Ogun State of Nigeria is making its debut and corporate presence felt at this year’s Notting Hill Carnival in London come 26th August, 2013. The State is very eager to show what the world is missing and verily the missing ‘Q’ at the Carnival by bringing its brand of freshness and originality to it.
The State, which is endowed with natural and cultural resources, also has an agglomeration of Yoruba clans and diatribes which further enriches what the state can offer in terms of cultural performances.
The culture of the state is replete with traditional values, and history. In effect, what the world is poised to witness at this year’s carnival is significantly an avenue of acculturation, homogeneity, education, and performance.
Ogun State delegation is led by Mrs. Yewande Amusan, Commissioner for Tourism and their presence portends the inclusion of many more cultural participations to enrich and authenticate the celebration of cultures in festivity of black communities in London.
Below are two of the tourist sites that have attracted the world to Ogun state.
Birikisu Sungbo Shrine
Birikisu Sungbo Shrine, a popular tourist centre in Ogun State is located at Oke Eri near Ijebu Ode, off the Ijebu-ode/Ibadan road in the Ijebu Ode Local Government area.
The Shrine lies, less than 125 Kilometres from Abeokuta the Ogun State capital, 50 kils, from Ibadan the Oyo State capital and some 100 kilos from Lagos. It could be reached by motor vehicle through Motorable roads .
There is a sign on the lbadan/ljebu main road which proclaims “Ogun State Tourist Centre Birikisu'”, Here one turns off to reach the shrine.
Birikisu Sungbo was otherwise regarded as the Biblical Queen of Sheba. Hear tomb the shrine is fast becoming the “Mecca” of Nigeria.
For every year at all Moslem festivals, religious groups, of the Moslem faith converge at the shrine to offer prayers and seek. the favour of the spirit of the devout woman.
The great attention that Birikisu still commands derives from the belief that whoever visits her shrine and asks for anything in sober reflection will have his request met.
The Birikisu of romance was said to be the biblical Queen of Sheba. She was an Arab. She was said to have met King Solomon with whom she fell in love, and became one of his numerous wives. Later, the Queen of Sheba in her age returned to Oke-Eri where she died and was buried.
Olumo Rock (Tourist Centre) Abeokuta
Olumo Rock is a massive outcrop of granite rocks of primitive formation from which Abeokuta (meaning under the rock )the capital of Ogun State derive its name.
Abeokuta lies South West of the Republic of Nigeria and is 100 kilometres from Lagos. To the North some 70 kilometres away is the city of Ibadan the capital of Oyo State.
The climate is hot and humid with an annual rainfall of 47 inches. The Rock is sacred to the Egba of Abeokuta because it was the place where they found refuge from their attackers te the days of internecine wars.
By l83O,the main body of the Egba has already settled at the site of the Olumo and the refuge provided by the rock marked the end of their wonderings and struggles for existence.
From that time onwards they have regarded Olumo Rock as their protection shrine and so made annual sacrifice to its deity. The importance of Olumo Rock to the Egba is conveyed in the assertion that Abeokuta was the gift of the Olumo, as Egypt was the gift of the Nile.
To the Egbas, Olumo Rock stands not only as a monument of faith in unity but also a source of strength and unfailing protection and sustenance from the supreme being who led their ancestors through the perplexities of life safely to Abeokuta.
Hence the interpretation of Olumo meaning “Oluwa fi mo” “God has put and end to our wanderings” Officially known as AT3, Olumo Rock is located off Alatise between lkija and Ikereku neighbourhoods of the town.
The highest point of Olumo is about 137 metres above sea levels. Looking from the top one would appreciate the wisdom of the first settlers to have chosen such a perfect bulwark against external invasion.
The name ‘Olumo, meaning God built if derives from the fact that rock is naturally surrounded by caves. One of which is about twenty feet long and twenty five feet wide. This has slab like stones which appear to serve as seats used by the ancient dwellers.
It probably was used as a hall of conference room. Another cave, some twenty metres long and seventy metres wide appears to be actual dwelling place.It has five built in rooms with a long corridor used as sitting room, kitchen and store.
At the east end of it is another bug cave, Out with mud walls in outer and inner chambers. This is used as a shrine by the devotees of Orise lgun (God of Longevity).
