Okeagbe Akoko community in Akoko North West Local Government Area of Ondo state is set to witness display of culture as the annual Ogosi Afa Okeagbe USE Festival commences on February 7, 2024.
This is contained in a statement signed by the Chairman, Planning Committee, Bashorun Akinwumi Bada.
According to him, the nine-day USE festival for this year scheduled for 7th to 16th February would showcase the rich cultural heritage and values of Ogosi Afa Okeagbe to the outside world.
Chief Bada, who described a community that has no traceable cultural heritage as a community without a substantive history said that culture is the identity that distinguishes a particular group of people with reflection on their ways of life.
“Culture is an integral part of human existence, and as such I encourage the sons and daughters of Ogosi Afa Okeagbe Community both home and in the diaspora to attend this year’s USE festival, which usually serves as a reunion for indigenes of the ancient community”, he noted
The USE Festival Celebrations start on the eve of the main cultural displays. The evening is known as “ASHENTA”. Participants will gather at Iloro quarters of Ogosi Afa to eat roasted yams with palm oil and wash down with assorted drinks while traditional songs extolling the virtues of our ancestors and the community are rendered.
However, the main USE festival on the following day will come up with traditional music “Pohunpohun’ and Eeo mai kerooooooo!!! from all the age groups of Ogosi community with the majestic traditional dance of the people of the community.
Varieties of dance steps, are performed by male and female dancers to the sounds of Agogo (gongs) played by Origbo and Oyere age groups of the community, thus demonstrating the historic harmony between the genders in Ogosi Afa Okeagbe.
There will be a GRAND CARNIVAL of the event to celebrate all members of the community on the 16th of February 2024.