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His Excellency, Senator Bola Tinubu, the President of Nigeria,
His Excellency,The Executive Governor of Osun State, Chief Ademola Adeleke,
His Imperial Majesty, Alayeluwa, Oba Eniitan Ogunwusi, Ojaja II,
His Eminence, Araba Owolabi Awodotun Aworeni, the Araba/Olu-Isese Agbaye,
All Araba/Oluwo,
All Iyanifa,
Press men and
All Ifa practitioners world over
Homage to Olodumare
Homage to Ile, the mother Earth
Homage to Orunmila Bara Agbonniregun
Homage to Araba Lotu-Ife, Baba Eriwo:
Olobounboun lo wonu ikoko odu
Lo fowo mejeeji da gbedu idi
Lo dun gbamu raja gbamu raja
A difa fun Ojukoro-mifo, omo Olofin
Lojo ti ko juba baba
Ti ko juba Yeye
Ti ko juba Oluwo
Ti ko seba Ojugbona
Iba Baba, Iba Yeye, Iba Oluwo, Iba Ojugbona, Afi bi mo sa se
Koro ma saigba
Unless I do without paying Homage, my undertakings will never be unfruitful
It behoves me, as the New President of the International Council for Ifa Religion (ICIR), to, on behalf of Araba Agbaye, His Eminence Owolabi Awodotun Aworeni, welcome you all to this 2024/2025 Annual World Ifa Festival (Odun Ifa Agbaye).
This year’s festival’s activities started some days ago with pilgrimage to various sacred sites in Oduduwa land. The grand finale is taking place here at the source of mankind, at Oke-Itase, an abode of Orunmila, and the Headquarters of The Council starting from yesterday, Friday, 31st May 2024. Yesterday’s activities include appeasement of The Sacred Palm Tree (Ope Teere Loke Itase) and procession to Oke-Igeti, the abode of Orunmila before coming to settle at Oke-Itase for better availability to Oduduwa. After the rituals at Oke-Igeti, the next thing is appeasement of Ikin Ifa Agbaye, the World Ikin at Òkè-Ìtasẹ̀. Today’s activities include end of the year worship inside the temple, procession to historical sites, Shrines and Groves, procession of Araba to the palace and the festival rites, ascent of Oke-Itase and special prayer. Very early tomorrow, Sunday, the Ifa will be cast to obtain the Odu of The Year. After this, we will converge at the Palace of Oonirisa to relay to him the messages of Ifa for the Year 2024/2025. The First New Year worship will be conducted in the palace of Oonirisa before our departure.
As we all know, today marks the end of a year in the Ifa (the Oduduwa Traditional) calendar while tomorrow marks the beginning of another year. This means that in less than 24 hours to this time, we will be wishing ourselves Happy New Year.
My predecessors, Professor Idowu Bolofinde Odeyemi, Associate Prof. Abiodun Fafolarin Agboola and Dr. Solagbade Popoola have all performed wonderfully during their tenure respectively. I also pray for the support of the ancestors to be able to contribute my best towards achieving success:
Agbede
Agbede
Agbede gbede baluwe
A difa fun Orisanla Oseeremogbo
To n moju ekun sogbere omo
Won ni ko kara nile ko rubo
O gbebo nibe o rubo
Igba ti yoo bi:
O bi Riran-le-ran-mi-wa
O bi Emi-ki-mo-ranra-mi
O bi Ase-dowo-eni-to-ran-mi-wa
Riran le ran mi wa
Emi ki mo ranra mi
Ase dowo eni to ran mi wa
We use this medium to, as usual appreciate the Government, especially that of Osun, Oyo, Ogun and Lagos States for the support so far, especially for declaring August 20th as Public Holiday for Traditional Religion. It is our hope that other states will do the needful this year. We implore the Government to concentrate more on the Traditional Religion which is capable of adding value to the economy of the land through tourism. Our sacred/religious sites can generate revenue for the states through pilgrims. Importantly, for fraud-free administration, we recommend the use of traditional religion objects of worship for oath of office in Nigeria. If that can be done, we are sure that this Nation will change for better.
Gratitude also goes to our father, the Òrìṣà himself, HIM Alayeluwa Oonirisa, who is doing his best for the continuity of our Spirituality and Religion. In fact, Baba Oonirisa, though rules over all, irrespective of Religious affinities, is working assiduously for revival, survival and development of Ìsẹ̀ṣe/Ifa, his own Religion and Spirituality. I, on behalf of all Ifa devotees throughout the world implore Oodua (Yoruba) Traditional Rulers to respect the basis of their crowns. It is compulsory for them to practice Ìsẹ̀ṣe and follow Ifa, for the stools they occupy belong to the Orisa. We implore the Abrahamic religion practitioners among them to spare us their condemnation, for condemning Isese is condemning their own thrones. It is our advice that any already enthroned Oba who does not want to be associated with our Tradition should abdicate the throne to be out of the dilemma. Also, all abrahamic Princes are advised to think twice before vying for the stool that is surely not in consonance with their religious affinity.
My fellow Ifa devotees, as followers of Orunmila, we are siblings. Let us see ourselves as such. Therefore, we should focus more on what unites us than what separates us. Unity is what we need to achieve our common goals. As we are saying goodbye to a concluded year, I am using this opportunity to implore us to say goodbye to our differences.
Once again, I greet Nigeria President, the Governor of Osun State, the Oonirisa, Araba Agbaye, all Araba/Oluwo, all Iyanifa and all Ifa devotees throughout the world. And I say HAPPY NEW YEAR to you. May we live long to celebrate many happy returns. Ase Orisa.
