Traditionalists in Oyo demand recognition, public holiday

Traditional religion worshippers across the country have urged the federal government to make every August 20th a public holiday for traditional religion adherents in the country.

The traditional religion adherents also asked the federal and state governments to give more recognition to worshippers, the way it is done to Muslims and Christians during public events and prayers.

Baba Ifalere Ifagbenro, who is the spokesperson for the International Council for Ifa Orisa religion under the auspices of Olu Isese Makoranwale Awodotun made the demands while speaking with journalists in Ibadan, Oyo State on Tuesday.

Ifagbenro who is the Oluwo Ifa Idingbe temple also condemned the alleged marginalisation of traditional religion adherents across the country in terms of benefits and recognition.

Ifagbenro who advised the federal government to make August 20 every year a public holiday for traditional religion adherents, noted that it will be unfair if both Muslims and Christians are given six or seven days as public holidays in a year without any consideration for traditional worshipers.

He said both Muslims and Christians enjoy public holidays during their festivities for one or two days but the traditional religion adherents have no such opportunity to go on holiday during their own time.

Ifagbenro who said the oracle had earlier in January 29th 2022, revealed that the president-elect, Bola Ahmed Tinubu would become Nigeria’s president, insisted that no amount of permutation can prevent him from becoming the number one citizen in May this year.

He added that the wishes of those calling for interim government cannot come to pass and used the opportunity to congratulate Tinubu and governors from the South West.

He urged Governor Seyi Makinde to give proper recognition to traditional worshippers in the state.

“We appreciate Nigerians for their peaceful conduct during the last general elections. We want to congratulate the president-elect, Bola Tinubu, Seyi Makinde of Oyo, Sanwoolu in Lagos and Dapo Abiodun of Ogun. We also congratulate Ademola Adeleke of Osun State over his victory at the appeal court. We want to appeal to those who lost during the elections to accept the defeat and cooperate with the winners to move Nigeria forward.

“There will no interim government. Tinubu will still be the president, this has been revealed by the oracle since 29th January 2022 that despite the wars he will still be president.

“Our demands are: We want the same recognition to be given to us the way it is being given to Muslims and Christians. Both Muslims and Christians are enjoying holidays for six or seven days in a year. And we are demanding our own holiday. The federal government should declare August 20th as our public holiday.

“We want the president-elect to include traditional religion adherents as part of the people that will offer prayer for him during the inauguration the way they are allowing Muslims and Christians to pray. He should be the first president to do such a thing.

“We want the board of traditional medicine to be functional and strengthened in all the states, especially those from the southwest. We also condemn the burning of shrines by some people in Ile Ife. We want Adeleke to intervene in the matter.

”The government should provide adequate security for traditional religion adherents too. We are Nigerians, we pay our taxes. They should allow us practice our religion without fear or molestation”.