Amidst call by the Medical and Dental
Consultants’ Association of Nigeria
(MDCAN), Ladoke Akintola University of
Technology Teaching Hospital (LAUTECH) chapter, Osogbo, for the postponement of this year’s Osun Osogbo festival, with a view to averting the spread of the Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) to the state, organisers of the event, on Thursday, insisted that it would hold which it did yesterday.

It will be recalled that MDCAN, had on Wednesday, in a press statement implored the state government to postpone the annual celebration of Osun Osogbo festival so that convergence of crowd, which usually
characterised the event would not aid the spread of the contagious disease.
The group had raised the alarm that allowing the festival to hold may predispose the state to EVD as the nation was still battling to control its spread.

However, while addressing a press
conference on Thursday in Osogbo, the Chief Festival Consultant to the organisers of Osun Osogbo, Mr Ayo Olumoko, said the call for shift of the event was unnecessary, contending that “Ebola scare cannot stop this year’s festival under any circumstance.”
According to him, since both Muslim and Christian gatherings have not been stopped because of the rampaging Ebola disease, there was no justification for the postponement of Osun Osogbo festival.
“The federal government cannot cancel or put Osun Osogbo festival on hold because of the issue of Ebola. President Goodluck Jonathan was here a few days ago to campaign for the candidate of Peoples’ Democratic Party and the Osogbo City Stadium was full of people, without
anyone talking about the spread of Ebola.
Similarly, the state governor who was the
candidate of All Progress Congress had his own campaign at the same Osogbo City Stadium and they were not considering
the spread of Ebola there, despite the massive crowd that attended the rally” he added.

Yesterday, Araba of Osogbo, Ifayemi Elebuibon also added that, "if anyone was suffering from Ebola, he can wash with the waters of Osun and be healed".

Many devotees expressed complete faith and assurance in the protective and healing powers of Osun not only for the day but throughout the whole year

Osun Osogbo annual international festival is a celebration of culture, spirituality and fulfillment of the pledge between a people and a goddess. It underscores a long history that revolves around the early settlers of the town, Osogbo, who came very close to the river as a result of drought from their initial place of dwelling at Ipole-Omu where they had 7 previous rulers; hence they decided to settle in the thick forest.

The great hunter, Olutimehin, who was hunting had initially found a steam called Okrokro, which he traced its source to River Osun ( part of present day Osogbo ). Olutimilehin went back to his community and informed the King(then a Baale), Larooye Gbadewolu of his findings. The king and his subjects later moved to
settle at the flood plain and built his first
palace later Known as Ile - Osun.

Overtime Larooye and his subjects engaged themselves in farming activities in their new found land. One day as they were clearing the bush for cultivation they accidentally fell
a tree, damaging the balance of the spirit world.
Laroye offered sacrifice for settling at the river bank. However, the goddess
asked them to move to a new ground. She also pledged to protect them, provide water for them and make their women fertile in return for an offer of sacrifice annually.
Laroye built his new palace known as Idi-Osun while Olutimehin built a shrine to his Patron deity Ogun.

Osun Osogbo stands tall as one of the internationally celebrated festivals in the world. It is highly venerated and most attended. One interesting attribute of the festival is that it brings devotees of Osun from all over the world together annually, from Cuba to Brazil, United States of America to Jamaica, Canada to Spain, they come together to pay homage to the Goddess, who is the source of life

It is indeed not only about merry making, but about social bond, culture and history. It has also established the fact that this
event, if properly managed and developed, is a big source of revenue for the state.

Glad considering the fact that other religious gatherings have not been stopped....why stop Osun festival for Ebola, Churches and Mosques should be closed down all over Nigeria also but until then let the festival continue

Osun a gbe wa o!

deScifa: Glad considering the fact that other religious gatherings have not been stopped....why stop Osun festival for Ebola, Churches and Mosques should be closed down all over Nigeria also but until then let the festival continue

Osun a gbe wa o!

Exactly! Thanks to Olodumare, the people of Osogbo and all Osun devotees celebrated the festival