka Kingdom , Princess Oluyemi Bajowa has gathered her subjects and well meaning people of Ayeka Ule together for the the culturally rich annual festivity, ‘Ejo’.
The celebration which revealed the outstanding mores and cultural values of the people of Ayeka began on Sunday night , the 10th of November at “the Ogwa” , the revered traditional melting pot of Ayeka high chiefs ( the Ijamas). The Ogwa, which is also the sacred nexus of communion and a pantheon of the gods and ancestry of the ancient people of Ayeka Ule played host that Sunday night to the women folk of Ayeka, the youths , popularly called “omaojas”, chiefs of the town in their rank and file and notable Ayeka stakeholders.
The majestic arrival of Her Royal Majesty, Princess Oluyemi Bajowa and the palace chiefs in a royal fleet signalled the commencement of the first leg of the two – day festivity which involved the night session at the Ogwa and the social gathering the next day, Monday, the 11th of November at the palace of the Lumure of Ayeka.
The floodlit , sparkling white auditorium had already been filled with well wishers before the arrival of the regent and chief host of the event, Princess Bajowa.
The first day of Ejo Festival featured the recitation of panegyrics of the Lumure clan of Ayeka to the tune of 200 chant songs and recitals which threw light on the historical antecedents of the town and heroic and memorable feats of the past as well as the traditions which bind the people of the town together. Each chant as the Ayeka high priest and bard reeled them out sent a wave of excitement through the hall as the eulogies of the chanted songs were a summon to the families to charge into the arena in recognition of their family praise names and this also called for the dance round the arena by different groups : the age grade, the women folk, the chiefs and members of the royal family, particularly as the cognomen of the deceased Lumure of Ayeka, Oba Bo’de Ayelomi was mentioned. The rythmic traditional drum beats , the sonorous voices and the legendary ethos underlying the songs arouse an electrifying excitement in the audience.
While speaking with thepolity.net at the Ogwa, Gen (Dr) Oluyemi Bajowa, the Jagunmolu of Ikale Land and Ojagbulegun of Ayeka Kingdom, expressed his delight over the traditional festival . He noted that he was present at the event as a distinguish stakeholder on different fronts. Beaming with smile, Gen . Bajowa (Rtd) said he was at the Ogwa to felicitate with the Regent of Ayeka, noting that he is proud to be the husband of the amiable regent, a remark which drew admiration and applause from the audience. Gen. Bajowa said he is equally a descendant of the Lumure dynasty and of the lineage of the famous Prince Ehiuola . ” I am a descendant of the lineage of the famous Prince Ehiuola . This crown prince , you will recall, was suppose to become The Lumure of Ayeka but for reason that was traditionally peculiar in nature, he ceded the throne . The dynasty of Prince Ehiuola went ahead to establish Osooro kingdom and to cap it all, I am the Ojagbulegun of Ayeka Kingdom, so my presence here is a homecoming to rejoice with my kit and kin as we celebrate odun ejo,” Gen Bajowa enthused.
The Idebi of Ayeka, Chief. Raphael Ayelomi said “Ejo” was one of the major traditional festivities that Ayeka Ule had celebrated for many years. He said the festival is as old as the town and it is the festival of Lumure which the palace holds very dear. While thanking God for the town’s choice of regent, who also holds the people’s customs very dear, the Idebi of Ayeka prayed to the gods of the Land to continue to sustain the regent on the throne of her forefathers.
The Lisa of Ayeka Kingdom, Chief Ayeyowa congratulated the Regent for celebrating “odun Ejo” with pump and fanfare, stressing that Ejo is significant in many ways. “Ejo is a festival of unification among the sons and daughters of Ayeka Ule. Ayeka is the homestead and everywhere else is a mere place of sojourn, thus Ejo is the festival that brings together all the spinsters of yore who are married off to suitors in far away lands,” chief Ayeyowa maintained.
The Regent of Ayeka, Princess Barrister Oluyemi Bajowa in a chat with thepolity.net expressed her satisfaction with the huge turn out of women who had come from far and near for the celebration. She said Ejo is a harvest festival; a social cultural platform that engender unity among the women folk in the town. She said “Ejo” is a clip from a longer expression “odunjo” meaning another time of the year has come when people who had embark on long voyage away from home come together to ask about one another’s welfare, to dine together and to pray together for the peace of the town.
The second day of the festivity which featured a colourful session of the high chiefs at the palace of Lumure with the regent had in attendance the Jagunmolu of Ikale Land and Ojagbulegun of Ayeka kingdom, Gen. Olu Bajowa (Rtd).
The royal session featured the breaking of cola nut , special royal prayers and expression of good will by the high chiefs.
When the palace session of the Regent and the high chiefs adjourned, a major and traditionally significant party of Ayeka women and youths (Omajas) took to Ayeka River a ram for cleansing amidst singing and dancing, and from the river , the ram was led to the Ogwa where the high priest would latter sacrifice it to the gods and the ancestors of Ayeka Kingdom.
On their return to the palace, a huge reception was already in the air. People were lavishly entertained while a highlife band was on ground to serenade the atmosphere.
Report has it that the Ejo festival of Ayeka Kingdom is one of the festivals in Yoruba Land which motive is to forge a bond among the women of the Land and to ensure that they always return home once in a while no matter how far away their city of sojourn.
