Aareonakakanfo of Yorubaland, Iba Gani Abiodun Ige Adams, has urged Yoruba leaders, irrespective of their religious beliefs and background, to desist from deceit and embrace the Yoruba tradition and heritage.
Iba Adams also urged the Yoruba traditional rulers to champion the cause for cultural transformation
Speaking at the 2021 edition of the beauty Pageant, as part of the programmes of the ongoing Olokun Festival, Aare Adams, who is also the chief promoter of Olokun Festival Foundation (OFF), restated the need to go back to the root, insisting that God has perfected the heaven and the earth, saying that Yoruba tradition and heritage are next to none.
The Yoruba generalissimo maintained that the Yoruba have all it takes to take their prides of place as one of the leading races, wondering why the traditional institution is going down, despite the huge values inherent in Yoruba tradition and ethos.
“It is the responsibility of all our traditional rulers to promote their respective heritages. All the towns and communities in Yorubaland are blessed with their respective heritages.
“Why are we having insecurity in the South’west? It is because we have abandoned our tradition. Any country that abandons the tradition is bound to experience the kind of insecurity we are experiencing presently in the South-West.
So, I am appealing to all the stakeholders, including our traditional rulers, the religious leaders to brace up and embrace our traditions. God is the God of nature. The land, Sea,Ocean and the entire earth and its creatures are the gifts of God and nature.
The Yoruba generalissimo also spoke about the beauty Pageant, saying Olokun is a global phenomenon with global appeal.
He said the beauty Pageant was an idea of Olokun Festival Foundation (OFF) that started in 2002,and the foundation is the first to have injected beauty Pageant into cultural events.
Adams admitted that OFF is a brand that had succeeded in turning the careers of contestants around with the events.
“The idea is to bring out the best in youths. We want to showcase their innate talents, in terms of beauty, knowledge and charisma. We also work on their intelligence and their ability to withstand the challenges of life. So, the Pageant is purely an intellectual endeavours designed to celebrate the beauty of the Yoruba tradition,
“Over the years, we have discovered great talents and many of our previous winners are now brand ambassadors of several corporate organisations”
Osi Aareonakakanfo of Yorubaland, Chief Gani Kayode Balogun, in his remarks, said the Olokun Beauty Pageant is a brand on its own, urging other corporate bodies and organisations to partner with the foundation in raising the bar of the project.
Meanwhile, Barooyin of Yorubaland, Chief Shola Osunkeye, in his remarks, eulogised the spirit of the Olokun Festival foundation, adding that it is never easy for a private and non profitable organisation to sustain the standard of the Pageant since 2001.
“I honestly salute the courage of the organisers for going this far without sponsors. It is an enduring project that I am proud to identify with”.
Miss Adedayo Abioye Elizabeth, from Ekiti State University won star prize for the 2021 edition of the Olokun Festival Beauty Pageant.
