By Babatunde Kaka.
Excitement and fun-fare rented the air as Okoshi, the headline event of the annual Ebi Festival was peacefully held in Epe, the Fish Basket of the land of aquatic splendor and Center of Excellence, Lagos.
As gathered by EKO HOT BLOG, the annual event which celebrates the phenomenal feats of primogenitors of Epe ancestry recorded a low turn out owing to COVID-19 restrictions. Regardless, it was a resplendent event as illustrious sons and daughters of the ancient town from near and far once again gathered to celebrate the rich cultural heritage of Epe.
The Okoshi Festival has been in existence from time immemorial in Epe and is still being practiced despite the fact that civilization, the advent of alien religions, technology and globalization had crept into the lives of its people.
In an interview with EKO HOT BLOG at the famous Oluwo Main Market, a trader, with vast knowledge of Epe history said that the celebration of the ancient festival is sacrosanct and any attempt to subvert it would amount to trials in the community. She noted that the celebration is based on the traditional age group system as ordained by Ifa divination. According to her, this year’s festival was meant for the 1987 age group who would ultimately be relieved of the traditional title in three years.
Speaking further, the source allayed fears from members of the community towards participating in the festival on the ground of violence. She noted that the festival has always been a peaceful one which unites sons and daughters of Epe ancestry. However, she said that the inevitable battle of supremacy amongst several age groups leads to display of traditional charms, magical delusions and whipping with objects such as “Ikoobu”, “awo ese,” ” igbadi ” and others.
“Those who intend to catch a glimpse of the rich cultural festival should not be afraid, the age groups fighting supremacy battles either with the younger or older members have no business with bystanders.
In the end, the Oloja of Epe mediates and resolves the issues. Okoshi is just like Eyo festival in Lagos. Amongst many other advantages, it reminds indigenes of their ancestry, breeds unity and fosters development”, she said.
The source therefore revealed that the Okoshi traditional title conferment is not money spinning and that the only taboo in the process would be when a prospective person chosen by Ifa divinity smashed the calabash.
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Spectacles at the festival included the boat regatta which entails the decoration of boats from both “Ebode” and “Aleke” at Oluwo and Erepoto respectively. The boats, with its age grade paddlers, dancers and singers paid homage to the ancestral Ogunmodede deity situated at Oluwo market and thereafter returned to dazzle family members, friends, well wishers and onlookers at the famous Oju-Alaro shrine in Marina, where ardent believers offer prayers to their ancestors and deities.
After the boat regatta was completed, the newly installed “Oloyes” took turns to assemble at the ancestral Oju-Alaro shrine before singing and dancing uphill to pay homage at Oju-Alaro Ipebi shrine situated in Ita-Opo. Thereafter, a feast of local dishes, drinks, music and dance took center stage at compounds of various “Oloyes”.
Like many other traditional festivals of the world, the Okoshi festival provides a platform for the showcase of the rich cultural heritage of Epe people. It also underscores the symbiotic relationship maintained between Epe and her natural environment. The ultimate goal is to promote the socio-cultural milieu of the fish basket of the nation via a celebration of its greatest natural endowment.
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