Scores of traditional worshippers in Okeigbo town, Ile-Oluji/Okeigbo local government area of Ondo State on Sunday carried out spiritual appeasement in Okeigbo town to celebrate the annual “Edi festival”
During the grand- finally of the festival, the traditional worshipers comprises of different groups which include members of the Natural Traditional Medicine Practitioners, herberlists, Orunmila, Sango and Obaluaye, worshippers, Ogun devotees, members of the Reformed Ogboni Confraternity, Masquerades (popularly referred to as Egungun in local parlance) , were dressed in white cloths, armed with different charms and sang songs in Okeigbo dialect, as they moved from one spiritual spot to another later terminated the possession at the central of the market in the town.
However, before the commencement of the traditional rites, the worshippers had earlier converged on the palace of the monarch of the town to seek the face of the Almighty creator, in the restoration of more peace and harmony in the ancient community and appease to God to choose a king for them in the town.
The traditionalists, later left the palace in a possession to various locations in the town with salt and wine where they chanted incantations while performing the rites.
Speaking on the significance of the festival, the Egbedi of Okeigbo, Dr Ogunjimi Folagbade said the spiritual appeasement as part of the celebration marked the last day in the fourteen days celebration which is also the last market day in the calendar of the festival.
He explained that the rounding up of the market was aimed towards praying for the wellbeing of the market men and women as well as to pray against any imposition in the vacant position of the monarch of the town
Speaking further on the vacant stool of Oluoke of Okeigbo, the Egbedi described his member as not belonging to any ruling houses in the community, but advocating for a formidable king.
He noted that anybody chosen by the popular decisions of indegenes and the oracle among the contestants, his members are ready to work and support such a prince.
The traditionalist warned the government against imposing candidate on the town, equally stressed the needs by the government to allow the kingmakers to be given the opportunity to choose whom they want to be the king.
Chief Egbedi insisted that “Kuole Oloje” ruling house as the next ruling house to produce the next monarch for the ancient community, noted that an attempt to impose somebody from other ruling house is an aberration.
He equally advised indegenes of the town to always maintain peace and order, noting that they should always defend the community from any imposition by any groups individual or government.
Explained that they should always allow peace and development of the town as their priorities.
It was reliably gathered from a reliable source that the spiritual appeasement , which took place in the community was aimed at complementing a protest embarked upon by the Aare Kugbaigbe ruling house to demand for a fresh election to elect the monarch of the town.
A source in the town disclosed that the assemblage of the traditionalists, which is coming on the heel of recent happenings occasioned by an approval granted by the Ondo State government to Prince Akintoye Adeoye as the monarch-elect in the town.
The possession which caused gridlock as vehicular movement was disrupted for several hours .The ceremony later came to climax after series of rituals and prayers were rendered at several traditional spots in the ancient community.