By Dada Ahmed in Magongo..
By Dada Ahmed in Magongo.
The weeklong 2025 Owiya Osese festival in Magongo in Ogori Magongo Local Government Area of kogi state entered its 5th day on Friday with a colourful Ogegenosi mountaineering exercise.
The event is part of the programmes to mark this year’s Owiya Osese in Magongo, organized by the Magongo Development Association.
Our correspondent,who witnessed the climbing of the 1,500 feet above sea level reports that the top of the historic mountain was a beehive of social, economic and cultural activities for hundreds of people of different ages.
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The mountain also showed to enthusiastic tourists ,a small cave with water all year round.Our correspondent spotted these two children the water from the cave on Friday.
The National President of Magongo Development Association,MDA ,Prince Jordan Alaba Akpata and his lieutenants were among the prominent citizens of Magongo.
The energy sapping but colourful event saw hundreds of the people of Magongo and their friends,far and near sweating profusely tripping to the mountain to catch the entertainment and socialize.
Youths and youths at heart were spotted milling round the top of the mountain blaring music and engaged in lively social interaction among others.while took to traditional dancing depicting the rich cultural heritage of Magongo people.
Speaking with our correspondent,an indigene of Magongo, Godwin Remilekun Akpata, described the 2025 Owiya Osese festival as unique as it featured, for the first time, mountaineering exercise to the sacred Ogegenosi mountain.
According to him,the mountain is blessed with amazing features such as a cave capacity of accommodating about 300 people, a place where the water does not dry all the year round among others.
The event also showcased a mini market for small business operators to make brisk business, selling soft drinks and other wares.
Akpata stressed the need for the kogi State government to put its search light on the possibility of developing the mountain into a befitting tourism attraction to attract foreign tourists and investment.
At the time of this report at about 2 p.m, people from many states of the federation were still trooping to the mountain to catch a glimpse of the amazing features the mountain is endowed with.
Some of the victors to the mountain commended the national president of MDA for introducing mountaineering into the programmes of the cultural festival. They argued that such a physical exercise would go along way in enhancing the health of the people making to mountain besides being another sporting activity that serves as source of social cohesion among other benefits.
Our correspondent reports that the annual event is expected to end on May 17, with grand finale with the of the state, Alhaji Ahmed Usman Ododo serving as the Special Guest of Honour among important dignitaries excepted to grace the occasion.
Records show that the core value of this legendary festival is the rite of passage that has, for over a century, marked the transition of young girls into womanhood. This festival is not merely a cultural event; it is a profound expression of the community’s values, emphasizing purity, moral integrity, and the celebration of female virtue..
