Oniroko of Iroko, Oba Olusegun Ayinde Feyijinmi, has appealed to President Bola Tinubu and members of the National Assembly in Abuja to make Isese Day a legally recognised public holiday throughout Nigeria.
He made the appeal during the Isese Day celebration held in Iroko, Ogun State.
Oniroko explained that he was asking the President to extend the recognition nationwide because Isese is not exclusively a Yoruba affair.
According to him, the Hausa people also have their own traditional religious practices, as do the Igbo, and these indigenous traditions should be recognised by law so that people can continue to remember their roots and not forget where they came from.
He said: “A river that forgets its source will eventually dry up.
Even countries such as Brazil, England, Argentina and others have provisions that recognize and preserve their traditional heritage and practices.”
As is widely known, the 20th of August has been designated by some state governments as a day for the celebration of Isese.
This is why the Lagos, Ogun and Oyo State Governments have declared the day a work-free day for their public servants.
The same celebration took place in Iroko, Ogun State, a town sometimes referred to as Iroko village.
From about 6:30 a.m., practitioners of Isese in the town came out dressed in white traditional attire, led by the Oniroko of Iroko, Oba Olusegun Ayinde Feyijinmi.
They first proceeded to a river called Erukomu, where they performed traditional prayers and offerings for the peace and prosperity of the town.
The people of the community gathered there with singing, dancing and traditional drums.
They prayed for continued peace in the community and for greater development and prosperity.
After this, they proceeded to dance through the town and visited various ancestral sites and cultural landmarks, where they offered prayers.
They also visited a place known as Oju Alaalẹ, regarded as the location where the town’s ancestors first settled.
Various traditional rites were performed there, and prayers were offered to the ancestors for the wellbeing and prosperity of the community in the coming year.
In his remarks, the Oniroko of Iroko, Oba Olusegun Feyijinmi, expressed his appreciation for the large turnout of residents and participants during the celebration.
He thanked the government for recognizing and supporting Isese, stating that:
“Isese is our father, Isese is our mother; our ancestors and Òrìṣà are all connected to Isese.”
He explained that families and members of the community came together to celebrate the occasion.
He continued:
“From the morning of that day, we began according to our traditional practice, praying for peace to enter the town and for good things to continue to prosper in Iroko.
“We returned to Oju Alaalẹ, where the founders of this town first settled.
We went there to pray for them and the ancestors also emerged with us before we proceeded to celebrate the Iwẹjẹ-Wẹmu ceremony.”
He once again expressed his appreciation to the government for granting them the opportunity to celebrate Isese publicly.
He also commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for allowing and supporting the observance of Isese.
However, he said the responsibility now rests with the remaining governors of the Yoruba states who have not yet declared Isese Day a public holiday, as some other states have done.
He added that when discussing Isese, Osun State cannot be left out, particularly Ile-Ife, because Ile-Ife is regarded as a major ancestral and spiritual centre of Isese and the place from which the tradition originated.
