By Adebayo Ishola
The 2023 Isese Festival did not go without drawing people’s attention to its significance acknowledging and honouring the Yoruba Orisah as (deities) and ancestors.
Most traditional believers that were monitored speaking on various radio programmes on Monday 21st, the Isese day expressed their profound gratitude to the former Governor of Osun State, Ogbeni Rauf Adesoji Aregbesola for his initiative at reviving the hitherto moribund Yoruba cultures and tradition from going into extinction.
The National Publicity Secretary of Oodua People’s Congress New Era, Comrade Sina Akinpelu who featured on a favourite Magazine-Radio Show in Ibadan recalled how Governor Aregbesola initiated what is been adopted by most governors in the SouthWest Nigeria today which is Isese day.
“All thanks must go to the former governor of Osun State Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, who in 2013 declared a public holiday in commemoration of the World Traditional Religion, Isese Day. Today three other Governors have toed same path which is an indication that the idea is now been welcomed and will soon be embraced in the whole South/West geo-political zone of the country.” said Comrade Akinpelu.
The traditionalists since 2013 that a day had been set aside are not resting on their oars as they spend each year’s Isese festival to consolidate on their gains. They described Isese as the origin or source of creation.
Speaking in the same vein, the founder of Eniaponle Foundation and CEO of Afrikedge TV, Deacon Ashaolu Michael Adeboye has also said many of the critics of the then move saw it as an aberration to the norms of government practice in Nigeria, with some Christians and Muslims expressing divergent views on it.
“When the respected political icon, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola announced in August 2013, that a day holiday has been set aside for traditionalists in the state to mark the annual Isese Day, tongues wagged on the decision of a state government to commemorate the cultural occasion of the so-called Idol worshippers.
“Now other governors in the Yoruba Speaking States are seeing reason in the vision of Aregbesola, but my suggestion as part of the way forward
is that you leaders and adherents of the Yoruba traditional religion should not scare people away from it, but package it and make it very attractive and more exportable,” said Hon Ashaolu of Eniaponle Foundation.
