The people of Igede-Ekiti in Irepodun/Ifelodun Local Government Area of Ekiti State have appealed to President Bola Tinubu to confer a national honour on their 93-year-old monarch, Oba James Aladesuru, who has spent more than 66 years on the throne.
The Chairman of the Ojude Àkè Festival Planning Committee, Dr Oludotun Adetuberu, made the appeal during a press conference in Igede-Ekiti to unveil activities for the week-long celebration, which will end with a grand finale on Saturday.
Adetuberu described the monarch as Africa’s longest-reigning traditional ruler and said his years of service deserved national recognition.
According to him, ” Let me also state that we are recommending to the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria that our Revered Monarch be given a national honour in recognition of his status as the longest-serving reigning king in Nigeria, Africa and beyond. The recommendation is already in the pipeline and we are working towards its realisation.”
He also announced plans to raise N250m during the festival to expand and renovate the monarch’s palace, renovate the community hall, develop the Elemi River into a tourist attraction and improve security in the community.
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He said the palace expansion was necessary to provide adequate space for social and community functions, particularly as government policy no longer allowed such events to be held on secondary school premises.
The committee chairman said developing the Elemi River would help preserve an important part of Igede’s cultural heritage while positioning the community as a tourism destination.
He added that part of the funds would be used to improve security and rehabilitate other community facilities.
Adetuberu said the festival would also feature the conferment of honorary chieftaincy titles on deserving indigenes. Royal fathers from different parts of the country had also been invited to participate in the celebration.
He said the programme began on Monday with prayers for the community, while Tuesday’s activities included traditional indoor games among the town’s four quarters and football matches.
A quiz competition for secondary school students and the final match of the inter-quarter football tournament were scheduled for Wednesday, while Thursday’s programme would feature a free medical outreach at Aye Primary Health Centre and a beauty pageant.
Friday’s activities would include a Jumat service and an award night to honour individuals who had contributed to the community’s development.
The festival will climax on Saturday with the grand finale and fundraising ceremony. Other attractions include a garri challenge and a raffle draw.
The Onigede of Igede-Ekiti, Oba James Aladesuru, described Àkè as the founding father of the community, whose history and legacy remained central to the people’s cultural identity.
According to the town’s oral tradition, Àkè was a hunter and herbalist who migrated from Ile-Ife with his wife, Erindo, and servant, Awota, before settling at Oke-Esu, regarded as the earliest settlement associated with Igede-Ekiti.
The monarch urged sons and daughters of Igede-Ekiti, both at home and in the diaspora, to participate in the maiden Ojude Àkè Festival to celebrate their ancestral heritage, promote unity and preserve the community’s history for future generations.
The Chairman of Irepodun/Ifelodun Local Government Area and chief host of the festival, Mr Gbenga Oluwatuyi, described the Onigede as a tourism asset, saying his reign could attract visitors to Igede-Ekiti.
Oluwatuyi said the community should use the monarch’s long reign and its other cultural attractions to promote tourism. He added that the Elemi River could also be developed into a tourist destination through collaboration between the community and government.
He recalled that officials of the Ekiti State Ministry of Tourism had previously visited the river following discussions about its proposed development, expressing hope that the project would eventually be realised.
The President-General of the Igede Progressive Forum, Dr Austin Ibikunle, said the maiden Ojude Àkè Festival provided an opportunity to celebrate the community’s history, honour its traditional institution and bring indigenes together to pursue shared development goals.
Ibikunle stressed the importance of preserving Igede-Ekiti’s cultural heritage and developing its tourism potential, noting that sustained cooperation among community leaders, indigenes in the diaspora and government would be essential to achieving the town’s development aspirations.
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