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By Oscar Okhifo
The Oyo State Director, National Orientation Agency (NOA), Aderogba Akanbi, has bemoaned the gradual intrusion of foreign culture into the much-cherished yoruba identity, which if allowed, will lead to a fall from its enviable height worldwide.
Speaking on the heels of a certain nude video of a young woman entertaining guests (now viral ) during the recent Ojude Oba annual festival in ijebu Ode, Ogun state, the Director in a release he personally signed and made available to the Press in Ibadan on Friday, expressly counselled against such acculturation, warning that they should not mortgage their values and norms on the altar of modernisation.
“Ojude-Oba tells our stories of social cohesion and cultural identity as it accentuates our mode of dressing, horse display and cultural ensemble, which is central to the festival.
“It is an assemblage of sane cultural activities and promotion of a well-cultured people of proud origin that preserve traditional institutions. Therefore, anything that will taint that identity should be regarded as a ‘dark spot’ on a colourful attire and should be condemned forthwith.
“Let me re-emphasize that, Ojude Oba transcends an annual routine. It showcases our heritage, values, and norms to the world, and the legacy should remain unblemished. Nudity or obscene dressing during festivals are alien to Yoruba culture of the South-West Nigeria and should not be imported into our land . We should appreciate our cultural relativism”.