By Babatunde Michael.
Mr Solagbade Popoola, World President, International Council for Ifa Religion (ICIR) has described Ekiti state as a vibrant religion tourism destination with abundant economic potentials.
Popoola made this assertion during an interview with newsmen in Ado-Ekiti, the State capital, saying the state had no reasons to be among economically poor states in Nigeria going by its religion tourism viability.
He said that Ekiti derived its name from its natural attributes situated within a rocky terrain, regarded as the culturally richest State within the Southwest Nigeria.
Popoola said that the State commands enormous economic prospects if its leadership could leverage on its abundant potentials in tourism.
The erudite and foremost Ifa priest, said that cultural significance of Ekiti also stems from the land being the historic birthplace or final resting place of most of the highly venerated Yoruba Gods such as Ogun, Osun, Obalufon, Osanyin, Esu Laaroye etc.
According to him, Orunmila, who is regarded as the original source of the Yoruba spirituality and philosophy spent the longest number of his years on earth in Ado-Ekiti and other parts of Ekiti State.
“The direct progenitors of Orunmila founded notable communities in Ekiti. These include Alara, Ajero, Oloye, Onitaji, Elejelu just like the Orangun in Ila-Orangun, Osun State and Olowo in Ondo State,”he said.
Popoola affirmed that the ICIR has facilitated the visit of no less than 20,000 people to Ekiti State through the five editions of the annual World Ifa Festival and Pilgrimage so far organised by the Council.
He said that Ekiti State has no reason to rely majorly on monthly allocations from the Federation Account if its determined to tap into several economic advantages of religious tourism.
The ICIR leader further revealed that in 2012, Ifa led them to discover that the present location of Ekiti Government House is the Oke-Igeti they have always sought to locate.
He explained that on getting to Oke-Igeti, otherwise called Oke-Ayoba, every evidential relics that could authenticate and confirm that the place had housed Orunmila was found.
“We wrote to the Ministry of Arts, Culture and Tourism under one Alhaji Ayo Jinadu who directed that the Director of Tourism Development then, one Prince Adebanji Adelusi and a cameraman should go with us on a confirmation visit to the Oke-Igeti.
“Prince Adelusi is back as the Director of Tourism now, he can testify to what I am saying that we found amazing relics and other evidences.
“That was in 2012. We saw the rocky throne of Orunmila and other rocky seats, we saw the Iyerosun Tree we saw a small pound and many other instruments and tools suggestive of prior habitation of the site by a spiritual being such as Orunmila. “We are aware that all these things are still very much there,”he said.
Popoola said that Ifa Religion had continued to spread globally, claiming that 6,000 people out of the 30,000 population in Venezuela are Ifa adherents. He listed Mexico, Brazil and Cuba where Yoruba language and Ifa have gained much ground.
Popoola affirmed the readiness of the ICIR to partner with Ekiti State Government towards developing some of the important sites being visited annually during the World Ifa Festival and Pilgrimage.
He said that aside the development of those sites, government could create annual access to the portion of Oke-Igeti where the Throne of Orunmila is located.
According to him, the area is still more than 250 metres far from the Government House and poses no single security threat.
“If Ekiti State Government could do this and provide security to other locations during the period of the festival cum pilgrimage, ICIR is sure of facilitating between 10,000 and 12,000 tourists in multiple visits on pilgrimage in 2023,” Popoola added.
