Today 28th of July 2022, a traditional festival is been observed in the town where I live, it is usually a big celebration for the indigenes of the town but it is not fun for visitors like myself.
It is the sixth year I have known this festival but I still do not understand its importance, I respect the fact that the people still practice and cherish their tradition but the fact that it inconveniences the people doesn't make me like it. This festival actually gives men the privilege to move around to some extent but it is not completely safe for people who are not indigenes of the town, women are meant to stay indoors for 24 hours while the festival is on and any woman who violates the law bears consequences I don't but they claim that it is always brutal.
Before today, a festival similar to this was held about six weeks ago. I had something important to do outside town that day and I had to pay ¢40 each at more than five roadblocks mounted by the indigene who were extorting people just because the festival was on.
On that same day, I had to trek for close to two hours from the bus stop to my home at night in fear of being robbed just because the transporter couldn't cope with the extortion from the indigenes taking advantage of the festival.
It is easier to say you won't give them what they want but it doesn't end well arguing with them, they have canes and things that can hurt you. You definitely can't fight against them because you will be outnumbered.
A lot of illegal things I don't want to speak of are done during this festival and I don't think that the purpose justifies the atrocities people commit under 24hrs, I believe traditions that inconvenience the people aren't a good one.
Today thousands of people have to stay indoors because of the festival, some people eat from the sales they make daily; how do they expect them to cater for three square meals? Students are forced to remain at home, and shops/businesses are forced to close just for the festival. Men are allowed to do business but they won't because of the fear of people taking advantage of the festival by breaking into the shop or extorting the shop owners.
These traditions have existed for a long time but the people promoting them needs to understand that the way things are now are very much different from the past and they ought to carry out their celebration without inconveniencing the people, these tradition can be very terrible sometimes, the fear it creates in people is not ordinary.
I remembered when I was younger, a lady who left her NYSC camp to visit her parents went missing and it was later discovered that she was caught by the festival observers. She wanted to surprise her parent not knowing that the Oro festival was on, it is a kind of festival that restricts people from going about; every resident of the town must stay indoors while the festival is done.
Law is law, tradition is tradition, I understand it but these things shouldn't be like this anymore. The world has gone beyond all these diabolical things and I wonder why we still dwell in them, I am not condemning the festival but it should have been improved and done in a way that wouldn't hurt people.
They could have just done it at midnight to avoid causing lots of people trouble, observing it like the ancient days doesn't make sense anymore. Then, people were into farming, there were no schools, the population wasn't much and they can afford to stay indoor for days unlike the world today that warrants students to go to school and adults to go to their place of work so that they can provide food for themselves or their families.
The obsession with this tradition has caused setbacks to the towns practicing them but they aren't paying attention to it, how do you expect a company, a bank, or a factory to establish a branch in your town when they know that the town can start a ritual or festival that requires people to stay indoor for a whole day or even more. Will they shut down business or operation because of tradition?
They are losing money by halting business so they will rather stay in developed towns that do not inconvenience people in the name of tradition.
The youths in the town have to journey for hours just to go to work and return, I wonder how this would make life easier for them.
I have been indoor all day, I don't have any money to give to anyone just because I want to go out. My family is indoor as well because we don't want to take any chances of going through any problems with the festival. I believe tradition should be a blessing, it should protect the people and when it does otherwise, I don't think it is worth calling a tradition.