Olodumare Festival: God Has Called Me To Promote His Glory – Oluwo

The Oluwo of Iwoland, Oba Abdulrosheed Adewale Akanbi, has declared his determination to rid Yoruba cultural practices of violence, saying traditions that encourage attacks, intimidation and other forms of abuse must be modified to reflect contemporary societal values.

The monarch made the declaration on Monday during the sixth Odun Olodumare (God Festival), celebrated at his palace in Iwo, Osun State.

The festival was attended by traditional rulers, religious leaders, market men and women, dramatists, gospel singers, cultural enthusiasts and other guests.

Speaking on his approach to Yoruba culture and tradition, Oba Akanbi said he embraced Yoruba heritage but would not tolerate practices that promote violence.

“When it comes to culture, I advocate a culture that is free from violence. I embrace Yoruba culture and traditions, but those practices that require modification, particularly traditions that promote violence, must be addressed,” he said.

The monarch, who cited masquerade festivals as an example, said such cultural celebrations should be organised without intimidation or attacks on members of the public.

He recalled that before his ascension to the throne, the appearance of masquerades often created fear among residents, forcing traders to close their shops.

“Before I ascended the throne, whenever masquerades appeared, people were afraid to open their shops. There were reported cases of rape, killings and attacks on people with cutlasses,” he said.

However, he maintained that his 11 years on the throne had witnessed improvements following his consistent campaign against violence in cultural celebrations.

“Today, we can organise a Gungun festival without violence. We held one this year, and it was peaceful, although there were still a few isolated incidents,” he said.

Oba Akanbi acknowledged that completely eliminating harmful cultural practices would require time, but insisted that the society was making progress.

“We understand that completely eradicating such practices will take time, but we are making progress. Our goal is to make Yoruba culture and tradition the envy of the world because we have one of the most beautiful cultures globally,” he added.

The traditional ruler also called for greater attention to the development of the Yoruba language, expressing his desire to see it adopted as a medium for teaching scientific and other academic disciplines.

“I want to develop and elevate the Yoruba language to the point where it can be used to teach Physics and other academic subjects and professional courses,” he said.

Speaking on the significance of the festival, the Oluwo described the celebration as an expression of his commitment to Olodumare, whom he identified as the Supreme Being in Yoruba monotheism.

He said his advocacy was driven by a divine conviction, adding that he would continue to promote the glory of Olodumare.

The monarch also declared that violence associated with culture, tradition or religion would not be tolerated under his leadership.

“I am an Oba, a king. However, any form of violence associated with our culture, tradition or religion is unacceptable to me. I will not tolerate it,” he said.

As part of the festival’s activities, Oba Akanbi announced an N5 million empowerment programme for 100 residents, with each beneficiary expected to receive N50,000.

He explained that beneficiaries would be randomly selected from different groups, including princes, chiefs, members of the royal institution, Muslims, traditional initiates and ordinary residents of Iwo.

The monarch said the initiative was intended to extend support across different segments of the community.