Council of Ibadan Indigenes holds interfaith prayer for peace

The special prayer session held at the Ibadan House was attended by Sen. Kola Balogun (PDP-Oyo South), while Gov. Seyi Makinde was represented by his Special Adviser on Interfaith, Femi Ibikunle.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that some attendees included Chief Bode Amoo; Chief Bayo Oyero; Prof. Femi Lana; Chief Dotun Sanusi; Chief Muyiwa Makinde and representatives of Ndigbo Community in Ibadanland.

Others were the Balogun of Ibadanland, Owolabi Olakulehin; the Otun Balogun, Tajudeen Ajibola and Osi Balogun, Gbadamosi Adebimpe, who are all members of Olubadan-in-Council.

At the programme, Balogun told newsmen that the recent challenges in the country, particularly Ibadanland, necessitated the special prayer.

“You know what it is called prayer ! The entire country needs prayer as we are going through challenging moment. All the units of Nigeria society also have their own challenging moments.

“In Ibadan, we can’t afford not to be prayerful, especially when we look at what had happened in the last few weeks.

“This is particularly in regards to the emergence of the new Olubadan of Ibadanland and how we leveraged in resolving the situation,” he said.

Balogun said that all Ibadan indigenes, including the governor supported the interfaith prayer to thank God.

According to him, we are thanking God as people on what He has done for us and what we believe He is going to do.

“Going forward, we also want to request from God that Ibadan should be peaceful and develop under the reign of the new Olubadan, His Royal Majesty, Oba Lekan  Balogun, Ali Iwo II.”

In his remarks, Dr Wasiu Olatubosun, the state Commissioner for Information, Culture and Tourism, said the prayer was for the Makinde-led administration, the nation and the good of Ibadanland.

“We cherish peace, we want peace and I believe we need divine intervention while we are doing the leg and adminstrative works.

“We also need to back it up with spiritual in Ibadanland, Oyo State and Nigeria as a whole, by extension,” Olatubosun said.

He said the event has no political undertone, adding that different groups, associations and political parties were present.

The commissioner said anything that has to do with Ibadan must be coordinated by the centre point, adding that was why the CCII organised the programme.

“We have started community engagements, we have been meeting with separate groups and we want all stakeholders to cooperate with us.

“So, we felt that if the government collaborates with the CCII, it is going to yield positive result, because the government can’t do it alone.

“We have met with the Mogajis, security agencies, religious leaders and even the non state actors.

“We are taking the peace and unity crusade to the nook and crannies of Ibadanland,” he said.

Earlier, Prince Oluyemisi Adeaga, the CCII  President-General, said that the event was to seek God for peace in Ibadan, now that they were about to take another step.

Adeaga said there was consultation to take for every step Ibadan intended to take, adding that they were only reenacting what their forefathers did.

“We are grateful to God that Ibadan has its own uniqueness. It was founded based on spiritual inspiration and revelations from divinations.

“What the people knew as god was being consulted at that time which was the Ifa Oracle through the caucus known as Ose Meji.

“It revealed to them where to stay, and it’s being consulted at each step taken while moving from one place to another,” he said.

Adeaga said their traditional ruler just passed on and they were about having another which called for consultation.

He said that they currently have three principal religions, the traditional worshippers clogged into one, Islam and Christianity.

“But all of us are in the same Ibadan and we have the same background to consult god before any major event and that’s why we’ve felt we should talk to each other.

“Ibadan is based on brotherly love; in this regard, nothing stops us from coming together, pray and consult god in our own ways,” Adeaga said.

The CCII president said that the spiritual exercise would be continuous anytime a major step was to be taken in Ibadanland.

When asked if Ibadan would have more kings in future, Adeaga said that such  depended on whatever Ibadan, as a spirit, dictates to them.

“Ibadan is a spirit, it dictates to us what it wants. If Ibadan wants more kings we are going to be informed and we will do it.

“So, we won’t do what Ibadan doesn’t tell us as it has a way of communicating to us, the sons and daughters,” he said.

NAN reports that special prayers were offered by the leaders of the three main religions, namely Islam, Christianity and traditional worshipers.

The Alfa Agba of Ibadanland, Abdulfatai Alaga, led Islamic clerics to the special spiritual programme, and the Islamic prayer session of the programme.

On the Christians side were Rev. Ademola Moradeyo, the Bishop of Methodist Church Nigeria (MCN), Ogbomoso Diocese, Pastor Benjamin Akanmu, former State Chairman of Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) and Rev. Ezekiel Akande.

Others were Very Rev. Ezekiel Akande and Ven. Oyetunji from Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion); Rev. Adeola Lawal, a Minister from Agbeni Cathedral of MCN and the Olubadan Palace Chaplain, Pastor Adediji Olusoji.

Among the traditional worshipers included Asiwaju Isin Agba Ile Ibadan, Awodele Oladejo; Olori Alagba Ile Ibadan, Ojewumi Akintonde; Asiwaju Isin Ijo Osemeji and Fawuyi Osuolale Akinpelu.

Others were Yeyetayese Awo Ile Ibadan, Ike Obaleye; Asiwaju Isin Agba Ijo Ogundameji, Ifadare Akinpelu; and Iyanifa Awo Ile Ibadan, Fakemi Farinlola.