By Abayomi Adefolalu
Ipe Akoko(Ondo State), Sept. 19,2018Ipe Akoko community in Akoko South/West Local Government Area on Wednesday celebrated Chegba festival and showcased the world largest beans cake.
The Hope reports that the festival is as old as the community back to 1300 century when the community aborigines migrated from Ile Ife in Osun State.
Speaking to newsmen, Oba Francis Apata, the traditional ruler of the community, said that the featival was meant to celebrate women who had given to their first children successfully.
Apata noted that it was a way to checkmate women not to get indulged in abortion and promiscuity.
"This Chegba festival started in time immemorial and it has been in practice since origin of this community and it has always been done primarily by those women who had successful first birth.
"That is those who did not have stillbirth and abortion and people will rejoice and their relations will celebrate with them.
"They then invented traditional bean cake and it is the widest in all universe you can think of and it can stay for 9 days without being decayed.
"That is origin of the beans cake. It is a celebration of joy with people and we are expanding its scope this year,"he said.
The monarch added that the ingredients were sourced locally,saying 'one wonders how the beans cake can be in that large and wide diameter.
He encouraged indigenes of the community to support the festival, saying it was a celebration to bring indigenes together that something good and attractive was happening in the community.
Also, Mr Adeniran-Ayodele Balogun, the convener of 2018 Chegba festival beans cake, said the festival was historic in the life of Ipe Akoko.
"Today, we are showcasing real, unique and widest beans cake in the world and it is a maiden edition of such.
"It is attached to the women with successful first birth.
"It is borne out of contributing my own little quota towards upliftment of our cultural heritage," he stated.
Balogun added that the implication of festival was that it brought joy to women world.
He called on government and private organisations to sponsor and support the festival, like other known festivals in the country,saying it would attract foreigners and as well improve economy.
Mrs Victoria Adeola, an 80 years old indigene of the community, noted that no 'unclean' woman was allowed to go near where the beans cake was being fried because it might have negative effect on its formaton.
The octogenarian said that the festival was laced with 'Uge' virgin dance.
Hope also reports that the fried beans cakes in four categories were measured: 22 inches in length, 22 inches in breadth with 66 diameters in circumference.
The second one was measured 18 and half inches in length, 17 inches in breadth with 59 diameters in circumference.
The third one was measured: 18 inches in length,17 inches in breadth with 56 diameters in circumference
