The traditional ruler of Ikate Kingdom, Oba Saheed Ademola Elegushi, has praised the Lagos State Government and other state governments, who have accorded recognition to the traditional festival celebration called Isese Day.
He said such recognition would promote inclusion and equality.
Oba Elegushi, who was speaking yesterday at the celebration of the day in his palace, said the recognition was long due, as traditional worshipers are part of the society, they belong to the same community as other faiths and it is only appropriate they get their own holiday as a mark of respect to their beliefs as it is with Christianity and Islam.
Special Assistant on Public Affairs to the traditional ruler, Temitope Oyefeso, quoted the king as saying he is happy that after years of making the calls to the government, the date is now on the calendar and recognised by the Lagos State Government and some state governments in the Southwest.
The king appealed to the Federal Government to ensure the date becomes a national holiday, noting that believers who are not of the two known faiths also contribute to the peace and progress of the country.
Isese Day, a day set aside to recognise and celebrate traditional religion worship, is celebrated annually on August 20.
Oba Isese Worldwide, Dr. Ifarotimi Balogun, yesterday led adherents of the traditional faith to celebrate this year’s Isese Day in Abeokuta, Ogun State capital.
He prayed for the state, Yorubaland and Nigeria and said hardship in the country, caused by oil subsidy removal, was a temporary phase to better days for Nigerians.
Oba Ifarotimi said adherents of the traditional faith had known before hand through the Ifa Oracle that the economic hardship would first come and for a moment, adding that afterwards, it would give way to a new dawn of prosperity and abundance under the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
He urged Nigerians to be patient, saying the economic downturn was real, but a necessary sacrifice that would lead to the prosperity of the nation.
The traditional leader of Isese Day was addressing reporters in Ija Ofa, Abeokuta where the people converged to celebrate their traditional annual day.
He hailed Ogun, Lagos, Oyo and Osun states for declaring today as Isese Day and appealed to Southwest state governments to support the adherents of traditional faith to go on spiritual pilgrimage to Brazil, as is the practice for Muslims who travel to Mecca annually for hajj and Christians who perform pilgrimage in Israel and Jerusalem every year.
