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President of the International Council of Ifa/Orisa Religions Worldwide, Oluwo Solagbade Popoola, tells TUNDE OYEKOLA why the celebration of Isese festival in Ilorin, Kwara State, earlier slated for August 20, was postponed, steps taken to get official recognition for the festival across the country and efforts being made by the council to secure the release of detained adherents
A few days ago, you announced the postponement of the Isese festival celebration in Ilorin. Why was it postponed?
It was postponed because the Kwara State Commissioner of Police called us for an interview and told us that the security situation in the state was not conducive for the festival to hold, and for that reason, we should not hold it. We also heard that if the people come to the state for the celebration, they would be arrested. We then decided that in that case, we should postpone the festival. Although we said that we would not mark the celebration, we are going to enforce our fundamental human rights. But I don’t want people to be confrontational because we felt that the people who are against the celebration have not yet understood the meaning and the importance of the celebration of the culture of the people in Ilorin who are mainly Yoruba. Since we now know that they don’t understand, we are going to do what is right.
What do you want people who are not adherents to understand about the Isese festival that you had planned to celebrate?
It is about our tree, our lineage as the Yoruba people, which all of us should come together to celebrate and to have what we call spiritual rejuvenation and spiritual revitalisation where all of us will come together to celebrate just like the Christians celebrate Christmas or Easter and the Muslims celebrate Eid-el-Kabir or Eid-Fitri after the Ramadan. That is how we also celebrate our Isese festival. So, that was why we felt that it was wrong or unethical for anyone to say that we cannot celebrate our festival while others are allowed to hold their celebration without being disturbed.
Many who have been following the controversy surrounding the planned festival wonder whether it has been celebrated before in Ilorin. Has it?
Of course, it has. We have been celebrating it annually. The only difference in this year’s celebration is that all of us will be together and that is what we want to be doing. Kwara people who are also Yoruba have invited us to celebrate this year’s Isese festival with them. This is not the first place that we have been invited for the celebration; we have gone to other areas for the celebration of Isese, but it is because these people are fanatical with their faith that they feel that people from other places should not come for the celebration.
That is why we have explained to them that we want to celebrate our Isese festival and we fixed the venue at Odo-Yemoja (Yemoja river) but they said that we should not celebrate it at Odo-Yemoja. We didn’t say that we were going to celebrate at Odo Semi-Semi, they would say that it belongs to the Muslims. It is the Yemoja river and Yemoja is the goddess of the Yoruba. So, we don’t know their grudge and why they are against the celebration. What is their problem with our Isese celebration? We thought one trade doesn’t disturb another.
Where is Odo Yemoja in Kwara state?
It is in Ilorin. Yes, by the grouping done by the colonial masters, Ilorin is in the North but the people in Ilorin are Yoruba. They speak the Yoruba language and still practise the Yoruba culture and traditions. Ilorin is not the only place separated by the colonial masters. We still have the Yoruba in Kogi State and even the Benin Republic and Togo. All the people in those French countries speak Yoruba and embrace Yoruba culture.
You said that the Isese festival celebration in Ilorin had been postponed. When do you intend to mark it?
Of course, we are going to hold it in a big way in the future. This time, the people in Kwara will do it quietly because we want to avoid anything confrontational. People will do it in their homes.
You said earlier you said you would seek the enforcement of the fundamental human rights of the adherents of Isese. What will you ask the court to do?
We are going to the court to give us the interpretation of the fundamental human right. We are not suing the Muslims in court nor are we suing the Christians in court because we believe that those that are against us are extremists or fundamentalists. If we fight them, we would be fighting with our Yoruba brothers. If they hurt us, they are still Yoruba, so we should not fight with them. It must not happen because the creator of the world will not like it to spoil. We are taking the police to court because we feel that the celebration is our right and no Commissioner of Police can deny us our right.
Since no day has been officially set aside by the federal and state governments as Isese day, what does your group plan to do about this?
We don’t need the Federal Government to recognise us because Nigeria is a secular state. The Isese people will ask for a day to celebrate the traditional festival which we have done already and three states have granted us that request: Oyo, Ogun and Osun states. Isese has to do with the culture of the people. The Yoruba have taken August 20 of every year as a special day but if we want to go nationwide, how important is that day to the average Igbo or Hausa people because each ethnic group has a day special or important to them. That is why we feel that we should do it state by state. Three states have already granted it and we hope that by this time next year, other states in Yoruba land will also grant our request.
Some people have already been taken to court over the Isese issue in Kwara State and three people are currently in prison custody. What is the council doing about that?
We have raised a team of lawyers to defend them and seek their release. Although we cannot vouch for them that they are all members of the Isese group, we have to stand by them at this time. For example, we found out that some of them practise herbal medicine and are not members of the Isese group and that they don’t practise the traditional religion. They still practise Islam or Christianity. But we are not going to abandon them at this time. We have 11 lawyers already to defend them and seek their release. We are not folding our arms, we have people who are holding their brief already.
Did you lose anything by postponing the Isese celebration in Kwara a few days before the festival?
No, we don’t lose anything. You know I told you that the celebration is camaraderie in nature whereby people gather together to celebrate and be happy together. Although we have made some preparations, the owner of the town will not like it to be disrupted. We are the owners of the land. Ilorin is a Yoruba town and the people are Yoruba and they speak the Yoruba language. We cannot allow any foreign religion to divide us. The only thing we have missed is not being together and celebrating together but we don’t feel too bad about it. We are going to use patience in this matter because that is what Ifa preaches – for us to be patient in resolving issues.
Having postponed the Isese celebration in Kwara, will it be held in other areas?
Isese is a worldwide celebration. It is being celebrated all over the world and not only in Nigeria. We have 54 countries that will participate. It is at the same time being celebrated in Brazil, Cuba, Venezuela, Mexico, Peru, Nicaragua, Argentina and many European countries. We also have branches in those countries. (Punch)
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