My Ojude-Oba Experience

Remember how my last post opined to ‘never say never’?

Lessons to learn here:

You won’t discover life’s awesomeness, the best, the good, bad or ugly if you sit pretty still in your comfort zone saying NEVER

1. Don’t make it an habit to categorically make statements on events/affairs/issues/situations you have never experienced, no matter how much you think you can imagine what goes on in that particular instance
2. I’m telling you categorically now for a fact, No 1 is a bad habit, don’t do it!
3. Remember Ciara’s ‘So What’ song? Yes so what, you have heard all sorts about that person, food, issue, place, thing, etc, have you tried it out yet? But you believe what they say a 100% right? I’m not asking you to do anything dangerous or harmful here, just pleading with you to always ask questions, do your own research and experience what you can.

I crushed one item off my ‘never say never’ list last Sunday 3rd of September and it felt great. I attended the Ojude Oba celebration and it was awesome. Being present at the event made me wonder why i swallowed hook line and sinker all those stories i heard about its rowdiness and security lapse for the past 15 years when i first knew about it. Every day of the Ojude Oba celebration for the past 15 years, i sat in my comfort zone coming up with various fears and excuses to not attend the Festival, boy was i wrong?

I am asking myself why i never attended, i mean i got so many ideas i jotted in my evernote just by attending this one colourful festival celebrated annually. I understand some people have issues with its significance, opining that it has no effect on the economic development of the state. I used to do so too, thankfully i make it a point of duty to always see the light in all situations, never to focus on the darkness lest i get swallowed. But eh, that’s a story for another day okay.

Meanwhile did i ever tell you i also volunteer as a navigator and watchman for Art43 Media? No?

Yours truly on watchman duties

Anyway i was told a month ago that we were going to cover the Ojude Oba Festival and an Uncle’s installation as the Ogboye-Jaguna of Ilodo by His Royal Majesty the Ogrimadagbo of ilodo.

Although we missed the Otunba installation, we did cover the Ojude Oba Festival and got an invitation to interview the legendary GrandMaster as he is fondly called; Otunba Subomi Balogun, the Otunba Tunwase, the Olori Omo-Oba of Ijebu; Asiwaju of Ijebu Christians, the Baba Oba of Ijebu-Ife and the Asalu-Oba of Ijebu-Imusin. Not to forget to mention, he established First City Group single-handedly, in 1977, he is a baron of the Nigerian capital and money markets; doyen, pioneer and role model of entrepreneurial banking in Nigeria.

One of the ideas i got at the Ojude Oba Event was starting a Tech Hub in Ijebu, so if you are interested in being a Co-Founder, please reach out to me here…Lets get this party started!

Surely you don’t think i will let you go without some words of wisdom from the Otunba Tunwase, the Olori Omo-Oba of Ijebu land himself, do you?

1. Always put God first
2. Be proud of your heritage
3. Have a great sense of Self
4. Be Intentional with your Uniqueness
5. Don’t be afraid to be the 1st at anything, take charge.

For more Ojude Oba Festival pictures: Click here.