Okemesi-Ekiti festival to re-enact Ekiti Parapo War

The Ekiti State government and some other stakeholders in Ekiti history will re-enact the bravery and gallantry of Fabunmi Okemesi and other war heroes from various towns in Ekiti State who fought during the Ekiti Parapo war of liberation. The Ekiti Parapo festival is designed as a memorial package of events to celebrate the collaboration […]

The Ekiti State government and some other stakeholders in Ekiti history will re-enact the bravery and gallantry of Fabunmi Okemesi and other war heroes from various towns in Ekiti State who fought during the Ekiti Parapo war of liberation.

The Ekiti Parapo festival is designed as a memorial package of events to celebrate the collaboration of Ekiti and Ijesha forces against their common enemies, marking the end of oppression of their two nations.

At an interactive session yesterday with some stakeholders in Ado-Ekiti, the Ekiti State capital, the chairman, Okemesi Cultural Heritage and Tourism committee, Prince Kayode Oni, explained that the festival was not meant to recall the events that led to the human losses, agony and pains during the war.

Rather, Oni noted, the 2019 festival was packaged to celebrate the courage and patriotism displayed by those who made the supreme sacrifice for the freedom of many generations after them.

The festival will feature the launch of a N50 million Development Fund to complete the Ekiti Parapo War museum in Okemesi.

In his speech at the ceremony, the Director- General, Ekiti State Council of Art and Culture, Mr Wale Ojo-Lanre, said Governor Kayode Fayemi was committed to revamping the state’s arts and culture through support from all the town’s festivals in the state.

Ojo-Lanre noted that Okemesi represents a town where Ekiti’s unity, freedom and patriotism began with the Ekiti Parapo War, saying the peace treaty of 1886 was instructive that we must remember our dead heroes.

The Speaker, Ekiti State House of Assembly, Funminiyi Afuye, expressed the support of the state lawmakers to “the festival that gave the Ekiti people freedom in their homeland.”

Afuye described Okemesi town as the link between the Yoruba nation and Ekiti, saying the Ekiti Parapo war fought in the town between Ibadan and Ekiti warriors was the longest civil war in history.

The ceremony is scheduled to hold from October 2 to October 5, 2019.