Ero festival in Owo

Age grade festival

Owo observe Ero festival Carnival

Recently , the ancient town, Owo in Ondo state observed [Age grade festival ]Ero Festival .Taiwo Abiodun who witnessed the show writes

Their ages were between 65 and 70.They were all dressed in embroidered complete aso oke [sanyan]Yoruba traditional flowing gown[agbada].It was a colourful occasion .Some of them are chiefs. As they danced , clapped, and wriggled their waists the beads on their necks were swinging sideways .Not minding their status they all danced along with their colleagues . The local musicians rendered songs A rogbo o koko, ene ro sorire , arogbo o koko, iba wa mee ro , A rogbo o koko Awa panmi panmi, awa yena yena [ we are rejoicing as we have joined the elders , whoever celebrate with us is lucky , rejoice with us .We have toiled and paid our dues ].

As the beating of leather drums and the iron gong were more pronounced and the cries of joy went up to high heavens the celebrators increased their dancing steps , while some held the helms of their garments others danced with their ornamental walking sticks .As they approached the gate of the Olowo Palace , they went into frenzy. They danced, and displayed acrobatic skill despite their ages and fragile bodies .They showed love, faithfulness and paid obeisance to the monarch .

In return the royal father came out with his royal traditional sword to rejoice and danced along with them and prayed for them ’’May you all live long .May your shadow and glory never diminish ‘’ he prayed while the thunderous amen followed. He later presented them kolanuts, money , drinks among other things. This was during the Ero Festival held in Owo recently.

Ero festival it is observed every seven years. But this time around it was different because it was observed nine years. Reason :Olowo of Owo celebrated his age grade nine years ago and it is a custom that if the monarch observed his age grade , two years must be added to it making nine years before another Ero festival is held or observed .It is a sign of respect , honour and culture for the monarch.

To attain the Ero grade , according to Chief Babatunde Emmanuel Olugbade

Special clothes are woven for the occasion, and there are some clothes woven by the first daughter of the celebrator

The native clothes woven for the Ero festival are; Seghosen, Iketa, Panmeta , Igbero, Ipanmeru and Kirijo according to Chief Ayodele Obajuaye.

However, Obajuaye described the clothes as special and uncommon clothes attached with so many taboos “,for example whoever weaving the Kirijo clothe must avoid going out of the premises where she was doing it for seven days .She must not partake in leftover food, that is she must eat fresh food everyday until she finished the production. The woman weaving the clothe must have some kolanuts by her side and be giving well wishers.

However, Christians among them took their clothes and danced round the town them will end up in the church to offer prayers on them .The Muslims are not left out as they too took their clothes to the Mosque with their well wishers and offered prayers ditto to the African Traditional Religion worshippers who too called the Traditional priests to pray for them.

‘’No any man born of a woman must have personal contact with the weaver in nutshell no man should even get close to where it is woven. The High Chief added that the woven clothe is always given back to the first female child and it must not be used as girdle or strap belt for the baby boy. Whoever uses it for a male child would have herself to blame’’

One of the celebrant Chief Olugbade spoke about the preparation of the festival , he said ‘’It is like graduation. You must complete the necessary rites and fulfil all righteousness ,One will have to spend seven years in each stage. In Ugbamo alegho and graduate to Ugbakeji Ugbamo where you are to participate in the towns’s activitities like repairing the road, clearing the bush path and fetching water from the stream for the town’s usage . Thus , this is the stage of building the town and contributing one’quota to the development of the town. The third step is Ugbama , where one reaches the ages of 50years plus and the last stage is Ugbama Agba ,

On his own , Chief Olugbade said he killed antelope, cow and entertained friends and well wishers .’’Many killed cows while those who could afford goat did. But it is not compulsory for the celebrators to kill a cow , it depends on one’s purse. But I must confess that this is the period everybody knows how popular and important he is in the community as it is an opportunity to showcase affluence, and fame’’

Engineer Banji Aralepo who participated too said it is another way of thanking God for sparing one’s life. Yes, it is a birthday celebration but I am telling you that it is another way of getting closer to your community and participating in what ever they are doing .I love it, for it is another way of bringing the sons of the soil together and celebrating .

In Owo town , only the male that will celebrate age grade festival while some other neighbouring towns have women who participate in age grade festival , but for Owo , the honour and respect is distinct that no any woman is allowed to partake in the age grade festival

The Olowo of Owo spoke about the festival and said ‘’ it is not fetish, it is like birthday , and it goes along with one’s age group or age bracket. They rejoiced that they have joined the age of wisdom and the stage where they will no longer work or run around .They have become the town leaders and they are the ones solving problems and contribute to the community’s development .It is a blessing .It is here one retires to eat from the fruit of his labour, This is the age of living to one’s fulfilment. They become the wise acre of the community.’’

But an interesting note is a 50 year -old man who also celebrated along with the old men in the Age grade and the question everybody is asking is what was this young man doing for among the old men in their late 60s and 70s? That is the question posed to one of the celebrators, Olanrewaju Fajolu., However, Fajolu said he participated in the Age grade festival because he was occupying the high position meant for the elders .He said ‘’ I am a chief , and I am occupying the chieftaincy title of my late father . I am Chief Oja of Ehin –Ogbe, my age notwithstanding , it is mandated that I must observe what the position requires . And it is a big privilege for me .I thank the Olowo of Owo for accepting a young man like me .I believe it is a destiny.

Honourable Olanipekun Adebeye described the festival as a beautiful thing other towns will soon emulate.’’When I got to the palace and saw the sea of heads of my people celebrating Ero festival , I was elated because it is the sign of love and unity .Irrespective of quarters and religious affiliation they all turned up with drum and gongs to celebrate and made the ancient and first class town in Yoruba Kingdom to be agog again. It is wonderful and the beauty radiates seeing the clothes they wore .It is fantastic.’’, Adebeye stated.

Moses Orimolade Tunolase still alive!

‘’

,

‘We are still in spiritual contact with our founder ’

St.Moses Orimolade Tunolase, Founder Cherubim and Seraphim Organisation worldwide was celebrated all over the country in the Aladura sect penultimate

Taiwo Abiodun visited the late founder’s country home, Ikare in Ondo state and Ojokoro, Lagos where his faithful worship

.

Family Background

He was from the idol worshipping background .His father was a herbalist and a popular Masquerade known all over the town .Moses Orimolade Tunolase was born in 1878.According to Pa George Olanrewaju Tunolase who is a cousin to Orimolade ,When Orimolade was in the womb he would be talking to his mother and advising him on what to do. And the mother found it difficult to deliver him , while the beads of the then Owa -Ale of Ikare was demanded to be put on the mother’s neck for her to deliver safely, still, she didn’t deliver the child. However he was eventually delivered , and the very day he was born he started walking , this caused his father to use juju on him to avoid embarrassment .However, an epileptic woman who was being treated by the father of Moses fell on him when he had fit but that did not kill the newly baby boy as he grew up to be a very powerful preacher and miracle healer ‘’

While some said he was lame from birth but George denied that he was not ,’’ he used to carry my father on his shoulder to the farm., so it is not true that he was lame’’.

Married Life

During his life time, he neither married nor had children . Speaking to The Nation , Pa Tunolase [74]who is still living in the family house said ‘’my late father who was the elder brother to the late founder of Cherubim and Seraphim told me that Moses did not marry at all .He said Moses told his father that they could go and marry but for him he had chosen to be a Eunuch, as there are three types of Eunuch , the ones that the kings castrated and kept watching their Queens, the ones from heaven and those who became eunuch in order to serve God of which Moses chose’’. The Uncle continued ‘’my father told me that Orimolade said that his children would be like the sand of seashore. We were confused , but now the Aladura sect are numerous all over the world as they cannot be counted.

Myth surrounding his miracles

Many mysteries are woven round the Moses. He was said to have possessed a supernatural power that no one ever had. According to Most Superintendent Kunle Ayanfe, Moses was said to have been a special person with a supernatural power. He would get to where he and his group were going before anyone of them and they wondered how .Till he died nobody was able to unravel the mystery.’’

According to Ayanfe ‘’ some white men who heard about his good works came to approach him to come and heal their boss in overseas . Moses refused to go with them in the aircraft they brought and promised to meet them there. Before the white men got there, he had gone and come back. When the messengers got to their boss and saw him healed and bouncing , he told them he had been healed by a man whom he described with the features of Moses , the man they came to meet in Nigeria. He had the power as he used to pass through the rock and water while people wonder how he manage to perform such a feat.

Tombs

Before his death on October 19,1933 , he instructed his followers to exhume his body forty years after his death and buried him in his home town, Ikare,Akoko in Ondo state.

Accompanied by the late Highlife musician I.K Dairo who was also popularly called Baba Aladura , and on October 19, 1975 , his body was exhumed and was taken to Ikare, Akoko. where he was buried.

In fact, his body was said to be fresh and intact ,not decayed while his clothes were as white as snow.

Ojokoro empty Tomb

At Ojokoro where the first Aladura church was established is a big mausoleum.

A giant statute of the founder is erected there on top of an empty grave. In the grave are three candles which are usually lighted during service. The church faithfuls would dance round the mausoleum , sleep in the mausoleum where two graves of the senior leaders were buried .Not only this, the faithful also placed kegs of water and other things where they pray over them invoking the God of Moses Orimolade to heal, assist and answer their prayers.

Asked if the spirit of Moses is still there, an elder in the church said ‘’ Moses Orimolade shed his blood here, his flesh dried here , so it is only the body that was removed to his home town Ikare Akoko in Ondo State.We His spirit is still here .

While this reporter asked whether it is not a blasphemy, Matthew Akeusola denied it and said they need to appreciate and honour him.

Ikare Tomb

Here, at Mercyland known as Oke -Anu which is in Iku in Iyometa Area, of Ikare Akoko Ondo State where the exhumed body of Orimolade was eventually buried in 1975. Placed by the tomb are A Holy Bible, candles, crucifix and other things while at the entrance of the mausoleum are kegs of water and other things while people file out praying on the mountain.

Special Room

In the family house of the Orimolade Tunolases at Okorun also in Iyometa Area of Ikare is a special room where the late founder lived before he died. The room has been kept sacredand reserved as the faithfuls visit there for special prayers. The room is divided into two, while the inner one is where some paraphernalia of his office are kept. Ayanfe who led this reporter there at the initial stage fell into a trance and later came back alive , he said ‘’ this room is a powerful room and nobody is allowed to come in anyhow. It is sacred’’.

Corroborating what Ayanfe said , the old man in the house , Pa Tunolase said he used to hear spiritual songs every night but he is not afraid for he knew it is the Angels from Heaven that are singing .His words ‘’ I used to hear spiritual songs coming out from the room in the midnight , and we don’t see anybody at all as we only hear voices. But it is crystal clear that the man Moses is a saint.

Apostle Oladokun Aduragbemi the President General and the Spiritual Head of Eso, C&S, Noah’s Ark in London said he came all the way from London to participate in the remembrance of the departed leader and said the room where Moses used in his father’s house is a sacred place where one’s prayer is accepted straight if one has faith. He gave an example ‘’ I came from London few days ago and I was called on the phone that one of my children was sick. I went straight to Papa’s room and prayed. Some hours later I was informed that he has been okay and doing well.

Moses Well

There is a well believed to be efficacious in healing all kinds of diseases. The well was said to have been blessed by the late founder who use it for healing all kinds of

diseases. Women are not allowed to fetch it but only a male. Any female that fetches it will have her menstruation seized for ever and will not conceive. Examples are abound .

Palm Tree

The palm tree is mysterious and medicinal . It was planted by the late founder , Orimolade. According to a prophetess,….’’the bark is highly medicinal. It cures all aliments. People come from all over the world to take from it .We don’t joke with it .Speaking further , a prophet and a prophetess said ‘’ the palm fronds on the palm trees are different from others and you cannot get it from anywhere in the world .

Dr. Gabriel Olukayode said he was born in the Aladura sect and cannot leave it .

For Popoola Babatunde Raphael , the growth within the Aladura can be compared with that of the Cathloic, as it is growing everyday and no other sect can rival it.

Defending why the growth is still spreading , Gorge Asogba said’’ since Orimolade had refused to have children , God compensated him by multiplying the number of the Aladura faithful as they are called Children of Moses Orimolade. Asked why most of the faithful and their children wear dreadlocks ,Asogba defended it by saying ‘’Moses Orimolade had dreadlocks and so it was passed to us all and it is for protection. Whoever has such in the family is a blessing to such family’’

When challenged that some Christians have the opinion that they are fetish since they are practising the Old Testament in the way of their worship by sacrificing ,using coconuts , candles among other things, but Aduragbemi debunked the claim and said ‘’ they are just envious of the sect’’.