Ogori cultural norms and values influences discipline in Our society – HRH, Uboro-Ajagajigi, Akerejola
His Royal Highness, Chief Professor Eminefo Olugbemiro Akerejola, the Uboro-Ajagajigi of Ogor is a Nigerian veterinarian and academic. He was a lecturer at Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, and later became a Professor of Veterinary Medicine in 1983. He holds degrees including a DVM, M.Sc, and Ph.D. Akerejola is also a member of several professional organizations, including the American Veterinary Medical Association and the International Goat Association. He was a Director General of the Industrial Trainining fund and the present Ubuoro-Ajagajigi of Ogori. He spoke with the Editor, Nigerian Trend online newspaper Abubakar Suleman, HRH, Chief Akerejola bares his mind on the importance of the yearly Ovia-Osese festival, Ogori culture and the people, Excerpt;
Q. What Ovia Osese is all about?
The Ovia Osese is a festival that is as old as Ogori community. It is often referred to as festival of maidens . In the olden days the festival is also referred to as festival of virgins meaning that because we cherished our culture , we cherished our womanhood we want our girls to go into womanhood to maintain the integrity of the land.
One of the culture that has been retained in Ogori over time is the Ovia Osese which we all cherished. There is no diabolism in the cultural festival. The aim and objectives is to ensure that the girl child is well preserved.
In the ancient time, the young ladies that is the maidens were taken to an equivalent of training room for three months and after the Ovia Osese they will be ready to marry.
It is a prestige culture that need to be encourage in every tradition in Nigeria because no body want his or her daughter to spoil before going to her husband.
During the period of Ovia Osese the maidens are tutored on how to maintain house, their children and how to take care of their family and household.
Q. How do you feel witnesing your grand- daughter being initiated into womanhood?
To be alive to witness my grand daughter participating in Ovia Osese , it is a privilege and I give glory and adoration to God Almighty for sparing my life to be part of the occasion. My biological children are all males. I am happy because this is a unique event for me.
Q. What is your role as Obuoro-Ajagajigi of Ogori?
My role as Obuoro of Ogori is not far fetched. In the ancient time each clan has its own clan head and his role is to maintain the civility in the community. As traditional ruler you are to ensure that things goes on the way they should as enshrined from time immemorial. You are the custodians of culture and tradition. You will make sure that the culture and tradition are not mess up no matter what happened.
Ironically, the colonial master came and messed up our culture and tradition. The colonialists came with that notion that our customs are bad and they brought their culture and religion , they imposed it on us . They force us to wear their coat and we do away with our mode of dressing.
As traditional rulers we are the one that ensure that the society is good that is why our culture never went bad. Ogori cultural norms and values influence discipline in a society.
All the ills that we existed today in the past we don’t even hear about them let alone seeing them. In the past people are their brother’s keeper and any child that misbehave is been corrected on the spot but today you dare not beat any child that is not your own because of misbehavior. That has eluded the society for long .
Regrettably, traditional rulers has been relegated to the background, they don’t have assigned functions for them to perform that is why many things are bad today.
