THISDAYonline

Re-enacting the age-long tradtion of the people of the area, Akoko Clan, Ondo State, have been in festive mood in the last two months, celebrating activities to mark this year's new yam festival. The annual festival, permits the people to eat of new years and until it is celebrated, no member of the clan eats of a new yam. This year's festival, which began with the celebration of the harvest season in Ikare Akoko on June 20, climaxed last weekend in the clan's Okaodo three communities - Oka Akoko, Ikun Akoko, Akungba Akoko - in Akoko South West and Akoko South East Local Government Areas.

Okaodo community is renowned for its unique way of celebrating the festival in Iwaro Oka, which is fast turning it into a tourism event of some sort. Indigenes of the community in Lagos State decided to extend this year's celebrations to Lagos. Led by the President of Okaodo Progressive Union in Lagos, Mr. Anthony Kayode, the indigenes entertained friends, well-wishers and culture enthusiasts to an evening of cultural dance and music penultimate Saturday at the Akowonjo Community Hall, in Egbeda, a Lagos Suburb.

Speaking at the occasion, Kayode explained that his community is one of the few in Nigeria still keeping the age-long tradition of thanking God for a bountiful harvest and asking for more blessings in years to come through the celebration of the new yam festival. "We inherited the tradition from our fathers, and we don't intend to let it die," he said. He berated communities and individuals, who are abandoning their culture and traditions to imbibe western ways, culture and religion. According to him, there was nothing in the new yam festival that suggests voodooism or sorcery. He said traditional dances at such festivals are "dances used to celebrate harvest and agriculture."

He commended his town's men and women, who, he said, "inspite of the assault of religion and foreign culture on traditions, have remained committed to upholding what is theirs." "I really commend them because it is not easy to profess the tradition of your people in today's world of rampant religious hypocrisy," Kayode stressed. He said Akoko land as a whole deserves commendation for upholding the new yam tradition even in contemporary times. "Even our Governor takes his people's new yam festival seriously. He is always around to be part of the festival every year," he said.

Aside the festival's cultural rejuvenation of the indigenes, he explained that "It had always served as a re-union for our people because of the importance we attach to it." "Many of our people travel home from all croners of the world to be part of the festival. So, it becomes an avenue for you to see and re-unite with old friends that you have lost contact with for a long time," Kayode further explained the other fun in the festival for the communities.

Also, he said because of the huge crowd the festival draws from far and near, the communities cash on opportunities offered by it to discuss, initiate and launch development programmes. "This has really worked fine for the communities. We have always programmed our launchings to coincide with the festival. The results are there for all to see," Kayode said.