By Demola Akinyemi,Ilorin

A traditional worshipper of Obatala based in Ilorin, The Priestess, Yeye Ajesikemi Olokun Omolara Olatunji has said that it’s not her intention to bring idol worship to the Islamic city, even as she urged the Kwara state government to give each religion equal treatment in the state as enshrined in the constitution for peace to reign.

Yeye Olatunji in an interview with Saturday Vanguard in Ilorin said,”The government should maintain equality among the three recognized religions in the country; Christianity, Islam and Traditional religion.

“The government should treat them equally so that peace will reign. There should be no preferential treatment of one religion over another. The government should accord traditional religion public holiday.

“Government should grant public holiday to Ifa festival day (Odun Ifa) or Oke Itase. It should accord recognition to the traditional religion worship.”

Recall that Spokesman of the Emir of Ilorin, Mallam Abdulazeez Arowona, had said that the Emir and the palace are in support of an Islamic group ,”Majlisu Shabab li Ulamahu Society” that stormed her resident and warned her not to hold any traditional religious festival in the Kwara State capital.

The priestess, Yeye Ajesikemi Olokun Omolara Olatunji, had reportedly released fliers announcing a three-day traditional event aimed at celebrating Olokun festival in Ilorin.

While Arowona did not categorically state that the group was given direct instructions by the Emir or palace, he revealed that the Emir had made a public declaration against such events.

He also added that Ilorin Muslims would oppose the Isese festival because they were against “idolatry”.

But Yeye Ajesikemi Olokun Omolara Olatunji who spoke on the sideline of the clash she had with the Islamic authorities which accused her of plans to worship Osun goddess in the Islamic city which the town abhor however denied the plan to worship Osun goddess,saying that she’s an Obatala worshiper who wanted to celebrate Aje Olokun festival.

Speaking about the planned festival she said,”Well, i have planned to celebrate the annual Aje Olokun festival. I’m a member of the Kwara state Association of Traditional religion otherwise known as Isese. This is an association of people practicing traditional religion.

“We are not members of the Christian group or the Muslim group, we practice traditional religion which is allowed by the Nigerian Constitution.

“We planned a three day event to celebrate the traditional religion festival between July 22 to 24.

“It is not a secret thing that we want to do. It is a get together party in which we want to give recognition to some people who live within and outside the country. It is not a secret thing and that is why we want to do it at an Event center. We have printed an invitation and we have paid for a hall in an event centre which is a popular area in the town. That is to show that what we want to do is not a secret thing.”

On the planned event, she said,”I have spent a colossal sum of money in preparation for the festival. I have paid close to N300,000 to hire the hall, we have booked for Aso Ebi (Ankara) and customized T-shirt and other things. But what I spent is not equivalent to life.”

She however expressed disappointment that the event was twisted by mischief makers through several social media platforms.

“The social media went out with some information that is not true, they started a publication on what we did not plan to do during the festival.

” They said that we want to worship a river and that we want to celebrate the Osun goddess as it was being done in Osogbo. The social media published that we want to celebrate the Ogun festival and that we want to bring idol worship to Ilorin which I know is the place of Islam.

” I have been living in Ilorin which is a peaceful town and I have enjoyed the peace of the town since I came to settle here.”She said.

“I didn’t print fliers and I didn’t distribute any fliers. Anyone who has copies of the fliers should produce it. Although i printed invitation cards I have not even distributed the cards before the problem started. I don’t know how the invitation cards got out because when the printer finished his work, he delivered the invitation cards to me.I only put the invitation on my Facebook page.”She added.

While noting that its not her intention to bring idol worship to Ilorin,” because I know what the town stands for as the center of Islam.”She said that she has backed off from her planned 3-day Aje Olokun Festival which is to take place later this month to avoid loss of lives because it could be hijacked by miscreants.”

According to her,”Its not because of what they are saying that I cancelled the program. I cancelled it because of wise counsel from the Elders, religious leaders and the Police who advised that the program be stopped. I cancelled the celebration because I don’t want crisis, i don’t want people to see me as a trouble maker and I don’t want people to label me that i cause religion crisis in Ilorin.”

Yeye Olatunji, a businesswoman who deals in soft drinks , Gaari, Rice and other raw foods said she has been celebrating the festival in the confine of her home since she came to Ilorin five years ago.

She said,”This is not the first time that i am celebrating the festival. I have been holding the festival since I came to Ilorin five years ago, but i celebrate it within the confine of my home, but this year festival is planned to be more elaborate and we want to give recognition to some of our friends who have been supporting us.”

Olatunji who said she was a prophetess in a spiritual church also explained that she was not born into traditional religion ” I was not born into traditional religion practice but every family especially in Yoruba land has a trait of ancestral practice. My foray into traditional religion is self indoctrination.

“My conversion to Traditional religion was through personal experience Nobody converted me to worship traditional religion, but I got the inspiration from dreams and other sources of self-motivated factors. “she said.