A renowned cultural advocate and Ifa Priest, Chief Ifayemi Elebuibon, has charged the government at various levels to ensure the preservation of culture and traditions for the sake of national identity.
Speaking with newsmen at the maiden Ifayemi Elebuibon Annual Symposium, held at Ogbeyonu Hall, Osogbo, the traditionalist said venerating ancestors is a critical part of culture which must not be allowed to go into extinction.
He noted that one of the ways of preserving people’s identity is to ensure that culture and traditions survive colonialism, stressing that the government should allow free practice of traditional religion.
‘One of the reasons we are at this symposium is to elicit the importance of veneration and worship of ancestors. We all agreed that our ancestors must always be remembered if we are to progress as a people.
‘Yoruba language and traditions are subsumed in our culture, hence, whatever religion one practices, Yoruba culture should always reflect in our ways, such as the clothes we wear, food we eat and our ways of life.
‘The government can influence the growth of culture through education and if that happens, the people will benefit more through economic growth and development,’ he said.
Also speaking, Komolafe Wande, who delivered a paper at the symposium, stressed the importance of tradition and culture to the survival of the Yoruba race.
‘We can preserve our culture by making sure that our language continue to thrive, our traditional names are not abandoned and our mode of dressing should be sustained. Government should ensure that our language and tradition is taken as a subject in schools,’ he said.
A participant, Ogundeji Elebuibon, said the symposium was not just to honour Araba Ifayemi Elebuibon but also to provide a platform to discuss issues relevant to the growth of traditional religion in Yorubaland.
The Secretary of Isese Assembly, the group that organised the event, Ifagbenusola Popoola, said the symposium was put together to celebrate the contributions of Elebuibon to the growth of traditional religion and Yoruba culture.