By Young E. Freeborn, Warri
The popular annual ‘Ade’ traditional wrestling festival of the Uwheru people in Ughelli North Local Government Area of Delta State has come and gone with a call for cultural renaissance amongst Urhobo people, and Africans, so as to promote Urhobo cultural festivals to international standard.
The four-day event, which was highly competitive among the four original quarters making up Uwheru kingdom, featured various cultural activities, “all thrilling and a pleasure to behold for participants and guests.”
Our correspondent said this year’s ‘Ade’ traditional wrestling festival as usual began with the buying of different foodstuff by the celebrants, which were mainly the traditional chiefs (Ilorogun Ade), the wrestlers and other Uwheru people in the popular Uwheru local market.
Later in the same day, the wrestling competition was heralded by the Onidjor (chief priest) as it was declared open first at Urede Quarters with the other quarters and sub-quarters participating.
The second day was hosted by Ehere Quarters with a lot of wrestlers and cultural enthusiasts in attendance. The third day was the turn of Erovie Quarters and it was lovely to watch with other cultural activities featuring. While the grand finale which was the fourth day was usually hosted by Egbo Quarters and it featured a lot of activities like the traditional procession of the ‘Ade’ traditional chiefs to the Onidjor shrine situated at the Onidjor river in Egbo Quarters, bridal dance and other cultural activities.
Speaking to our correspondent during the grand finale, the president-general of Uwheru kingdom, Chief (Hon.) Macpherson Igbedi, who was highly elated said, “We thank the Almighty God for the successful celebration of this year Ade traditional wrestling festival.
“We were born to meet this cultural festival of the Uwheru people. It’s not a welcome development for us to tell these our younger generations that they shouldn’t participate in these cultural festivals because of our ways of practicing Christianity these days. We must know that, this Ade traditional wrestling festival is our identity as a group of people in this Urhobo land. It’s our culture and that’s why, we are calling on our people for a rapid cultural renaissance especially in this modern age by investing in technology to promote all our cultural festivals to international level.
“Let’s also imbibe the spirit of religious tolerance in our neighborhood. Don’t ever present your religion as better or greater than other ones because Nigeria is a well recognized multi-religious country in the African continent.”
Speaking further, the Uwheru PG expressed appreciation to the planning committee and all that graced the occasion.
“I want to specially convey our warmest appreciations to the planning committee of the event for a job well done. I want to also thank our youths for avoiding violence, molestation and any other form of disturbance all through the days of the event. They should continue to maintain this kind of maturity at every time. Let me at this time call on the Delta state government to promote cultural festivals across the state. It’s a way to generate internal revenue to the coffers of the state treasury. All Uwheru sons and daughters should also invest in the promotion of this our traditional wrestling festival by using modern technology to showcase all the activities,” he said.
