On Wednesday, the Lagos State Council of Obas and Chiefs requested that the state government formally recognize and proclaim August 20 as Isese Day.
It has become crucial for the state government to recognize August 20 as Isese Day in the spirit of democracy and religious freedom, according to traditional leaders who spoke at the state Council of Obas and Chiefs' inauguration for a new five-year term.
Oba Saheed Elegushi, the Onikate of the Ikate Kingdom, spoke for the council and said,
“It is a demand that has been on the table of the governor for so long.
“We, the traditional institution, celebrate the yearly Isese Day on August 20, and we’ve written to the (Lagos State) House of Assembly, which is still pending before them.
“We should have our holiday on August 20 to celebrate Isese Day. That’s why we are begging the governor for approval because we’re in a democracy, and we should be able to practise our religion, irrespective of who we are.”
Oba Elegushi added that since the Christians and Muslims have their holidays, “it is our right as traditionalists to have our own day as well, which is August 20.”
Oba Elegushi spoke on behalf of the council, according to the Onisabe of Igbobi-Sabe, Oba Owolabi Adeniyi, who emphasized that Isese Day is to traditionalists what Christmas and Eid-el-Kabir are to Christians and Muslims, respectively.
Earlier, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu urged the traditional rulers to continue working with the state government to safeguard the security of people's lives and property in their various domains in his speech at the council's inauguration.
