By John Dike Osogbo
Traditional Religion Worshippers Association in Osun State has said nothing will stop it from celebrating Isese festival slated to hold in Iwo, Iwo local Government area of the state.
They vowed to go ahead with the Festival which they described as annual event inherited from their forefathers.
TRAWSO however declared that the ban on traditionalists’ activities in Iwo by the Oluwo of Iwo, Oba Adewale Akanbi, was a rude joke which holds no water, stating that the annual Isese Festival will hold in the town on August 20, 2023.
Recall that Oba Akanbi, in a viral video, ordered that no Oro festival or sacrifice will take place this year in the ancient town.
Oba Akanbi in the video said only Almighty God can make the town peaceful, just as he called for the arrest of anyone who places sacrifice or imposes curfew on the town under guise of Oro festival.
Reacting to Oba Akanbi’s claims, the President of the Traditional Religion Worshippers Association, Dr. Ifagbenusola Atanda, said Oluwo was no longer acting as a monarch with his actions, adding that he cannot stop people from performing their fundamental rights.
Atanda who stated this while featuring on a radio programme on Friday said Oro and Isese were parts of the traditional sacrifices used to install the monarch before ascending the throne of his forefathers.
While calling on the authorities concerned to caution Oluwo, Atanda said that King himself is the head of the Isese, saying he should desist from dragging the Yoruba culture and custom into the mud.
He said: Isese festival was what birthed the Oluwo himself, even, including his ancestors. As a traditional monarch, we expect Oluwo to join hands in promoting the cultures of the land. He should stop saying what can destroy the culture of the land.
He was made the king through Isese not with Quran or Bible. I think the authorities concerned should caution him. I can recollect how he wanted to create trouble during the last administration, he was cautioned, I think now that he has started, Governor Ademola Adeleke should also call him to order.
Atanda called on the traditionalist to be peaceful and be a role model, warning miscreants to stay away on the day.
“Let us come in our hundreds. There is nobody that has the right to prevent us from exercising our fundamental human rights and in as much as we are doing this, we should do it peacefully, orderly and be a model of the true Omoluabi that we are”, he stated.
Meanwhile, Oluwo had in a statement titled “No Oro (Rituals) with curfews In Iwoland” pointed on the adverse effects of ritual curfews on any society where such is imposed.
Oluwo said: “The aspiration of every community is to have a productive and vibrant economy. An economic setting that will pave ways for the prosperity of all and sundry- citizens and visitors. Achieving such will requires free flow/movement of humans, their goods and services without restrictions.
“Any deity restricting human movement is anti- progress. It should be done in the bush where no one leaves. Oro worshippers in Iwo should change their mode of engagement to exclude restriction of people’s movement. Such will not be entertained in my domain (Iwoland). It is banned in Iwoland and that’s it. “
“Other Oro done in moderation and not placing restrictions on human freedom is permitted. Individuals are free to engage in their family deity as much as people’s freedom is not hindered.”
“I ask, what will be the faith of an emergency patient being rush to hospital? Of what justification is movement restriction to a student going to an examination hall at a particular time? Of what moral excuse is restriction of movement in the name of Oro to an accident victim in urgent need of emergency medical attention?”
