The Council of Ulama in Kwara State have warned those intending to celebrate the Ifa festival in Ilorin, urging them to reconsider their plans.
The council emphasised that the Ifa festival, in any form, will not be permitted in any area of the Ilorin Emirate, including Asa, Moro, Ilorin East, Ilorin West, and Ilorin South local government areas.
The council’s secretary, Justice Salihu Mohammed, made the council’s position known at a press conference in Ilorin.
Mohammed, a former Grand Khadi of Kwara State Sharia Court of Appeal, spoke on behalf of the chairman of the Council of Ulama and Chief Imam of Ilorin, Sheik Bashir Salihu.
The Secretary said that Ilorin, Kwara State capital, was known as the sanctuary of Islam for more than 200 years and is renowned for the Islamic faith, practice, spirituality, and knowledge.
He stated that the insistence of the International Council for Ifa Religion( ICIR) youth wing to hold their festival in Ilorin on August 20th 2023, posed a danger to the security of lives and property across the state.
His words:
“It is in the light of this that we have found it extremely necessary to plead with the Kwara State government and all stakeholders to appeal to the ICIR and similar interest groups to stay away from Ilorin as available evidence convinced us that the staging of the event in Ilorin would have a serious negative consequence on the peace of Kwara State.
“We are not unmindful of the pillage of aspersions and insults mounted on our father, the Emir of Ilorin and chairman, Council of Emirs and Chiefs in Kwara State, Alhaji Ibrahim Sulu-Gambari by individuals that are expected to know better, which are unfortunate, condemnable and inexcusable.
“We don’t think any individuals or group has anything to gain from the 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.
“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 an invasion and an act of cultural imperialism.
“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 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.”
At the press conference were Imam Gambari, Ajanasi Agba, Sheikh Yusuf Pakata, Professor Badmas Yusuf, two former grand Khakis, Justices Idris Haroon and Ola Abdul Kadir; former president of Ilorin Emirate Descendants Progressive Union (IEDPU), Alh AbdulHamid Adi; and representatives of Imams and Alfas from all the 16 local government areas of the state.
