Lagos has come to be synonymous with Eyo festival; the festivity that depicts the history and culture of the indigenous people of Lagos State. OLAOLU OLADIPO in this piece examines the place and significance of the festival to the indigenes of Lagos State as was celebrated recently
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Recently, residents of Lagos State were treated to series of events as the Eyo festival (a tradition unique to indigenes of Lagos Island) came to town. This year’s event was put together to honour the memory of late Oba Yesusfu Oniru of Iruland, who until his death presided over one of the communities under the jurisdiction of the Oba of Lagos.
The festival was initially slated for February, but the Oba of Lagos, Oba Rilwan Akiolu, postponed it to allow the smooth running of the voters’ registration exercise by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Being the only authority with the mandate to order the staging of the play, Oba Akiolu had until the set date for the festival been liaising with the state government and other relevant authorities to make this year’s festival a memorable one.
For a hitch free celebration, the state government designated a route that would terminate at the popular Tafawa Balewa Square with many freebies such as food and drinks for visitors along the major highways in the heart of the city, cutting through the end of Carter Bridge to Tinubu Square.
Owing to pockets of violent incidences of previous celebrations, several security measures were put in place to ensure a peaceful outing this year to even better the play staged in honour of former information minister, Late Chief Theophilus Shobowale Benson, last year.
Earlier to the staging of the play, Governor Babatunde Fashola played host to some leading members of the Eyo group in his office, reiterating the fact that the Adamu Orisha play was a carnival for the people of Lagos State that was designed by its founding fathers to be celebrated by all.
The guests at the State House offered special prayers for the governor, his family and members of the state executive council, while chanting various traditional songs in their colourful outfits.
A grandson of the personality in whose honour this year’s play was staged, Prince Adesegun Oniru, was on hand.
Pre-event activities locally known as aisu odun, (festival eve) were staged to the delight of tourists who were seen in their numbers around the palace of the Oba of Lagos and the surrounding areas in a carnival-like atmosphere of an open-sky party.
History of Eyo Festival
History has it that the Eyo masquerade is not original to Lagos Island but was brought there sometimes around 1750 by two unnamed personalities from Ibefun and Ijebu communities in present day Ogun State. Owing to the fascinating appeal, they succeeded in introducing it as part of interment rites of passage for the departing Oba at that time, Oba Ado who is believed to have married one of their cousins, Olugbani.
Another version has it that the main deity Adamu Orisha originated from Ibefun just as Eyo masquerade came as a result of the need to protect the deity from the activities of hooligans who might seek to destroy or steal it.
Those who hold this view say that the traditional iconic staff of the masquerade known as Opambata, was invented as part of the regalia for the purpose of warding off undesirable elements.
Another dimension was added to the supposed origin of the masquerade and festival as a prominent indigene, Chief Adekunle Alli, opined, “Orisa Ogunran and Orisa Elegbaopopo were originally brought to Lagos from Benin by Chief Olorogunagan Asagbemi, and Chief Olorogunigbesule during the reign of Oba Ado of Lagos, over 350 years ago.”
Since time immemorial, the festival as depicted by the image of a masquerade in flowing white apparel has grown from a rural festivity to an internationally acclaimed event, attracting both local and international tourists, even though the frequency of such festivities vary depending on who the Oba considers worthy of having such play staged in his/her honour.
According to Alli who is an authority on local custom and history as they relate to people of Lagos Island, “The first Adamu Orisa play to be recorded was the one held by King Dosumu for his late father, King Akintoye, on February 20, 1854, six months after the death of the latter.”
Initially, five groups, different others have emerged, while participation in the play was restricted to family members of various individual Eyo groups of both the nuclear and extended family members, and any person or group of persons who have no filial link to any of the families can also join them for the purpose of the festival.
The Festivities
One week before the festival, the ‘senior’ five Eyo groups, namely Adimu (identified by a black broad-brimmed hat), goes public with a staff, an indication that a play would take place the following Saturday. Each of the other four groups—Laba (Red capped), Oniko (yellow capped), Ologede (Green capped), Agere (Purple), took turns displaying from Monday to Thursday Friday, the eve of the festival was free for tourists both local and international to explore and make necessary enquiries about the festival, the people of Lagos Island and every other information they intend to get concerning the festival.
As a rule, strictness with cadre and other old established practices before, during and after the celebration is perhaps what appeals the most about the Eyo heritage.
Rarely opened, Ojubo Yewa, a single-room memorial groove, within the palace of a chief known as Onimole Court played host to Eyos of the superior five starting with the most senior, Adimu.
Over time, ten others have been allowed to come into the premises to pay homage.
Another significant rite is when the Eyo date is announced, the housewives of various households would attend to eminent personalities within the family cycle and clean the frontage of their houses, as a reminder that Eyo would soon arrive.
Commercial value of the festival
Since the administration of the immediate past governor, Senator Bola Tinubu, reviewed the cultural and commercial values of Eyo festival, efforts had been geared up by his successor, Babatunde Raji Fashola, towards attracting more international tourists.
Incentives such as prize awards were introduced to spur competitive spirit amongst the various groups.? Winners went home with the sum of one million naira provided by a telecom service provider who won the bid to become the official sponsor of the last edition. The second prize was N750, 000, while the third prize was N500, 000.
As a way of stemming the scourge of hooliganism previously identified with the play, various measures had been put in place by the state government. In recent plays, state apparatus had been deployed to guarantee adequate security. The 2009 edition which was staged in honour of the nation’s first minister of information, the late Chief TOS Benson, government introduced an identity tag on every masquerade’s hat as a means of identifying likely trouble makers.
It also stationed ‘Black Maria’ deployed across the procession routes to check violent incidents, while many refreshment points were stationed along the highways for visitors to savour the various local cuisines on offer.
In addition, other events like performances by leading musicians expected to add glamour and panache to the event were introduced to the festival.