Bill to regulate traditional practices: Ogun traditionalists besiege House of Assembly

Traditional worshippers have stormed the Ogun State House of Assembly complex in Abeokuta over the controversial bill seeking to regulate burial and installation rites of traditional rulers in the state.

The traditional worshippers besieged the House on Wednesday to protest the passing of the bill.

It was gathered that members of the Osugbo cult, fully clad in their ritual gear, arrived at the assembly in a procession in the early hours of Wednesday.

The Speaker, Olakunle Oluomo, presided over the session.

The controversial bill is seeking respect for human dignity and promotion of modernity in the installation and burial of traditional rulers, which when finally passed into law, would curb idolatry practices in the process of installing and burying traditional rulers.

While the Muslim community described the bill as “a welcome development”, the traditionalists in the state kicked against the move.

Daily Post reports that traditionalists in the state under the umbrella of ‘Isese’ practitioners called on the state assembly to stop further process on the bill, saying if the bill scales through and signed into law,” it would constitute an infringement on the rights of the traditional worshippers and might promote chaos and pandemonium in the communities.”

The spokesperson of the ‘Isese’ practitioners, Ifayemi Osunlabu, said, “Obaship institution is contained under the traditional institution, as such, anybody who voluntarily gives himself out to be crowned and installed as a king will immediately attain the status of the “second in command to oracle” of their respective lands and domain.

“Having agreed, accepted and concurred to fall in line and abide by the rules, regulations, doctrines and practices of such tradition, such a person should abide by the tradition,” he said.