THISDAYonline

The new yams are here. And it is the season of festivals in the farming communities across the country, especially in the southern region.

For the Akoko people in Ondo State, this is an important festival that draws the sons and daughters of the community even those residing outside. From Akoko North-East to Akoko South-West, from Akoko North-West to Akoko South-East Local Government Areas, the various communities began the yearly celebration to welcome the new yam in turn early this month at Ikare Akoko. However, the celebration train moves to a community in Akoko South West- Okaodo-Iwaro- renowned for its rich Odun Ijesu (new yam festival) tradition dating back to primordial times.

In contemporary Nigeria, very few communities, especially in the Western part of the country, still celebrate the new yam festival the traditional way. Nowadays, most communities are fast discarding the age-long tradition labeling it, 'barbaric and primitive,' while some modify and re-christene it, 'Day' using the name of the community.

Yet, some communities, especially in the Eastern part of the country, still keep the tradition as passed on by the ancestors. In contemporary Enugu State for instance, the new yam festival is still being traditionally celebrated, at least, in eleven parts of the State. Each community still retains the name by which its ancestry found the festival.

Like their counterparts in the East, the Okaodo-Iwaro community, though have made some modifications in the manner they celebrate the festival, it has tried to hold on to tradition as passed down by their forefathers. They have suppressed all attempts at making them abandon the tradition.

While announcing the programme for this year's celebrations last week, the traditional ruler of the community, Oba Lawrence B. Omorinbola explained that the community does not fancy re-christening its new yam festival because "it is a traditional legacy passed down to us by our fathers. We cannot wake up one day and just change it because of our contemporary religious leaning."

Though, himself a staunch Christian, he says he believes as tradition holds it, that the living are not the only ones celebrating the festival. "Our ancestors are among the celebrants. It is not just our festival. It is a festival for both the living and the dead. They do visit us at that time. How would they feel if we have to change the tradition just like that?" he asked.

He argued that "What we are celebrating is Odun Ijesu Titun "arrival and eating of the new yam." The festival marks the end of the farming season indicating a time of rest before the commencement of another farming season. We cannot re-christen it 'Iwaro Day,' because it's not the community's birthday. May be we may have a day set aside for such day in future," he said.

On his part, the President of Okaodo Progressive Union, Lagos Branch, Prince Tony Kayode, expressed that Odun Ijesu Titun is the unifying factor that holds the community together. "It is one festival that our kinsmen and women never want to miss. It is good for the community also, because it always offers us the opportunity to discuss the progress and development of our town. That is the only time that you can see majority of our people visiting home. More than just a festival, Odun Ijesu Titun is a re-union call for sons and daughters of Okaodo-Iwaro community. It is a period when indigenes come together to show love by eating the New Yam from the same bowl and drinking from the same keg of palmwine, " he enthused.

He explained that though, the festival still maintains its rich ancient tradition, "it has also gone through serious modification to reflect contemporary pop culture." Part of populist culture added to the celebrations these days is the invitation extended to popular musicians to entertain the indigenes and guests in live performances during the festival.

"Since 1989 or thereabouts, Chief Elemure Ogunyemi, the Ekiti music exponent has been a regular feature at the festivals. Last year, one of our very own facilitated the participation of one of Fuji music's greatest artistes- Wasiu Alabi, known as Pasuma Wonder. And he has promised to come this year, even if uninvited. "

He said that Okaodo-Iwaro community is a potential tourism enclave if properly harnessed. "Gradually, we are taking the Odun Ijesu Titun to a level that it will assume a cultural carnival with universal appeal". He, like Grisso, an African of the Diaspora, born and raised in Trinidad believes that Africa is the spiritual origin of the various carnivals found in all the countries of the New World where Carnival has become an institution - notably in Rio de Janeiro, New Orleans, and Port of Spain. "We want to show the world that Africa is the origin of carnivals found in cities around the world," he said.

He added that visitors to the festival also have the opportunity of visiting Oke Maria, on the mount Gboli range about 100 metres away East of Okenode. Oke Maria is an ancient Catholic pilgrimage spot for Christians the world over. Church history holds that a popular Reverend Father saw the apparition of the Virgin Mary on the spot early 19th century.

The Okaodo-Iwaro Odun Ijesu Titun is a celebration of the peoples' rich culture and tradition. A week-long affair, the festival features cultural displays by masquerades, hunters Ijala, Oton Dance by Orisha Oko worshippers, maiden dance by worshippers and maidens of Umote goddess, among others.

The festival normally begins with the clearing of all the roads leading in and out of the community by appointed age grades. As it is believed in most communities celebrating the new yam across the country, the people of Iwaro Akoko also believe that the ancestral spirits who will visit the town during the festival will have to use the roads. More importantly, the road leading to Okun Ore, (under the Ore tree) on mount Gboli, in Okenode, about 800 metres in the outskirts of the town.

Okenode was where the people first settled after leaving Ile-Ife in the wake of the spread of the Yoruba Kingdom after the demise of Oduduwa, progenitor of the Yorubas. One of the things that attracts tourists to visit Okenode is its surviving 16th and 17th century architecture. All the houses have collapsed but the palace built by Asin Dawodu I (Olugbangada) with a string of stream behind it remains in tact.

Though the community had since resettled in Iwaro, Okun Ore, the ancestral royal shrine remains paramount in the life of the people. That is where all Asins are crowned till today. Hence, the yearly pilgrimage to Okun Ore where sacrifices are offered to the ancestors and the gods of harvest and for peace of the town and prayers for bountiful harvest in the approaching farming season during Odun Ijesu Titun.

The Okaodo-Iwaro Odun Ijesu Titun has a long and intriguing history. Legend has it that it evolved about 300 or 400 years ago during the reign of Asin Olugbangada. A terrible famine ravaged the entire kingdom threatening the population of the tribe. Olugbangada, a king with great magical powers, was said to have entered and spent three months inside the Olugbangada stream. At the end of the third month (towards the end of July), he was said to have returned with assorted food crops and fruits including the yam which he introduced to the farming community for the first time. He then charged the community to set aside a day to celebrate the arrival and eating of the new food crop, yam.

"Since then till today and I hope forever, the community has been celebrating the arrival of the new yam. And yam has grown to assume a prime position in the diet of the community," Oba Omorinbola stated.