DEFENDER ROYALTY: Splashes of joy, as Oluwo, Iwo people celebrate Odun Olodumare 2024

By ADEWALE OMO OLUBO…reporting from Osun and OUR REPORTERS

“So, idea that the way to make religious peace in Yoruba Land is to allow masquerade into the church or Muslim cleric come to preach at Osun Osogbo festival, and so on, is simply a misfit because, the only way to achieving desired peace here is when these Isese people stop dragging, luring, bulling and forcing vulnerable, weak Christians and Muslims into their occultism.”

“That is what they do, moreso when such people come to claim the rights they have to their throne of royalty.

His Imperial Majesty Oba Dr. Abdul-Rasheed Adewale Akanbi (Ilufemiloye) Telu I, the Oluwo of Iwo Kingdom, has marked yet another significant milestone in the history of Iwo with celebration, on Saturday November 9, 2024, of Odun Olodumare 2024, the fourth in the series since inception.

This festival, which was introduced by Oba Adewale Akanbi four years ago, aims to bring sons, daughters and other Nigerian citizens living and doing their legitimate businesses in Iwo Land and its environs together to praise and worship Olodumare, the supreme being in Yoruba mythology.

Olodumare, also known as Olorun (Allah or God), is revered as the supreme being who created the seven heavens, earths and the whole universe, with his authority splashing over all celestial and physical realms.

The festival is a testament to the Oluwo’s efforts to promote the cultural heritage of Iwo and preserve the ancient town’s customs and traditions without compromising the servitude to the one and only Lord deserving of human worship.

The event drew notable attendees including religious leaders from the Christian and Muslim communities, as well as political leaders, traditional leaders and artisans.

The august occasion, which also displayed the beauty and strength in diversity within the ‘Ngbati’ race away from misconception of ‘no idolism no Yoruba’, underscores the Odun Olodumare’s importance in promoting unity and harmony among the Iwo people of South West Nigeria.

By celebrating Odun Olodumare, the people of Iwo seek to connect with their spiritual roots and honour the supreme being, who is believed by every indisputable empirical evidence of scriptures to have created the universe and governs the celestial bodies.

The festival, mainly connecting Iwo with the world’s most logical monotheism, is a significant cultural event that showcases the rich heritage of Iwo and promotes community unity under the watch of Olodumare, who the Oluwo of Iwo, His Imperial Majesty Oba Dr. Alhaji Abdul-Rasheed Adewale Akanbi (Ilufemiloye) Telu I, represents.

The DEFENDER can authoritatively report that there 13 traditional rulers in Yoruba Land, who are of very vital paramountcy but reject the idea of automatic servitude or subservience to idolism as some idol worshippers (popularly called Isese promoters) want.

They are saying that the idea of ‘no idolism no Yoruba’ is not only against the natural law of creation but also, more profoundly, not in consonance with provisions of the Constitution of Federal Republic of Nigeria that guarantees security, protection of rights to freedom of religion practice for every Nigerian citizen, Obaship inclusive.

An enthusiastic Nigerian Christian, reacting to Saturday’s Odun Olodumare led by the Oluwo of Iwo, told The DEFENDER that, “I have seen and heard from distance what people say of this king saying he is destroyer of Yoruba cultural heritage as they claim Yoruba is the greatest created set of people and source of universe. Please my name is Odun Ifa merged together as Odunfa Jegele, a name I accept by my pride of being a Yoruba man, but it does not make sense to say Yoruba is the first created set of people or source of creation.

“So, this idea that some Yoruba, despite being Church goers and some even so-called Muslims, must be subservient to idolism and seeing that as how to achieve religious peace in Yoruba Land is fallacy with no connection with reality.

“The best way to achieve religious peace in Yoruba Land is for those Isese people to respect the religious rights of Muslims and Christians and stop insulting those fellow Yoruba people as going astray by following what they (the Isese people) call foreign religions. How can they prove that? How can they prove that Christianity and Islam are foreign or strange religions? But of a surety they cannot.

“So, idea that the way to make religious peace in Yoruba Land is to allow masquerade into the church or Muslim cleric come to preach at Osun Osogbo festival, and so on, is simply a misfit because, the only way to achieving desired peace here is when these Isese people stop dragging, luring, bulling and forcing vulnerable, weak Christians and Muslims into their occultism.

“That is what they do, moreso when such people come to claim the rights they have to their throne of royalty. And these same Isese people are the same people, who – after achieving their aim of misleading the scripture-based Christians and Muslims – will still go and spread the news that they have many Christians and Muslims among them as if personality and not the Holy Bible or Holy Glorious Qur’an is testament of faith guide.

“This truth that, probably our ancestors had no access to, is what has now come to the open and which the Oluwo of Iwo, Akire of Ikire Ile and eleven other notable Yoruba high ranking traditional rulers are talking about. They are saying ‘Enough! Stop saying Obaship and idolism are inseparable. No. You cannot stop a Muslim who does not worship idol from ascending the throne, that alien to common sense. If you ascend the throne and want to worship your idol, so be it but to say ‘no idolism no Yoruba’, perish the thought’,” Jegele said representing the thoughts of Yoruba Obas who do not believe in idolism but monotheism of God, while speaking in an internet voice interview after watching the Iwo’s Odun Olodumare via live streaming on Saturday.

The DEFENDER reports the fourth Odun Olodumare this year was well attended by Governor of Osun State, Senator Ademola Adeleke, Chief of Defence Staff General Christopher Musa, both of who were ably represented, and many traditional rulers and eminent persons from Abuja, Lagos and across South West states’ communities and captains.