Ojude Oba Iperu Remo receives boost as OGSG pledges cooperation, support
By Kolawole Olayinka, Abeokuta
The Ojude Oba Iperu Remo has received a boost as Ogun State Government has pledged to collaborate with the organizers in ensuring a successful staging of the event which comes up later in the year.
Giving the assurance is the Commissioner for Culture and Tourism, Olusesan Fagbayi, while receiving the Ojude Oba Iperu Remo Planning Committee during a visit to his Oke-mosan, Abeokuta office, on Wednesday.
The committee led by its Chairman, Otunba Taiwo Oyebanjo, has gone to present to the Commissioner, a formal request for recognition, support and collaboration of the Ogun State Government, towards a successful relaunch, reintroduction, and sustenance of the newly-repackaged Ojude Oba Iperu Remo, an age-long heritage of the town.
Fagbayi while responding to the request, commended the idea, pledging government’s presence and participation at the event.
The Ojude Oba Iperu, an annual carnival-like event, which dates back to 1882 during the reign of Oba OKUPE (Agbonmagbe II), is usually celebrated on the third day of Ileya, and it is used to pay homage to the king in his abode, or any other appointed venue within the town, where participants which cuts across all religious affiliations gathered to honour the king, celebrate the town’s socio-cultural heritage and promote oneness among themselves in the spirit of the Ileya season.
The celebration which had its ups and downs, had however always comes out stronger after each lull in activities.
The need to once again revive this age-long socio-cultural heritage initiated by the forefathers of the town cannot be over-emphasized, as it will among others help re-open peer group and age-grade values, increase social interaction among indigenes, create business potentials in the tourism sector, and restore the good memories of the old past.
The Iperu Development Association with the royal consent of the Alaperu, constituted a committee, and the committee was inaugurated by the monarch on Sunday, 8th October, 2023, while the Ojude Oba 2024 was formally unveiled also by the Royal Father on Sunday, 24th October, 2023.
The unveiling ceremony was witnessed by the Executive Chairman, Ikenne Local Government, Hon. Olusegun OGUNLEYE, the Ebi of Idena, Iperu, His Royal Highness, Oba Lukman Oluwadamilare Adebambo SALAMI (Sebu II); the Onimeji of Imeji, Iperu, His Royal Highness, Oba Babatunde Kayode OLAYEBO OREMULE-SODA (Gbadewolu I); and the Alagbehinsa of Agbehinsa, His Royal Highness Oba Isiaka Adekanmi OGUNNAIKE (Odumowu I).
The Secretary of the Ojude Oba Iperu Planning Committee, Alhaji SBO OMISANYA, and the Director of Contact and Mobilization, (Nigeria), Prince Adedoyin ADESINA, accompanied the Chairman during the visit.
