Stop slandering African Traditional Religion

                    By Bayo Ogunmupe

    Participants in a recent seminar on African Traditional Religion have called on politicians, muslims and christians to stop slandering the various traditional religions of Africa and overseas. This behavior, the traditionalists claim is borne out of ignorance of the history, philosophy and doctrines of the  traditional religions of the world. The call came during a symposium organised by the Association of African Traditional Religions of Nigeria and Overseas (AATREN) in collaboration with the Lagos State Ministry for Tourism, Art and Culture. The seminar was held at the Playing Ground, Ilasan, Eti-Osa, Lagos on 15 August, 2019.

    "Misconception and Wrong Nomenclature for African Traditional Religion: Why the sudden recent interest?" was the theme of the workshop. It was opened by the Director, Lagos State Council for Art and Culture, Mrs Saidat Otulana. In his welcome address, the President of AATREN, Chief Ifasegun Elegushi told the history of AATREN urging the general public, christians and muslims alike to stop demonizing traditional religion. He urged them to avail themselves with the knowledge of the religions by reading books and observing the traditions of the  worshippers.

    In his opening remarks at the start of the workshop, the Ejure of Ijora, Chief Ishola Esugbayi enunciated the doctrines of traditional religion. He said God the Almighty worshipped by traditionalists has no holy book, neither a bible nor the koran, nature, the universe is its Talmud. Esugbayi said the orishas are God's prophets. "Olodumare our God has no rivals unlike in Christianity where Satan is His rival, satan is our Esu, he is an object of worship, a messenger of God in traditional religion,"he said.

    The Ejure of Ijora then went into the history of traditional religion; saying it is an ancient religion dating back to more than 4000 years Before the Christian Era (BCE). The religion does not canvass for members. It stands upright to the commandments of Olodumare through Orunmila and its holy book Ifa. In traditional religion, God is supreme, he has no begotten son, no lead prophet as its seal of prophets. Each orisha is equal to any other lawgiver; Eshu, Ogun, Obatala or Sango, each is equal to the other in relation to the Creator. He therefore condemned the misconception that an orisha is a god independent of the Almighty as mischievous.

    In his own contribution, AATREN's public relations officer and the Otunba Gbasaniyi of Mushin land Chief Lekan Ajirotutu said slandering traditional religion by Christians and Muslims like was an ignorant way of promoting their own religions. He said no amount of denigration can reduce the allure, authenticity and spiritual superiority of traditional religion. Citing Olodumare, God in Yoruba Belief by Pre Eminence Professor Bolaji Idowu of the Methodist Church, Ajirotutu said, "Our God has no devil, no begotten son, no seal of prophets and no hell." Traditionalists are not against witches, because their power is only derived from superior knowledge and wisdom. He said the religion has been given a place in the curriculum and scholarly journals in universities overseas.

    Ajirotutu then called on the Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwoolu to recognise traditional religion by declaring August 20 work free day every year from this year. He said the former governor of Osun State Ogneni Rauf Aregbesola declared August 20 a holiday in the State of Osun in 2016. He implored President Muhammadu Buhari to do the same. Immediately after Ajirotutu's applause eliciting speech, the representative of the Lagos State governor and former chairman of Mushin Local Government Bayo Osiyemi, was ushered onto the podium. Osiyemi told the mammoth crowd that the governor was well aware of the activities of the association and that he is grateful for their support during his election campaign. He said the governor promised to look into their request for August 20 to be declared a public holiday as the day the traditionalists worship their God. The ceremony ended with the Tourism ministry distributing mementos to the participating AATREN members.