A Foremost Traditionist, popularly known as Oba Isese Worldwide, Dr. Ifarotimi Adifagbola Balogun has stressed the need for Nigerians of various ethnic groups, particularly Yorubas to return to their rich cultural values and tradition which promote high ethical and moral values in the conduct of public affairs, if we must find lasting solutions to corruption and other socio-economic challenges facing the country
Ifarotimi is the convener of the annual cultural tourism festival" Irumole Festival" which usually attracts traditional worshipers across Africa to his Atorise Ologose Temple, the largest traditional religion temple in Yoruba which has various shrines for deities across Africa including Obatala, Sango, Tonron (Togo), Aigbaton(Sierra-Leone ), Atinga (Ghana), Ogun , Yemoja, Osun, Egbe, Obaluwaye, Igunnuko, Agemo, Gelede and Erinle
The Oba Isese speaking with newsmen ahead of the annual global cultural festival holding between December 10 and 16 at the temple located at Atorise Ologose Avenue, Alapo, Idiori , Kilometre 7, Abeokuta Expressway, emphasized the need for Nigerians and Africans to protect and preserve their rich cultural values and heritage, saying seeking the divined intervention of God through deities will return sanity to the society currently battling with anti-social vices and economic crisis across the continent
He equally called for tolerant among adherents of other religions, particularly Christians and Muslims, so to ensure peaceful co-existence among the people in the country, irrespective of their religious beliefs
"We traditionists have always be promoters of peace in the society, we will never talked down on any religion , we should always learn how to tolerate ourselves for peace to reign " , he appealed
Oba Isese decried the neglence of cultural values and tradition in seeking solutions to solutions to these socio-problems,particularly the issue of DNA which is a medical test usually conducted to determine the true paternity of child
He stated that using traditional means of resolving the true paternity of a child, would have prevented disaffection between husbands and their wives, arising from the results of DNA test which had exposed most women who brought in bastard for their husbands to nuture as biological fathers, leading to break up of such families after the results of the paternity test on the child or children
Oba Isese however commended Governor Dapo Abiodun whose administration has given due recognition to the traditional worshipers with declaration of August 20 as date for yearly celebration of Isese-Day in Ogun state in addition to the establishment of the State Alternate Medicine Board which promotes the use of local herbs in treatment of people in the state
The highly traveled Traditionist whose father, Chief Liadi Fadare Amosun was Balogun of Ofa, Gbagura-Land, among first generation of leaders of traditional worshipers in Egbaland, also recalled how Yorubas used traditional methods to diagonize patients before administering treatment on them , just as being done in the medical world
Ifarotimi who was installed as Oba Isese Worldwide by Ooni of Ile-Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi in 2016, has been a Frontline promoter of African Cultural Heritage which saw him traveling to several countries on the continent as well as other Caribbean countries to study modes of worshipping varies deities before establishing his temple in Abeokuta, the Ogun capital which has turned to Religious Tourism site for the celebration of the annual "Irumole Festival" the largest convergence of traditionists in South West Nigeria
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