The Council of Ulama( Islamic clerics) in Kwara State, yesterday, warned those planning to celebrate Ifa festival in Ilorin, the state capital, to retrace their steps.
The council warned that Ifa festival, under any guise, would not be allowed in any part of Ilorin emirate, comprising Asa, Moro, Ilorin East, Ilorin West and Ilorin South local government areas.
“As community and opinion leaders in our various places of abode, we are not unaware of the readiness of various youth groups never to allow the staging of the so called ‘isese’ festival anywhere in Ilorin .To them, such activities would pollute the peace and tranquillity of the community as it is also seen as invasion and an act of cultural imperialism.”
Executive secretary of the council, Justice Salihu Mohammed, a retired grand Khadi of Kwara State, made the position known at a press conference held at the residence of the chairman of the Council of Ulama and Chief Imam of Ilorin, Sheik Mohammed Bashir Salihu.
He said that the insistence of the youth wing of the International council for Ifa Religion( ICIR) to hold their festival in Ilorin on August 20 2023, posed danger to the security of lives and property across the state.
“The Emirate might be a Yoruba speaking city, it must be realized that its present culture is no longer that of Yoruba, Hausa, Fulani, Nupe or any other, but purely an Islamic culture. “
The ckerics pleaded with the Kwara State government and all stakeholders to appeal to the ICIR and similar interest groups to stay away from Ilorin as available evidences suggested that the staging of the event in Ilorin would have serious negative consequence on the peace of Kwara State. ..
“We don’t think any individuals or group has anything to gain from destruction of the harmonious coexistence. The people of Ilorin Emirate, particularly the Kwara State Council of Ulama cannot be coerced by any person or group of persons claiming to be representing intellectualism or atheistic practices to destroy what our forefathers have fought for. We as leaders, see merit in the position of the Muslim youths. We sincerely believe that it is unwise and wrong for non-residents of a community to forcefully impose imported thoughts or practices on their hosts .This is repugnant to natural justice and it will certainly lead to the brake down of law and order.”
While appealing to Muslim youths and other stakeholders to exercise patience, Mohammed appealed to Kwara State governor, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, “ to direct all the security agencies in the state to take note of this threat to the peace and security of the state .A stitch in time saves nine.”
Mohammed was flanked by the Imam Gambari, Ajanasi Agba, Sheikh Yusuf Pakata, Prof Badmas Yusuf, two former grand Khadis, Justices Idris Haroon and Ola AbdulKadir; former president of Ilorin Emirate Descendants Progressive Union (IEDPU), Alh AbdulHamid Adi; and representatives of Imams and Alfas from al the 16 local government areas of the state.
