The event started behind schedule at about 12 noon with devotees who had thronged the groove already returning with their gallons full of water from the Osun River, while others, who waited for the ritual celebration, joined the Arugba’s procession to the grove.
Significantly, there was much the organisation of the event put, in terms of crowd control. The year 2012 event has a pass mark from visitors and tourists. Security was beefed up, the roads to the groove was free and even with the level of activities and traffic of visitors in the town, there was smooth flow of motorists and traffic.
However, the organisational feat achieved in the year 2012 was the collaborative effort of the custodians of the festival, the festival consultant, Infogem, the sponsors and the logistical support of the government of the State of Osun.
The journey to the grove began after the Ataoja of Osogboland, Oba Jimoh Oyetunji, Olanipekun Laroye II, blessed the Arugba and other priests and priestesses who accompanied her on approximately three kilometres procession to the grove for the thanksgiving sacrifice at the Osun River.
The procession featured different displays of cultural norms; dance, folk songs, groups, different associations, and age mates entertaining people as the Arugba got closer to the grove.
As tradition holds it, it is believed that as the Arugba passed by, it is mandatory for those at the procession routes to snap their fingers over their heads, three times to avert any evil and misfortune that may come their way, and this continued until the Arugba successfully reached the grove.
Already, the traffic at the grove was heavy, leaving no passage for the Arugba as the devotees and tourists had positioned themselves at the main arena to get a vivid account of the event but for the security arrangement that created an entrance and exit for the crowd.
The Arugba made a gallant entry into the grove among other Osun devotees and, in turn, paid obeisance to the Deputy Governor of Osun, Chief (Mrs) Titilayo Laote-Tomori, Oba Jimoh Oyetunji and Ataoja’s Chiefs in council before the Arugba was ushered into the bank of the Osun River where she deposited the contents in the calabash.
As part of the pomp and ceremony, high-ranking chiefs, families, groups, sons and daughters of Osogboland in order of arrangement came to pay obeisance to the Ataoja while Oba Oyetunji blessed them in return.
Speaking at the event the Osun State deputy governor, Chief Mrs Titilayo Laoye-Tomori, said one of the cardinal policies of the state government was the promotion of culture and tourism, adding that the government had been working assiduously to ensure that cultural festivals in the state were packaged in a way to get global recognition.
According to Laoye-Tomori, “the 2012 Osun Osogbo festival is unlike any one that has been celebrated in the past. Quality plans and investment in terms of money and materials have gone into the preparation for the event.
“Our goal is to see that a memorable celebration was achieved and we hope the trend will continue so that each annual celebration of the festival will surpass this.
Our plan is to make the grove a major international tourist centre, complete with modern and up-to-date infrastructural facilities and approach which have given necessary facelift to the grove.
We are fully aware of the great turnover that this sector can generate for the economy of our state if it is very well developed. This explains the reason we have been active in encouraging our brothers and sisters in diaspora to come home and participate in these cultural events.”
The 18th custodian of the festival and Ataoja of Osogboland, Oba Jimoh Oyetunji, Olanipekun Laroye 11, who made his second appearance at the festival after his enthronement, acknowledged the people of Osogboland for promoting their heritage, which he described as an epitome of service, peace, support, unity and love.
Oba Oyetunji, who prayed for continued peace and unity of the people of Osogboland, commended the federal, state and other corporate organisations and agencies, which worked tirelessly to preserve, conserve, develop and promote the heritage and cultural assemble, which had raised the profile of the Osogbo grove as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
“Of particular note is the crucial role that the state government played in the organisation of the festival, most especially in the area of the construction of roads leading to the grove, traffic and crowd control mechanisms put in place, construction of permanent pavilion and beautification of the grove.
Also, the total support to tourist centres and, above all, encouraging full participation of guests from outside the Osun State through the provision of free rail transport from and to Lagos State was an innovation that attracted more participants to the 2012 edition.”
NTDC takes survey of tourist activities
In its commitment to add value to subsequent edition of the Osun Osogbo festival, the Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation (NTDC) was on ground, taking survey of tourist arrivals to Osun State.
The survey, which involved the gathering of data of domestic and international visitors and tourists traffic at the festival and how it influenced economic activities within the period of the festival, was targeted at strategizing future marketing of the destination at international tourism exhibitions
Okonfo Rao Kawawa’s Jungle Dance
For years, the founder of the Jungle Communication Centre, Okonfo Rao Kawawa, has been a spectacles of note for tourist at the groove.
This year was not different, as the agile Rao Kawawa did not only treat tourists, who gathered at the grove to a day of fun and glamour but also came along side some young-at-heart persons to entertain and thrill spectators with the jungle performance and the mystical dance steps.
Jimmy Solanke, Corporate Sponsors Thrill Audience
As sponsors of the Osun Osogbo festival positioned their pavilions at different locations in the town, entertaining and distributing different gifts to visitors and the people of Osogbo as their support. Musicians and other entertainers were at their best, adding colour to the celebration.
One of the entertainers is Baba Agba, Jimmy Solanke, who kept the audience at the Heritage Hotel, Osogbo, to a night of Oldies with a band, which he described as a nine–in-one band.
Baba Agba, whose melodious rhythm took audience to memory lanes of old school music, dazzled lovers of old school music with folk sung, highlife, juju and other contemporary music.
Solanke was not done, as he also complimented the entertainment with some fascinating dance steps and electrifying movement that invited audience at the Heritage Hall to the dance floor.