The governor of Ogun State, Dapo Abiodun, has declared August 20 of every year as ‘Isese Day’.
Isese Day is a special day for traditional worshippers in the state.
Abiodun made the announcement in Abeokuta on Tuesday during an engagement with members of the Alternate Medicine Board in the state.
He said by the pronouncement, traditional worshippers would also have a sense of belonging.
The governor noted that he would officially sign an executive order before the end of the week and further back the order up with a bill that would be sent to Ogun State House of Assembly.
He commended the board and members for organising workshops for their continued development.
He also acknowledged the contribution of members of the board to the victory recorded by the President-elect Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress.
“I urge you to do the same on Saturday to vote me and other 26 House of Assembly candidates for a second term,” he said.
Earlier, the chairman of the board, Alhaji Nurudeen Olaleye, while noting that they were solidly behind the second term ambition of Abiodun, commended him for recognising the board.
Olaleye noted that the alternate medicine members in the state were over 20,000 and called for legal empowerment for the board to prosecute quacks who are giving the board a bad name.
Isese (the Yorùbá word for tradition) Day celebrates the Yorùbá traditions and religion in a display of culture and spirituality with parties, festivals, parades, lectures and other traditional apparels to attract tourists from other parts of the world.
Isese Day is celebrated by Yorùbá diaspora communities around the world.
A former governor of Osun State, Mr Rauf Aregbesola, in 2013, approved August 20 as a public holiday in the state for traditional worshippers, under Section 2 (2) of the Public Holidays Act CAP P40 Laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 2010.
Isese Day was first declared as a public holiday by Osun State government in 2014.
Banks, government offices and other establishments in Osun remain closed on this day.
Source: NAN
