OPC defends celebration of deities in Yorubaland

The National Coordinator of the Oodua Peoples Congress (OPC), Chief Gani Adams, has defended the celebration of deities in Yorubaland, saying it is meant to drive away evils and bring development to the society.Speaking at the maiden celebration of Oro festival in Iseyin, Oyo State, Chief Adams said that in any society there must be a method used by the people to remove bad deeds or bad people from the society.According to him, one of the ways this was done in Yorubaland is through Oro festival, which in return would bring development to the society and the people.He declared that the Yoruba socio-cultural group has never and will never be involved in human sacrifice.Adams who is the founder of Olokun Foundation noted that the failure to celebrate these deities would no doubt bring calamities to the society, saying that the celebration of Oro festival was not against the will of God.While noting that people have wrong impression about the deity called Oro, he said people have refused to participate in its celebration.He said that it was the responsibility of the people to promote the Yoruba cultural heritage to the acceptance of the whole world, adding that any nation without heritage would not be able to liberate her people from bondage.'There is no way we can liberate ourselves without recognising our heritage. They are to support us in everything we are doing', he said.He explained that the aim of holding the maiden edition of the festival at Iseyin was to restore the lost glory so that the Yoruba race could regain its rightful position in the scheme of things.He said that sacrifice of human beings for any deity would not be acceptable by the foundation.While urging Yoruba people and Nigerians not to see the socio-cultural group as a cult, the OPC leader revealed that the mandate of the group was to liberate the Yoruba nation and to promote its culture and tradition.He lamented over what he described as continued neglect of the Yoruba cultural heritage, and called on Yoruba traditional rulers to educate their subjects on the difference between religion and tradition.Adams revealed that OPC and the Olokun Foundation had decided to promote the Yoruba culture and tradition to the acceptance of the whole world.
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