The duo of Fuji superstar, Abass Obesere, and Teni Apata will be on the bandstand as the Globacom-sponsored Ojude Oba Festival begins today in the ancient town of Ijebu Ode, Ogun State. Tagged “Ojude Oba Music Fiesta”, the musical jamboree which is one of the features of the telecommunications giant’s sponsorship of the festival will provide fun and entertainment to participants at the event where popular Comedian Bash will also entertain guests with rib-cracking jokes. The show is scheduled to hold at the Equity Resort along Erunwon Road, Ijebu Ode. In addition to this, a beauty pageant where a bevy of Ijebu-born ladies will compete for the “Miss Ojude Oba” crown will be held. Globacom explained that competitors in the beauty pageant have to be indigenes of Ijebuland as well as students or graduates of any institution of higher learning within Ijebuland. The company further disclosed that an age-grade contest, popularly known as the “Regberegbe competition” is equally slated for the grand finale of the festival. The best-dressed age grade in the male and female categories will win N500,000, while the first and second runners-up will go home with N300, 000 and N200,000 each. Globacom will also reward the town’s different horse-riding families who display dexterity and unusual skills on their horses with N300,000 for the winner and N200,000 and N100,000 for the first and second runners-up respectively. The festival is a convivial gathering of sons and daughters of the land where obeisance is paid to the paramount ruler, the Awujale of Ijebuland, Oba (Dr.) Sikiru Kayode Adetona. Globacom’s sponsorship of the event began 16 years ago, and the company has raised the bar of the ancient festival to make it a delight to tourists within Nigeria and abroad.
