By; BAYO AKAMO, Ibadan
Governor Gboyega Oyetola of Osun State will this Saturday July 27 lead all ethnic nationalities in Osogbo in the maiden edition of ‘Walk for Osun’, heralding this year’s annual Osun Osogbo Festival.
This was made known in a statement issued by the Managing Consultant of the event and marketing management company of the festival, Esquire Global, Mr. Toye Arulogun made available to newsmen in Ibadan
According to the statement, the Ataoja of Osogbo, Oba Jimoh Oyetunji, said the Walk, a carnival procession of stakeholders around Osogbo, would take off at Better Life, Isale, Osun, Osogbo by 8.00am, with other top government functionaries to be part of the exercise.
Oba Oyetunji added that traditional rulers, cultural icons, all ethnic nationalities, groups and associations, traders, artisans, market men and women, sons and daughters of Osogbo and Osun state had signified their interests to be part of the Walk for Osun, which is one of the several activities lined up to celebrate the annual festival.
The Ataoja pointed out that the Walk became necessary in view of the internal upheavals and security challenges currently facing the country, noting that the programme us to promote unity and peaceful cohabitation among all the ethnic nationalities in the state, adding that the protection of Osogbo and Osun State as a whole is among the positive things the Osun Osogbo goddess had bestowed on Osogboland.
Oba Oyetunji maintained that the Walk would herald the 2019 Osun Osogbo festival with the pre-festival programmes commencing on August 5, 2019, stressing that the festival grand procession to Osun grove would hold on Friday, August 16 and there would also be an all white party and award night afterwards.
According to the Ataoja, pre-festival activities would begin with the traditional cleaning of the city (Iwopopo) on August 5 and the lighting of the mystic 16 points lamp on August 8, while the festival activities would commence on Monday, August 12 with the Assemblage of Crowns (Iboriade) and that the Arugba Berth ceremony would hold on August 13, the same day that tourists would have the opportunity of touring the cultural and historical sites in the state.
Oba Oyetunji stressed that the activities would also witness the native Ayo game, football competition finals, Arts and Crafts Fair and children’s fiesta at the palace pavilion on August 14, with the Ataoja’s Chieftaincy Coronation and Osun Festival Tourism forum rounding off the programme on Thursday, August 15.
