_By KAKAKIOODUA Online Media Agency – Eyewitness Correspondent_
Ilesa, Osun State – December 14 2025
The Methodist Cathedral of Otapete, Ilesa, became the focal point of the inaugural Iwude Ijesa consecration service on Saturday, drawing clergy, traditional rulers and community leaders from across Ijesaland.
Presiding over the ceremony was Most Revd Amos A. Akindeko JP BP, Archbishop of the Ilesa Archdiocese and Bishop of Ilesa. In his opening address he greeted the crowd with a warm “E ku odun, e ku iyedun” and invoked blessings for those returning home for the upcoming festival.
“Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach – Proverbs 14:34,” the archbishop reminded the congregation, stressing that Iwude Ijesa “is not about clothing or dancing. It is a call to audit the entire Ijesaland – to examine where we stand as a people.”
Archbishop Akindeko lamented a perceived decline in the values that once made Ijesaland renowned – a diligent civil‑service workforce, thriving cocoa and cola‑nut farms, and a reputation for security. Quoting Psalm 33:12, “Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord,” he urged a return to righteousness as the pathway to lasting peace.
The service included a prayer for safe travel and successful reunions, and the archbishop thanked the “legbelegbes and the committees” for their organisational efforts, concluding with a call for collective responsibility: “Without righteousness there can be no peace.”
The consecration marks the first of several religious events leading up to the Iwude Ijesa festival, which begins in six days. The week‑long celebration will feature traditional rituals, cultural performances and a thanksgiving service at the cathedral, reinforcing the theme that “culture meets covenant” in Ijesaland’s historic gathering.
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Earlier on Friday, a special Jumat service was held at Erinmo‑Ijesa, Oriade Local Government Central Mosque.
Scheduled activities include:
- Ayo game – Thursday, 18 December
- Commissioning of OWA Ajimoko Multipurpose Building – Thursday, 18 December
- Cultural displays and Iwude Beauty Pageant – Friday, 19 December
- Royal Parade – Saturday, 20 December
- Ijesa Unity Carnival – Sunday, 21 December at Ilesa Grammar School Sport Field
Owa Clement Adesuyi Haastrup Ajimoko III has expressed his full support for the festival, describing it as a vital instrument for cultural preservation and unity. He called on affluent sons and daughters of Ijesa to invest in industries rather than luxury and to back development projects.
The influx of visitors has boosted local businesses – hotels, restaurants and transport operators report increased patronage. The festival is expected to draw thousands from across Nigeria and the diaspora, cementing Iwude Ijesa’s place on the national cultural calendar.
Dignitaries at the church service included High Chief Akinwande Akinola Sawe of Ilesa, YeyeOwa Dame Olayinka Obaleye,Prof. Rotimi Tayo, Chief Afolabi Igbaroola, Alagba Wale Idowu and wife, Barrister Dosu Babatunde,Yeyelua Yemisi Ariyibi, Princess Folasade Haastrup -Odunlade, Mr. Olayinka Akinola, Mr. Bunmi Oladele, Prince Adegbola Benson and many representatives of Ijesa Unity Carnival age-groups legbelegbes.
PHOTOS: (Coverage Script ✍️ Camera 📸 __Credit: Oladimeji Lasore (+2347035105413, [email protected])
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