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The Annual Ojude Oba Festival of Ijebu Ode has been suspended over the rising of COVID-19 new cases in the state.
The Awujale and Paramount Ruler of Ijebuland, Oba (Dr.) Sikiru Kayode Adetona, has approved the cancellation of the 2021 edition of the festive.
This was contained in a Press statement issued by the Coordinator of the Festival and Baagbimo of Ijebu, Chief (Dr.) Fassy Yusuf, who said the cancellation was attributed to the prevalence of the COVID-19 pandemic.
He said its likely upsurge with the Delta variant and the negligible number of people that had taken the anti-COVID 19 vaccine.
Rather than expose peoples who will converge on Ijebu Ode from all over the world to participate in the ancient and unique socio-cultural and religious festival of the Ijebu nation, with its parade of traditional age groups and the spectacular durbar with unsurpassable equestrian display, to avoidable and preventable health hazards, the monarch directed that the 2021 edition be cancelled.
This is the second time in its known history of more than one Century that the festival that unites Muslims, Christians, and adherents of other faiths will be cancelled. The Ojude Oba Festival is normally held two days after the Eid-el Kabir festival(Ileya).
In his message to the Ijebu nation on the occasion of the 2021 Eid-el Kabir (10th of Dhul-Hijja 1442 AH), the monarch thanked his subjects for the peace, progress, and tranquillity pervading Ijebuland. He prayed for additional economic and social prosperity within Ijebuland and charged his people to remain resolute and be optimistic that sooner than later, Ijebu State would become a reality.