Ololade Adeyanju/
The Olofa of Ofa, Oba Mufutau Gbadamosi, on Saturday, engaged one of his high chiefs, the Eesa of Ofa, in a wrestling bout in the full glare of the public.
The symbolic duel which was expectedly won by the monarch was to kickoff the 8th Ijakadi festival held at the Olofa Stadium in Ofa, Kwara State.
The festival attracted natives of the town from home and abroad and was also witnessed by the state governor, Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq.
Abdulrazaq who was the first governor to attend the festival said his administration is committed to promoting the cultural heritage and festivals of the people of the state.
The governor also acknowledged the self-driven development initiatives and resilience of the Offa people.
“The Ijakadi Offa Festival typifies your resilience and ingenuity as a people and this has continued to make you critical stakeholders in the socio-economic and political space of Kwara State. I urge you never to relent in this regard because healthy competition –devoid of destructive jealousy – is key to development,” Abdulrazaq said.
The governor further stated, “The 2020 budget contains provisions to promote our cultural heritage as Kwaransas well as project our festivals to the world as part of our efforts to making tourism a major revenue earner for the state.
“The Kwara we used to know was renowned for the entrepreneurial spirit of its people. Our people were not always dependent on handouts from any government but things changed along the way following a deliberate effort to impoverish the people. Even then, many people and communities resisted such tendency. I am proud to say that the people of Offa stood tall during those dark years. I must thank you for that.
“Going forward, this administration will promote qualitative and inclusive education, enterprise, and sustainable development with all seriousness. The 2020 budget has pointed in that direction and your own son is at the centre of our developmental initiatives as the Commissioner for Enterprise.
“One of our upcoming projects is the renovation of the Offa Grammar School. We have completed the tender process to rehabilitate the Offa water works to strengthen sanitation and public health. We have recently fixed the Popo Road, while we have also awarded the construction of the Tipper Garage-Amuyo-to-Adesoye College Road.”
Oba Gbadamosi used the occasion to announce the conferment of a traditional title of “Asoludero” on AbdulRazaq, noting the governor had made history as the first to attend the event since it began eight years ago.
“I gave him the traditional title of Asoludero (the comforter of Offa Land) because his attendance shows his love for culture and community development.
“This is the eighth edition of Ijakadi festival and His Excellency is the first governor to attend this programme. I’m giving him the title of Asoludero of Offa Land. That’s a mark of our appreciation for your coming. This event is about our love for equity, justice and fairness. We have always shown the way not only in Kwara but in northern Nigeria. We are always helping our community,” the monarch said.
Other highlights of the festival included the horizontal slicing of yam into two equal parts and the display of Moremi Onmaka who rescued Ile-Ife people from an internecine war of the Igbo who was said to be a native of Offa.
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