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The Olubadan Of Ibadanland, Oba Lekan Balogun has called on the adherents of the annual Egungun festival in Ibadanland on Monday to ensure that the festival is held without the usual attendant thuggery and hooliganism.
Oba Lekan Balogun, made the call while playing host to the heads of Egungun cults (Alaagbaas) under the umbrella of Ojesowapo in his Alarere residence.
The monarch, who enjoined the Alaagbaas to help sanitise the festival towards making the purpose of the celebration which includes praying against evil occurrences and general entertainment of the residents to be fulfilled said the Palace would not tolerate breakdown of law and order under the guise of Egungun festival.
Olubadan promised to give the group all the necessary support and assistance required of the Palace for the successful hosting of the festival whenever the time comes, but, insisted that everything must be done under the armpit of the law.
Earlier in his address, the head of the group, who is the Alaagbaa of Agugu, Chief Ojebiyi Adepoju told Olubadan that the purpose of the visit was to pay homage and sensitize the Palace on the annual festival starting next month.
He said that efforts were being put in place to ensure that the festival is held without the attendant rancour, noting that, “we are conscious of the unpalatable image the festival had acquired in the past and we are ready to change it.
“The visit being made to the Palace is to inform Kabiyesi of our efforts in that direction and to solicit for the Palace’s support because we need the cooperation and assistance of the security agencies to achieve our goal.
“We are fully prepared for a successful and hitch-free festival. We are ready to do away with the past ugly incidents associated with the festival and we are very happy with the promise of assurances received from our Kabiyesi”, Chief Adepoju stated.