The Aseyin of Iseyin, Oba Abdul-Ganiy Adekunle Oloogunebi (Ajinese1) has gone spiritual on coronavirus, calling on the deities to ward off the virus in Oyo State.
The monarch specifically made sacrifices to the prominent Yoruba deities asking them to take away coronavirus from the state and by extension from the entire Yorubaland and Nigeria.
Among the deities the monarch led the traditional council members on Tuesday April 21, 2020 to sacrifice to were Oro, Elegbara and Egungun.
Aseyin had earlier organised various sensitisation programmes in the ancient city, where the people of Iseyin were told to maintain social distance and practice hygienic acts like hand washing to prevent spread of COVID-19.
The monarch said, “This appeasement is in consonance with historical activities of our forefathers. In the past, whenever there was outbreak of epidemic, our forefathers will appease the gods. Owolewa masquerade has prayed for our land to be healed of the virus and very soon, it will become a thing of the past. Owolewa masquerade belongs to the Adeyanju Oloogunebi progenitors and it is called out by the reigning king whenever there are epidemics or pestilence in the land to appease the gods. The masquerade prayed against the coronavirus and other diseases, barrenness, poverty, war and other afflictions”.
He stated further, “This appeasement is part of other efforts we have made alongside other religions to also tackle the pandemic with spirituality and we are sure that the virus is at its last stage to leave”.
Urging the state’s residents to heed the warnings and directives of the government concerning the virus, the monarch said, “We have engaged the people on advocacy and sensitisation on ways to prevent contracting the disease while our people are strictly adhering to the restriction order announced by the state government”.
