The Youth Wing of the International Council for Ifa Religion (ICIR) on Sunday, says the 1st edition of its Isese Youth Festival will hold on the 20th of August, 2023, in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital.
According to Mr. Olowoopejo Fashola Oluwagbenga, the Leader of the ICIR Youth Wing, while disclosing this after a closed-door meeting, said that the planning of the maiden Isese Youth Festival had started since last year August and that the members of the Executive of the group felt that a more propitious time was needed for the convergence of Isese youth adherents. This was to enable members, based in different parts of the world, to fully participate.
While corroborating Olowoopejo, the Secretary of ICIR Youth Wing, Awoyemi Ifayemi Omonda also confirmed what the Youth Leader said. “The maiden edition of the Isese Youth Festival, which is a massive convocation of over 2000 young generation of Ifa and Orisa adherents from within and outside Nigeria, would be holding in the Yoruba City of Ilorin, the Kwara State Capital”, he declared.
Responding to questions from newsmen on the reason the festival was fixed to hold in Ilorin, against the backdrop of heightened religious tension in the city, Olowoopejo asked if there has ever been tension whenever Christians in Ilorin hold their crusades or whenever muslim faithfuls exercise their right to peaceful worship and gathering?
“Nothing should cause tension in Ilorin if those practicing other religions respect the rights of traditionalists to also gather and hold events peacefully and within the ambits of the Nigerian law,” He posited.
”Traditionalists in Nigeria have always shown a great level of equanimity in the face of harassment and intimidation from other religious faiths. This is enough to convince the world that Ifa and Isese are the true religions of peace.
“There are records of religious killings, arson and mass lynching traceable to those who profess peace; all the ungodly killings are on account of some negligible mistakes or foibles commited by their unfortunate victims.
“How many christians or muslims have been killed or even slapped by traditionalists on account of incessant stigmatization and defamation of some of our deities like Esu, Ifa, Ogun etc? They launch provocative sermons against us all the time. They tell the world, even us, to our face, that we worship gods that neither see, hear or speak. Why do they always create and fight wars, killing people, in defence of their own “gods” whom they say are mighty in battle? ” he asked.
The Youth Leader revealed further that the massive Isese youth convocation taking place in Ilorin next month is for celebration and advocacy outreach to press home demand from the Kwara State Government to declare 20th August every year as Isese Day just as the Governments of Osun and Ogun have done.
”We, the traditionalists, are not prepared to engage any religion in violent confrontations neither are we ready to respond to any assault, except if there is an existential threat and we feel the need to help ourselves, perhaps because relevant agencies continue to show indifference to our situation.” Olowoopejo asserted.
The ICIR Youth Wing leader said the festival would run peacefully and that the Isese Youths in Kwara State have received the news of their hosting of the maiden edition of the festival with great excitement.
“Hosting the festival in Ilorin is significant to Ilorin Chapter of the ICIR Youth Wing because it would serve as a reminder to any deluded mind that Ilorin is part of Nigeria which still stands as a multi-religious and culturally diverse nation,” he explained.
The global Secretary of the group, Ifayemi Awoyemi, further disclosed that all necessary correspondences would be done to keep relevant agencies notified of the event so that those who might plan to forment trouble would be cautioned ahead.
“We will assure appropriate agencies of our commitment to continue to be peaceful and law-abiding. We would however not fail to also inform them that we have resolved to protect ourselves and resist any form of intimidation and harassment during and after our peaceful assembly”, he added.
