By Kehinde Adejumo
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Omu community in Akure South Local Government area of Ondo State is located along Cultural road off Ondo road, it is about five kilometers away from Itaoniyan, also in Akure South Local Government.
Omu is highly traditional in nature, despite its closeness to Akure, the State Capital, there are still some belief they hold on to till date.
According to Chief Idowu Falokun, a community leader, Omu community was established over 200 years ago by a man called Asekutu. He said the community was named after a river called Omu. Falokun who spoke with Community Hope said after a long search for water to drink by Asekutu and his people who were traveling from a distance land in search of where to settle, they found this river, they all drank and slept off due to fatigue. He said after they woke up they moved round the area and named their settlement after the river”Omu”.
For the role the river played in their lives, they worship the goddess of the river called Olokun, they guard the river jealously to prevent anything that can pollute it from getting to the site of the river.
The community leader said, that was the reason why rearing of domestic animals that may likely pollute the river are forbidden, animals like pigs, ducks and other related animals.
“A day is set aside in the year when we worship the goddess of this river because all the good things happening in this community is the handing work of Olokun goddess.
“The Strange thing about this river is that it does not dry no matter how long the dry season may be” Falokun said.
The river, according to him, is the only means of water supply, both for drinking and for other domestic uses, in spite of the fact that the water is multi-purpose, ever since the establishment of the town, there has never been a case of water related disease in the area.
“It is Olokun the goddess of the river that purifies, “Falokun enthused. He therefore urged the Agency that is in charge of Kamomi Aketi Water Scheme to remember them in Omu community, he said they also want to benefit from Arakunrin Oluwarotimi Akeredolu’s water project.
The people of Omu have no other occupation than farming. They produce Cocoa and Kola nut in large quantities. Omu community is among the largest producers of cocoa in Akure South Local Government Area of Ondo State .
The people of Omu are very accommodating. Despite the fact that there is no tribe in Nigeria that is not in Omu, there has never been a case of ethnic clash in the area. Some of the ethnic group in the area are Calabar, Igbo, Gara, Idoma, Ebira, Benue and many others.
“Apart from pigs and Ducks that are forbidden in the area, rearing of Sheep in omu is also forbidden because Olokun goddess detests sheep and as such anything it does not like, we do everything within our power to avoid it, sheep as domestic animal harbours evil”, he explained.
In Omu any cock that crows by 7.00pm will be killed at the spot where it crows. Explaining the reason for this Falokun said for a cock to crow at that time of the day is a bad omen, and for that evil to be averted, the blood of the cock must be used as sacrifice, but if the cock is spared that evil will happen, but if killed the evil is averted.
“Superstitious as it may look, many young men and women have died for failure to kill such cock at the spot, that is why we can not stop killing any cock that crows in such hour, ” he said.
The community leader urged voters to vote for credible candidates and not those that would entice them with money to buy their conscience as the 2019 election is fast approaching
Falokun attributed the reasons for voters collecting money as high level of poverty and any see the money as benefit they can derive from politicians.
He appealed to the people of the area and the state in general not to sell their future.”your vote is your future” Falokun said.
