Lisabi 2008: Celebrating a worthy heritage

A scene from Lisabi Agbongbo Akala, staged
during the celebration Abeokuta, capital of Ogun State, was sent agog from March 3 to 9 when the 22nd Lisabi Day celebration was held. Akintayo Abodunrin reports the Egba’s celebration of their ancestors and culture.

UMMY” began the young boy in the MTN jingle aired on radio stations in Abeokuta before and during the celebration. “Who is Lysaby Agbogbo Akala?”

Mother: “That’s not the way to pronounce it. It is Lisabi Agbongbo Akala”.

Boy: “Okay mummy, who is Lisabi Agbongbo Akala?”
Mother : “ Good question. You see the great Lisabi was a great warrior who fought gallantly for Egbaland. In fact when he was dying the ground swallowed him and he disappeared on the spot”.

“Waoh! Lisabi the superman”, exlaimed the boy
Going by his services to Egbaland, Lisabi, indeed deserves the name superman. He, it was, that liberated the Egba people from the oppressive yoke of the Alaafin of Oyo and his Ilari (Representatives) in the 18th century when all of Egbaland was controlled by the Alaafin through his Ilari. Lisabi, one of the Egba war chiefs played a pivotal role in the rebellion that freed the Egba from Oyo and he was consumed by his passion to see Egbaland free and independent that he did not get married till he disappeared into the ground in the Lisabi Forest located in Oba, Obafemi Owode Local Government Area of the state.

The Lisabi Day celebration held in March of every year is, therefore, to appreciate the efforts of the warrior and other Egba heroes who made significant contributions to the development of Egbaland. This year’s celebration, held in Abeokuta Ogun state from March 3 to 9, characteristically, was rich in content and spectacle. The involvement of telecommunications company, MTN Nigeria Ltd, the sponsor of the celebration for the second year running further enriched it as the town went yellow with MTN’s billboards, jingles and roadshows.

The presence of the company’s Community Connect teams comprising talented individuals who went on regular roadshows during the duration of the celebration to provide information to people about the network and help them solve problems related to the MTN network was another enjoyable side of the week long celebration. This, of course, was besides items like manual chargers, handsets, caps, T-shirts and generators that people went home with at the grand raffle draw of the 22nd edition of the celebration.

Themed “Heroism and Youth Development” which Chief Lamidi A. Sofenwa, Asoju Oba of Egba and chairman of the 2008 Lisabi Day Celebration explained was specifically chosen “firstly to illustrate and celebrate the uncommon heroic characteristics of the hero Lisabi, his outstanding patriotism, his exemplary leadership and service to his community for the common good and the need for untiy for the achievement of peace, progress, happiness and well being of the society.

“Secondly to encourage the contemporary Egba Society to appreciate that unity is strength and thirdly, to further cultivate the modern youngsters, suggest to them the characteristics of authentic heroes, and sensitize in them some understanding of the Egba culture.” Indeed, activities of the celebration were duly tailored to stressing these reasons.

The traditional events of booming of guns on Olumo Rock; display by Woro dancers across selected areas of the city and the traditional ceremonies held on the rock and which involved the Alake of Egbaland, sectional Obas and others held on the first two days of Lisabi Day 2008.

ON Wednesday, in confirmation of the organisers and sponsors assertion that the events were packaged to involve all segments of the Egba community, the final of the quiz competition among secondary schools in Egbaland was held while the semi-finals of the football competition among secondary schools also held.

The youths would later be treated to the thrilling football final between Orile Ilugun Community Comprehensive High School and Premier Grammar School and a concert where Lord of Ajasa, 9ice, Gbenga Ogundeyi (Felefelelaye) and Saheed Osupa delighted them before the celebration ended.

The highpoint of Thursday’s event was the visit to the house of “Hero of the year” late Chief Oyeneye Majekodunmi, Balogun Ikereku and Kiniun Egba (Lion of Egba). In an address delivered at the event graced by eminent Egba personalities including Dr. Lateef Adegbite, Chief Edmund Adeboye descendants of the late Majekodunmi and the first lady of Osun State, Mrs. Omolola Oyinlola, who is also a great grand daughter of the Kiniun Egba, the Alake of Egbaland, Oba Adedotun Gbadebo, hailed the late Majekodunmi as one of those who contributed to the significance of the Egba and whose illustrious children have followed in his steps. The monarch, who earlier on Wednesday at the final of the quiz competition, thanked MTN for its support did so again at the Majekodunmis’ compound. He said MTN successfully sponsored the celebration last year and did it again this year.

But the late Balogun Ikereku was not the only hero recognised at this year’s Lisabi Day celebration, Chief Jonathan Durojaiye Odebunmi, Mr. Julius Olusesan Popoola, Chief John MacDonald Osinowo, Mr. E.O. Agunbiade, Chief J.M.O. Fasheun, Chief Solomon Olusanmi Sogbein and Mrs. Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti, all late and accomplished educationists were honoured posthumously at an Award night immediately after the command performance of Lisabi Agbongbo Akala written by the award winning Makinde Adeniran at the June 12 Cultural Centre on Friday.

Explaining why the stage play, a novelty in the Lisabi Celebration programme was introduced this year Chief Sofenwa said it was for the youths to see the qualities of an hero and be able to learn from it. He added that the play was also to stress the message of unity Lisabi preached to all Egbas.

In his speech after the play and awards presentation had been concluded the Alake, Oba Gbadebo expressed happiness at the large turnout of school children at the event because according to him, tomorrow belonged to them. He told the students they have great ancestors and that the lesson in the play they saw is that they can mobilise to effect changes in their environment.

Speaking on the awardees, Oba Gbadebo said they deserved the honour because they were tarilblazers who, in spite of challenges, established educational institutions which all Egbas are benefitting from. The Alake, again, thanked MTN two of which officials, Senior Manager, Channels and Regional Marketing, Ikechukwu Kalu and Regional Marketing Manager, South West, Olaoluwa Osundina, had earlier gone to pay homage to for sponsoring the celebration. Oba Gbadebo prayed for MTN in Yoruba saying “Won on ni loga, Ile-Ise won o ni jona (They will have no superior and their company will not record any fire hazard). Continuing, the king prayed that Egbaland’s relationship with MTN which started last year will grow from strength to strength. The Oba, who enjoyed the play like everybody who saw it also thanked the artistes for their effort.

The grand finale on Saturday which saw all markets in Abeokuta closed expectedly was rich in spectacle and activities. It began early in the morning when a procession comprising the Alake, sectional Obas, Chiefs and people attired in white proceeded to Igbo Lisabi (Lisabi forest) to propitiate the legendary warrior.

Women, of course, did not enter the grove where prayers were said for Egbaland and its people. Inside the grove, where a conical shaped hut with supporting walls adorned with murals of hunters had been built on the spot where Lisabi disappeared into the earth, a minute silence was observed in honour of the warrior.

Explaining the propitiation Seriki and Baba Adinni of Egbaland, Dr. Lateef Adegbite (CON) said they were not worshipping Lisabi as some people wrongly assume but were only remembering him and other ancestors. Adegbite also said it would not be bad if the celebration is made bigger next year. He thanked MTN for its support and urged the Obafemi Owode Local Government and the Ogun State government to tar the road leading to the forest where hunting of animals and farming are not allowed.

Thereafter the celebration moved back to the Ake palace ground where homages were paid to the Alake by different groups with Sir Shina Peters and Akeem Ayinla Omowura providing music, the celebration moved a gear higher. The youths were the first to greet Oba Gbadebo while the Olorogun (warrior chiefs) in their red caps came after them. The group, like all the others who followed, prayed and sang for the king. The Ogboni attired in their unique gear and led by Oluwo Egba, Chief Edmund Adeboye, were next after the Olorogun.

The group clapped three times before saying Kabiyesi three times and it also prayed and chanted the kings praise name. The Erelu, Iyaloja, Babaloja, Baales, Hausa and Fulani Communities also did not fail to pay homage to Oba Gbadebo. The Olorisa Buruku made up of only women, Ogodo who are traditional Egba musicians, Lisabi club, Agemo of Oke-Ona, Igunnuko, Shina Peters, Akeem Omowura and the MTN team led by Ikechukwu Kalu equally paid homage to the Alake.

Kalu later presented Oba Gbadebo a MTN Black Berry and also presented the sponsorship cheque from MTN to chairman of the organising committee, Chief Lamidi Sofenwa. That is not all. Winners of the football competition and quiz competition also got their prizes from MTN at the colourful, cultural ceremony where Bunmi Ayelagbe recited an ewi (Yoruba poetry) on Lisabi and his exploits.

Creating awareness on ‘delay’ in Christian life

The first chapter of this book is an eye-opener to Christians on the journey of life and the hitches of delay that abound. The book really begins with topical issues which alert and sensitise christians on ‘delay’ as it slows down endeavours in life.

The writer needs to be commended for being blunt and straight-forward in creating the expected spiritual awareness on ‘delay’ in christian life. The analogies given by the writer, like references to the delay experienced by the Israelites and also that of Abraham and Sarah in having children, demonstrate the fact that although delay could be spiritual and God-engineered, one could at the end overcome by pleading the blood of Jesus. What I apreciate in the author is his panacea to delay. He does not only create awareness on delay, he also submits that through prayer and spiritual warfare, the battle against delay could be easily surmounted.

Through this chapter, our mind is opened to what we should expect in the chapters that follow. The author moves on by letting us know the chief agent of delay which is, undoubtedly, satan. In the second chapter, an in-depth analysis is given concerning the activities of satan in his course of delaying people from achieving success. This chapter, though not lengthy, is rich as it throws more light on the powers of satan, whom most of us believe has no power. Readers are made to understand that satan rules this word and is the major cause of delay. Satan is out to kill, to steal and destroy. Emphasis is, however, laid on the potency of the power of the Holy Ghost to arrest all satanic forces and get them destroyed under the feet of Jesus. The author’s treatment of satan is enough for a lay man to have a perception of how evil, cruel and destructive satan is in the course of getting one delayed.

The author uses the third chapter to make us understand that our delay could be a self-imposed one.This could be through ignorance, attack on men of God, bad manners, improper dressing, abuse of position of authority, prayerlessness and obstinacy. One could impose unecessary delays on one’s life. Delays could come through repercussion of age-long wickedness we had visited on innocent people.

The author educates us that we should try and critically examine ourselves and stop blaming other people for our delays. An x-ray of our conducts should be carried out and examined. Perhaps, many people never knew they could be the very cause of delays in their endeavours in life.

Surprisingly, the author further makes us realise that, sometimes, God could sanction our delays for some reasons best known to Him. God could agree to one’s delays if one is to be used fully by him. According to the fourth chapter, one can be delayed for greater heights or for the perfect glory of God. Delays could be divine to testify to the glory of God. God could allow delay so that we could be closer to him; to give one a call to the ministry; to speak with one; to teach one faith, hope and patience; to fight spiritual war; to humble one and to make us grow in the spirit. The fifth chapter recommends various ways to overcoming delays in our lives. Paramount and prominent among these is the call for one to be ‘born again’ and move closer to God. Also, one should get the anointing and be spirit-filled. The author also advises us to be aggressive in prayers and serve God addictedly without any distractions.

On the whole, the book is an eye opener to the concept of delay in the physical form, the psychological form and the spiritual form. Rigid-hearted persons may find it difficult to believe there is anything called delay until when they come across this book. The book is not lacking in focus as it deals with delay – its causes and way out. Honestly speaking, the book would go a long way in solving problems of delay in human lives. It will erase and neutralise ignorance and superstitious thoughts that have prevailed for long in our minds.

This book is another weapon of warfare to overcome the satan. It is enough to checkmate all the atrocities of the devil if we follow the contents religiously and strictly to the letters.