FULL TEXT: Speech Delivered By Chairman Planning Committee, Otunba T J Abass, At Grand Finale Of Kayokayo Festival, Held On Saturday, August 27th, 2022

A Speech delivered by the Chairman of the planning committee, Otunba T J Abass, at the grand finale of the Kayokayo festival, held on Saturday, August 27th, 2022

Royal salutations are in order for the sundry from the office of our revered monarch, HRM Oba Dr. Shefiu Adewale, Bamgbopa Eshilokun 1, Olu Epe of the Epe Kingdom and the Olu Epe in Council, on this august occasion.

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Your gracious presence at today’s occasion accounts beyond the statistics of elegant dresses, lavish adornments, and euphoric dance moves to provide a validation for the planning committee members who had worked assiduously to deliver such a memorable 2022 festival. Our committee would not have been better than the baker in the wild who bakes cakes all day but has no one to eat her cake.

Therefore, on behalf of the committee, I harbour in my heart a heavier volume of gratitude for you than the weight of my words can bear.

The diverse nature of the Kayokayo Festival makes it hard to designate, I will, however, refresh your memories about some of the dimensions and significances of this special celebration which is one of the most iconic festivals celebrated by the Epe people. There are religious, social, and cultural dimensions to this festival.

It isn’t a mere coincidence that this festival is celebrated during the first month of the Islamic calendar, in commemoration of ‘Yaom-al Ashura,’ the tenth day of Muharram in the Islamic calendar, about a month after the Muslim festival of Eid-El-Kabir. It invariably ushers in a new Islamic year, and it remains a notable worldwide date in Islam called ‘Aashurah; a day of victory, the 10th day of Muharram. One cannot discount the religious significance of Kayokayo as Epe is a predominantly Muslim community. It has always presented an opportunity to pray for the peace and stability of the community.

On the social pedestal, Kayokayo heightens the aura of brotherhood that has always existed in the land, presenting an opportunity for indigenes to fraternize. On occasion like this, people come together to share in the joy of the moment, to wine and dine; it is about communal bonding.

The cultural dimension of this festival commemorates the grand entry of King Kosoko Morounfolu Okunoye in 1851, along with his war chiefs, a journey that changed the course of the history of Epe. It was also a resettlement similar to the settlement of Prophet Noah. The festival is an age-long tradition that has evolved over the years into a platform for promoting cultural and tourism potential, 178 years on.

We have changed the ethos, the understanding, and the perspective of the festival. Consequently, we have brought the Kayokayo into global reckoning. Kayokayo Festival is no longer a festival for the older generation as younger people to enjoy the frequency of the celebration.

It is an idea, a bold, righteous idea that has served and will continue to serve as a guiding light to generations unborn. It has become a veritable platform to promote the local economy, address some of the socio-economic challenges of the community, and, most significantly, propagate our rich and diverse culture. It is designed to provide a platform for indigenes and non-indigenes. It has become a veritable platform to bolster and consolidate the socio-economic and religious-cultural landscape of the Epe Kingdom. Kayokayo festival encapsulates our culture, tradition, and way of life. It must be celebrated; it must be embraced.

This year’s festival edition will not be divorced from the fundamental philosophy of the Kayokayo. However, with human interaction gradually sliding back to pre-Covid levels, we have every expectation of delivering a much more grandiose event. The ambiance and the flair are back.

The 7-day epochal event started on the 19th day of August with the annual press conference followed by a medley of activities, including:

Press Conference
Tajud Prayer
Prayer for the Community
Children Program
Medical Mission
Scholarship Award

Today is the grand finale, and we sincerely hope we have met every expectation and delivered quite a memorable occasion, of course not devoid of some lapses which we are cognizant of and will definitely make amends moving forward. Isn’t the room for improvement the biggest room in the world? Please, enjoy the hospitable moment in our beautiful town, the fish basket of the nation.

Let me remind you that the history of Kayokayo would not have been a complete one without the trip Kosoko made in1851 that changed the course of history in Epe forever. Kosoko name has been synonymous with the Epe Kingdom from a time before remembering,

The role of the Kososko family in the genesis and evolution of Kayokayo will not desert our memories as our archives bear the evidence; hence, the involvement of the Kosoko family in Kayokayo since its inception is a testament to the pre-existing relationship we have already vicariously shared over the years.

I extend my heartfelt appreciation to the Kosoko family, particularly our brother, the Oloja elect, Prince Abiola Kosoko. His ingenuity has been responsible for the modern Etufu light we are launching today. It is a great honor to have someone of his class in our midst to help tell the story and project our rich culture into the world.

We are equally thrilled to have in our midst today our brand ambassador, a true Lagosian, Prince Jide Kosoko.

It would be our pleasure to work shoulder to shoulder with him to propagate the cultural heritage of the Epe Division and give the same a global reckoning. We are genuinely appreciative of their participation.

Epe Division, as we know, abounds with a rich cultural gallery, which, if industriously harnessed, would place the division firmly on the launch pad to social and economic prosperity.

An idle mouth should not rant if another mouth thwarts its tales. Our story is ours to tell; we will not leave this responsibility to another in our quest to get the world to look in our direction.

In the words of Isaac Newton, “If I have seen further, it is by standing on the shoulders of Giants”.

The success of this year’s festival would not have been possible without the commitment and the hard work of the committee members, the entire community, and our sponsors. I owe you all a debt of gratitude.

The sponsors’ benevolence and large heart have undoubtedly been the reason for our moderate success, particularly the crowdfunding and grassroots campaign strategies.

The strength and the character of the community were tested with the fundraising idea.

Our love and patriotic disposition to our community are irrefutable, as evidenced in the zeal and the commitment with which we deployed our hard-earned resources to support this laudable cause.

The goal of crowdfunding was to enable us to take ownership and control of the festival with small donations rather than focusing on big donors.

Once again, corroborating the spirit of the altruism which Kayokayo represents, the adopted communal funding system has recorded tremendous success. The campaign strategy has been effective, and I assure you of utmost transparency and accountability. Every penny will be accounted for.

Our goal was to leverage Kayokayo as a platform to narrate our beautiful story from the cradle of culture, and I believe we have succeeded in that area. Moreover, we aimed to leverage it as a tool to address the socio-economic challenges of the community. We have succeeded in that area also.

The statistics of over 100,000 people coming into Epe in the last week and pumping millions of money into the economy bear the witness.

You can see that an extempore centre of commerce has sprung up over there as some petty traders are already harnessing Kayokayo for financial benefit.

More so, we also seek to use the cultural benefits to drive the tourism potential in Epe.

FURTHER READING:

• Epe Kayokayo 2022: Kularanking Releases Kayokayo Track, Set To Perform on Grand-Finale (MP3 Download)

• Alara 2nd Coronation: ‘Cultural Festivals Impact On Economy Is Same As English Premier League In UK’ – Folarin Coker

• ‘Ileya Is A Festival Of Unity In Epe’ – Wale Raji Reflects On Eid-el-Kabir

The financial contribution of our political leaders, and the traditional rulers, have undoubtedly made a huge impact and is responsible for our success story.

Thanks for being part of our story, and many thanks for your benevolence.

Once again, on behalf of HRM, Oba Dr. Shefiu Adewale, Bamgbopa Eshilokun 1, Olu Epe of Epe Kingdom, and the committee members, I express my heartfelt appreciation for your tremendous support.

God bless you all.

Otunba T J Abass
Aremo of Epe Kingdom

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