Isese Day: Traditionalists urge Aiyedatiwa to declare public holiday

As traditionalists in the Southwest commemorate World Isese Day, their counterparts in Ondo State have appealed to Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa to emulate his colleagues in the region by declaring a public holiday.

The traditionalists, who gathered at the Adegbemile Cultural Centre in Akure to celebrate the day, also called for political officeholders to take oaths in the traditional way upon assuming office, stressing that this would help curb excesses.

According to the Araba Isese of Ondo State, Folorunsho Adetunji, establishing a public holiday would allow Isese adherents to come together, get closer to their creator, and offer supplications.

He said, “Isese Day is the celebration of origin and a showcase of our ancestors’ deeds in the early period; our culture and customs are all summed up under the Isese celebration.”

Stressing that traditionalists should be accorded the same respect as other religions, Adetunji said that traditional worshippers also have a critical role to play in the development of the state and country.

“Isese Day should be seen as a day to celebrate Yoruba traditions, culture, customs, and spirituality. The celebration includes parades, lectures, and displays of traditional apparel to attract tourists from other parts of the world,” he said.

“The practice of Isese involves communication with ancestors and other spirits through prayer, offerings, and divination to help propose solutions to the challenges confronting the country.

“We plead with the Ondo State government to grant the traditionalists a public holiday to give us a sense of belonging. This will show that we are not sidelined and that the government is fair.”

Also speaking, Araba Awo of Okeagbe, Ayobami Ogedengbe, stressed that political officeholders taking oaths in a traditional way would add another dimension to the country’s political landscape.

“The current system has loopholes for individuals challenged by integrity issues. Our people know that the gods uphold integrity, and no Yoruba person will violate an oath taken before the gods.

“This will restore sanity to our system because the average African or Yoruba person fears the consequences of swearing before Ogun or other traditional deities.”

The adherents, who gathered across Akure, prayed for the Yoruba people worldwide and for leadership that would take the country to the promised land.