Comrade Lekan Badmus is a columnist with Oduduwa news and a Socio-Political Commentator.
Culture is a way of life that embodies religion, language, food and many others that distincts and identifies the uniqueness of each tribe. Perhaps due to the heterogeneity of the nation, the constitution that binds Nigerian peoples together gives room for secularity under rights. However, just as humans right is inalienable, so its’ absoluteness is not a guarantee. It is therefore an infringement for a man to; while exercising his right, tramples on others’ rights. Where friction exists, judicial interpretation becomes inevitable.
Oro festival is a kind of religion that is annually celebrated by Yorubas. It is mostly worshipped in Iseyin; a town also renowned for Aso Oke. This informs their panegyric – Iseyin Oro… Omo Ebedi M’oko”. Unlike other masquerades that attract teeming crowd which include both genders, women and girls are forbidden from watching Oro procession. That makes it occultic. Woe betides a feminine gender that flouts the order. To the Oro worshippers, ignorantia juris, non excusat. I have a great respect for Nigerian Lawyers.
Worried by the incessant restrictions of movements of the feminine gender during Oro period, there have been so much furore on the forceful sit-at-home which to many observers, bemoans any modicum of logic. To the unbiased assessors, the idea is primitive, myopia, conservative and an abberation.
The effects of the coercion to stay indoor range from a deliberate prevention of women from gaining access to their daily means of livelihood, preventing schools girls and female teachers from going to schools even during examination and lack of recognition for emergencies.
I was a student at grade 2 Teachers’ College in Iseyin between 1989 and 1991. There was a religious crisis between Oro cultist and some Scripture Unionists led by one young lady called Jemila Jesu. The Christian Union; SU, who were on evangelism was brutally attacked, dehumanized and assaulted to the point that the deadly Oro worshippers used sticks and fists to inflict harm on Jemila’s genitals. It was the blood of Jesus Christ that saved the hapless girl. This is cruelty, barbarism, criminal and idiosyncrasy! This was one of the many attacks and assaults that had persisted with impunity. It is therefore not a surprise that the entire town was thrown into jubilation and an unprecedented ecstasy when the news filtered that the declaration of curfew has been condemned by a high court of competent jurisdiction.
However, the euphoria was punctured by a rejoinder from the counsel to the Oro adherents which contradicted the earlier news. Quoting the rejoinder copiously;
“Our attention has been drawn to the report circulating on social and mainstream media, of a news conference organised by the League of Imams and Alfas in Iseyin Local Government area of Oyo State on Thursday, 11th August 2022, during which it was reported that the organisers of the event, which was allegedly held in Ibadan, Oyo State, said something to the effect that the judgment of the court in Suit No. HSY/MISC. 6/ 2019 had prohibited the imposition of curfew during Oro Festival in Iseyin, Oyo State.
The insinuation at the conference by the League of Imams and Alfas and their counsel, Mr Olowonjaye, that it had “become illegal for Oro worshippers to declare curfew for their festival as such would negate the ruling of the court” is grossly misconceived and not borne out of the judgment as they could only speak for the applicant and those he represented in the suit and not anybody else.
The crux of the news conference to the effect that the consent judgment earlier mentioned has abrogated curfew during Oro festival in Iseyin is clearly reading into the judgment what is not there, and will constitute a willful derogation from it.
While it is conceded that the imposition of curfew by Oro faithful is a prominent feature of the festival, only the Applicant, and, by extension, the League of Imams and Alfas whom he represented in court, could claim protection under the judgment and not anybody else.
It is necessary to make this rejoinder in order to put things in proper perspective and douse the tension generated by the report that curfew has been abolished during Oro festival in Iseyin”.
On a finality, I humbly want the readers to interprete the statement within the rejoinder to decide who really is distorting the fact.
“…only the applicant; and by extension, the league of imams and alfas whom he represented in court, could claim protection under the judgement and not anybody else”.
E-mail: lekanbadmuscolumn@gmail.com