Osoosi Festival: Ooni Says Religious Intolerance Is Bane Of Peaceful Co-Existence

By Sodiq Lawal

The Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, has identified religious intolerance as the bane of peaceful coexistence among Nigerians, noting that Godliness is different from religion.

The Spiritual Head of the Yoruba race worldwide stated this while speaking on Thursday during the annual Osoosi festival in Ile-Ife.

He urged Nigerians to see the country’s cultural and religious diversity as a great advantage needed to move forward socially, politically and economically rather than using it negatively, the result of which can only be backwardness.

“Nigeria is blessed with cultural and religious diversity which must not be seen as a curse but a blessing”

“What people practice today is ungodly religionism. It is very devilish for anyone to kill or maim in the name of religious differences. Deliberate frustration of peaceful coexistence in a diverse society like ours is an act of sacrilegious dogmatism perpetrated by the victims of religious brainwashing”

“We are all one before the Almighty God and we must remain so to allow for peaceful coexistence if we must progress socially, politically and economically “. Ooni Ogunwusi stated.

Obatala adherents at the event said Osoosi is a festival of African pantheon of divinity, configuration and interchange of power.

The ongoing Obatala Festival with a gathering of hundreds of foreigners especially from Brazil, Cuba, Venezuela, Jamaica and United States of America is expected to end on Tuesday 23th of January 2018