The International Council For Ifa Religion (ICIR) has told the Oluwo of Iwo, Oba Abdulrashed Akanbi, to relearn the Yoruba history to avail himself and his chiefs of the real story behind the evolvement of the culture, tradition, and religion of the Yoruba people.
THE NATION
The International Council for Ifa Religion (ICIR) has said the Oluwo of Iwoland, Oba Abdulrasheed Akanbi needs to relearn Yoruba history to avail himself and his chiefs real story behind evolvement of culture, tradition and religion of Yoruba people.
ICIR said this in reaction to a statement credited to the palace of Oluwo of Iwo, saying idol worshipping is not in Yoruba culture.
A statement by ICIR President, Dr. Fayemi Fakayode lamented that it is unfortunate that the monarch, who supposed to be a custodian of Yoruba culture and tradition have turned to a foot soldier of foreign culture while denigrating and demonizing his own Yoruba tradition.
He said, “We advise Oluwo’s chief to do away with fabrications aimed at rewriting Yoruba History to favour their agenda. They should open their minds to the true history of tradition of the Yoruba.
“It is unfortunate that people who are supposed to be custodians of the culture and tradition of a race are becoming soldiers of another race at the expense of their own race.”
In his reaction, an Iwo Chief, who is the Gbobaniyi of Iwoland, Chief Abdulrosheed Jeleel said, “ICIR are just trying to use Yoruba culture to promote their own religion, they should try and distinguish between the two, a reasonable Yoruba people will not accept that because the two are parallel line that should not meet, Ifa religion is not only limited to Yorubaland.”
It is like Oluwo is propagating arabian culture and demonizing Yoruba tradition and religion. Nobody can separate Òrìṣà worship from Yorùbá culture and tradition and vice versa because, they are products of each other.
“It is our tradition to reach Olodumare through the Òrìṣà. We worship Orisa and the Orisa are not idols. It is worshipping Olodumare through a foreign deity that is idol worshipping.
“It is hypocracy when somebody practices a foreign religion together with the other aspects of the culture of the foreign race including language and mode of dressing and the same person is trying to separate religion of his own race from other aspects of the race’s culture.
“There is freedom of religion. However, is like the current Oluwo and his emissaries are blind to the fact that they are trampling on the religious freedom of the traditionalists.”
The body advised the monarch to face whatever religion he chose to practice and stop talking negatively about Isese religion, especially as there is freedom of religion in Nigerian constitution.
“We once again advise the current Oluwo to practice his arabian culture, tradition and religion without denigrating Yoruba Indigenous Religion and culture.”