Give Public Holidays To Traditional Worshippers, Araba Agabaye Urges Govt

The Supreme head of all Ifa Worshippers, who is also known as Araba Agbaye, Chief Adisa Aworeni has called all the federal government and State government to give public holidays to traditional worshippers.

The Araba Agbaye disclosed this in Ile Ife on Saturday during the annual Ifa festival.

The State Government of Osun under the leadership of Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola is the only government in Nigeria that declares holidays for Traditionalists every year for their Annual “Isese Day.”

Speaking with our correspondent, the Onimole Olu Ifa Agbaye, condemned the neglect of traditional religious practices and inadequate promotion of the nation’s culture by the governments, while linking most of the socio cultural problems to the neglect of cultural values.

“Governments need to play active role in promoting the elevation of our culture, especially traditional religion. They have neglected it in preference for Christianity and Islam and this does not amount to equality”

“I am calling on them to also give public holidays to traditional worshippers to celebrate our culture like other religions”,He said.

Aworeni however debunked certain misconceptions about Ifa alongside some other deities in the Yoruba culture.

He noted that the traditional religion, Islam and Christianity share some similarities.