Famous and Ancient Ota Awori land's Head of Ifa Priests com Founder of Ancestral Pride Foundation (APF), Chief Fashola Babatunde Faniyi, has advised traditionalists, both home and abroad, to imbibe the spirit of comradeship, love one another and practice the tenets of their religion which encourages peace and tranquility in the society.
Addressing a press conference on Tuesday November 23rd, 2021, to commemorate the 12th annual Ifa and Orisa Festival, Chief Faniyi, who is also the newly and first installed Araba of Ota, Aworiland, said "originally, traditional religion has been the most peaceful, tolerant and not demonic as being portrayed by Nollywood filmmakers in home videos and cinemas. But when impostors infilterated the sect, all manner of anormalies started cropping up".
Speaking on the annual Ifa and Orisa Festival, the Araba of Ota said it has become the policy and tradition of the Foundation to put smiles on the faces of the less priviledge people in the society.
However, Chief Faniyi and other members of the Foundation on Monday 22nd of November, 2021, visited and donated food items and other relief materials worth N250,000 to the Ijamido Motherless Babies Home, on Ilo-Awella, Ota, in Ado-Odo/Ota Local Government Council Area.
Chief Faniyi tagged this year's Ifa Festival 'Three In One Celebration' because it incidentally coincides with his birthday and 100th Day in office as first Araba of Ota. Other activities put in place for the festival includes: Ifa Consultation, Masquerade dancing performance, visitation of Ancestral spots in Ota to offer prayers for the peace, progress and success of Ota, Aworiland and Nigeria at large.
In his words “This is what we usually do, every year. But we tried to make this year’s celebration a low-key event in order to honour the demise of the founder of Ijamido Motherless Babies Home”.
Araba of Ota revealed that, “The Ancestral Pride Foundation is a foundation that is meant to promote African Socio-Cultural activities throughout the world, support education and gifts back to the society. Giving to less privileged on the birthday of the Founder, is one of the activities slated to mark the annual festival”, he added.
"The foundation is a vision of Ancestral Pride Temple Ltd. The temple is a spiritual place where we use the power of leaves, herbs and God to heal people".
According to the Araba, the annual festival of Ifa and Orisa is his family’s heritage celebration which comprises all the family members of his late father, Chief Faniyi whose children follow ancestral path of Ifa-traditional healing and remedy practices.
The Bio-Chemistry graduate of Olabisi Onabanjo University noted that this year annual festival grand finale is scheduled for Sunday, November 28, 2020, with lecture, symposium at the popular Ijamido Hall, Ota, adding that the theme for the lecture is “misconceptions of Yoruba Cultural heritage” to be anchored by Dr. Fayemi Fakayode, (PhD) from Ibadan.
Notable Personalities that have been invited to grace the event are HRM Oba Prof. Adeyemi Obalanlege, the Olota of Ota, Oba Samuel Ojugbele the Onilogbo of Ilogbo-Asowo, Oba Wasiu Ogungbayi The Onitetiku of Owode.
He stressed that Values, African Heritage and Yoruba Culture shall be discussed for the benefits Yoruba younger generation and sundry.
Moreover, Fuji music king and Olufimo, Dr. Saheed Osupa shall be on ground to entertain guests and well wishers that will grace the grand finale of the event.
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