Ijakadi festival begins on Monday in Offa

Activities to mark this year’s annual ‘Ijakadi Festival in Offa, Kwara State, will start on Monday with general sanitation in Offa town.

The information is in a statement by the Chairman, Publicity Sub-committee of the festival, Prince Ademola Ajibade, made available in Omu-Aran, Kwara State, on Sunday.

Ademola said the sanitation would be followed by prayer session at the Olofa’s palace and a lecture on the town’s cultural heritage.

He added that the Ijakadi Festival, a symbol of unity, was meant to showcase the traditional heritage and cultural potential of the community to the outside world.

The chairman said many innovations and side attractions had been included in the festival proper as a way of attracting the desired private sector participation.

According to him, the Ijakadi Festival as being practiced today is a far departure from the olden days.

“More programmes and initiatives toward getting the deserved glamour to the festival have been introduced to further enhance private sector participation,” he stressed.

He listed the programmes as youth dinner night, cultural dances, free healthcare services, as well as traditional parade by clubs and associations in the town.

He said the grand finale of the festival would witness the traditional cutting of yam tubers to demonstrate equality and unity among the people of the town.

Major highlight of the festival would be a novelty wresting bout between the Olofa of Ofa, Oba Muftau Gbadamosi and Chief Eesa of Offa, Olofa’s second in command.