Amosun, Dangote, others for 2015 Oronna Festival
http://www.gatewaymail.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/Oba-Kehinde-Gbadewole-Olugbenle...Olu-of-Ilaro..jpg
NIGERIA: OGUN State Governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, federal and state legislators are among the top dignitaries expected to attend at this year’s Oronna Ilaro Festival.
The week-long festival, with the theme “Festival of Achievement”, which holds between November 14 to 22, will climax in a grand finale on Saturday, November 21 at Asade Agunloye Pavilion, Empire Field, Ilaro-Yewa.
The event is holding with support from Dangote Cement, Ibeshe and Global Satellite Mobiletelecommunications giant, MTN Nigeria Limited, the Chairman of the planning committee for the fourth year running, Chief Kayode Odunaro, said in a release.
Odunaro, a former Special Adviser to ex-Speaker, House of Representatives, Dimeji Bankole, said that the over two decades annual cultural festival, which was endorsed as a tourism festival on national tourism calendar by Nigeria Tourism Development Corporation (NTDC) in 2012, is celebrated in honour of the legendary warrior, Oronna, as a unifying developmental platform for the display of cultural practices of Ilaro and Yewa people.
The chairman explained that among the regular activities highlighting the festival are road show/street carnival, tributes to Oronna and other deities, Egungun and Gelede masquerade display, “Sisi Ilaro” cultural beauty pageant, Poosu Night in celebration of food tourism and the all-white attire Onigba Aje ceremony.
Others event, according to Odunaro, are a three-day medical checkup programme, Festival 50 Kilometer race, jumat and thanksgiving service and the grand finale where over 70 clubs and societies will pay homage to HRM Oba Kehinde Olugbenle, the Olu of Ilaro-Yewa and paramount Ruler of Yewaland.
Just like last year, Odunaro added, sons and daughters of Ilaro and Yewaland in Diaspora and other foreign tourists from United Kingdom, USA and Barbados, the Caribbean country which has its cultural origin traced to Ilaro-Yewa, are participating in the festival geared toward eco-tourism.
