Alakoso Day will develop Oshodi community – Ajanaku
By Edith Igbokwe
The President of the Association of Oshodi Town Indigenes, High Chief (Dr.) Rasaq Fassesan Ajanaku, the Alakoso Apena of Oshodi Town, has said that the annual Alakoso Day organised in Oshodi is aimed at facilitating development in the community.
Ajanaku, who is the organiser of the Alakoso Day celebration, disclosed that the programme is to gather all indigenes of Oshodi from home and abroad to facilitate socioeconomic development as well as to celebrate together.
According to him, apart form visiting some points in the community to pray for development during the celebration, it also serves as avenue for people to socialise, make connection, and plan together for the development of the community.
Just as the popular traditional Ojude Oba Day held in Ijebu Ode yearly, the Alakoso Day has also been scheduled to hold Sunday every year following the Islamic Ileya Festival so that many people can participate.
Ajanaku said though the programme was launched in 2018, the first well-organised one held in 2019 with attendance by dignitaries.
Though constrained by the Covid-19, the organiser said the programme was well organised as people and visitors were separated in small groups in compliance with the social distancing order.
According to Ajanaku, Alakoso Day is not the only sociocultural celebration in Oshodi, there is also Oshodi Day which he also established in 2006.
He added that he also established Isese Day in Oshodi, which is organised to ward off calamities from the community as the traditional worshippers spend huge amount to prepare atonement to appease the gods and seek their protection in the community.
Narrating the Genesis of the celebrations, he said: “As a leader, I was thinking on what we can do to make our community grow and develop. You know every rightful thinking person should always think of what they can contribute to the development of the community. In 1994, I established Isese Day in Oshodi. In 2004, we celebrated 10 years of Iseae Day in Oshodi.
“But later, I saw that we could be celebrating only traditional festival which is meant for only the traditional worshippers. Having sensed that people celebrated some other social festivals such as Mushin Day, in 2006, I again established Oshodi Day but later, the youths hijacked it while they also mingled it with Isese Day. Then I thought of establishing another pure social celebration that would be all encompassing in which everybody irrespective their religion, age and culture could participate. Then I launched Alakoso Day in 2018 though it was celebrated without much preparation and solid planning.
“We could not hold it in 2019. Now in 2020, we are having the first well organised Alakoso Day celebration.
“During the celebrations, traders make more sales, people buy uniform cloths (Aso ebi), we pray for peace to reign in the community and so many other advantages.”
Ajanaku appealed to the local government for support to foot the huge bills incurred during the celebrations.
He however commended the Federal House of Representatives member I Oshodi-Isolo constituency I, Hon. Bashir Dawodu and his counterpart in the Lagos House of Assembly, Hon. Akeem Sokunle for the assistance they render.
