By: Adeboye Ado
The paramount ruler of Akungba Akoko, Ondo State, HRM Oba Sunday Adeyeye, Ajimo III, the Alale of Akungba land, today announced the deferment of the community's annual yam festival also known as Akun Day Festival.
The visionary monarch of the university community stated that the yam festival scheduled for July 25 this year was postponed to peg the fatal effect of Covid-19 pandemic that is currently staring the world in the eye.
Oba Ajimo noted that both local and international events have been halted or outrightly cancelled in order to reduce the fatality of COVID-19 unseen killer ailment.
In a brief statement obtained from the Palace by our correspondent Friday June 26, titled: "Akun Day Festival Deferred Till 2021 In View Of COVID-19 Pandemic", the royal father urged the residents of the community to celebrate the annual festival as scheduled their various homes in a low key manner and in strict compliance with Government directives and medical protocols.
Below are excerpts from the royal missive:
"The Oba in Council is delighted that everyone is struggling to comply to the new ways of living, face-masking, regular hand washing in running water and social distancing, forced upon us by the uncertainty of Corona Virus pandemic"
"Let's continue to keep up with these practices to survive the plague that has taken normalcy away from humanity"
"Meanwhile, it is no longer news that many traditional and spectacular world events have been suspended or outrightly cancelled, to reduce the fatality of COVID-19 unseen killer ailment"
"The list is endless: from Olympics to Wimbledon Tennis, Pilgrimage to Mecca and Jerusalem, National Sporting events, marriages and burials"
"It is in view of the above, based on consistent government's health and safety instructions, that we found wisdom in rescheduling our annual yam feast, AKUN DAY FESTIVAL, which should have taken place exactly a month from today, till last Saturday in July 2021"
"It was surely a hard decision to take, but the reality on ground shows clearly that one cannot be celebrating in the face of global mourning"
"After all, we have to be alive to feast. So, please bear with us by celebrating Ijesu this year on July 25, in the privacy of your homes while praying for a quick recovery from this unsolicited viral abnormality"
However, the monarch appreciated the benevolent donations of the sons and daughters of the community on a recent palliative drive to mitigate the harsh effects of the pandemic on the people. Of this, the Alale said:
"Let me at this juncture, once again, appreciate the immense donations of Akungba sons and daughters to the Palliative programmes carried out recently, to alleviate poverty in our University Community."
Finally, the Unity-for-Project focussed Oba urged his subjects in Nigeria and the Diaspora not to relent in their constructive and conscientious obligation of rendering human and material assistance to Akungba land.
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