Statement from the desk of the President, I.C.I.R, Olúwo Nlá Solagbade Popoola regarding 'misinformation' in certain quarters of the community
From the Office of the President, International Council for Ifa Religion (ICIR).
I am making this statement in my capacity as the President of the International Council for Ifá religion (ICIR) to set the records straight owing to misinformation in certain quarters. ICIR is bigger than its members regardless of their position. It is our wish that Ifa Religion and practice is elevated to its deserved place in the comity of world religions. For this to be possible, there is a need, among other things, to present facts objectively and devoid of any sentimental narratives that might be going on for several decades or centuries. ICIR is also meant to fulfill the aspirations of the Ifá/Òrìṣà faithful for the spiritual development of adherents of Ifá Religion.
There are three things that cannot be long hidden: the sun, the moon, and the truth. Ifa always enjoins us to be truthful, morally, and ethically upright regardless of the situation, we find ourselves in. I am not surprised by the way some people are reacting to the truth because they probably have benefited from falsehood for a long time. George Orwell once said, “In a time of deceit, telling the truth is a revolutionary act.”
The moral ethic is explained under Principle III: Integrity, in the ICIR Principles and Code of Ethics for Ifá/Òrìṣà Practitioners. It reflects the maintenance of integrity in spiritual activities requiring honest communication and truth-telling. While Principle IV: Respect for People’s Rights, Confidentiality, and Dignity, requires the practitioners to “respect the dignity and worth of all people...,” ICIR is an incorporated legal entity with a constitution guiding its operations. Some of its aims and objectives, as stated in the ICIR Constitution, Article 7 include as follows:
(a) To serve as an umbrella to all Ifá religious organizations throughout the world.
(b) To openly promote and propagate the teachings of Orunmila (B.A).
(c) To regulate the practice of Ifá Religion….
Article 10.5 of the ICIR Constitution vests the day-to-day administration of the Council in the Executive Committee, who shall have the power to take decisions on every urgent matter. Further, Article 10.8 states that:
(a) The Congress shall consist of representatives of all registered religious institutions and associations, Board of Trustees, Patrons & Matrons, and members of all other organs of the Council.
(b) The Congress shall be the supreme authority and decision-making organ of the Council, and its decisions shall be binding on all members, officers, and other organs of the Council unless and until such decisions are reversed by the Congress itself.
IN VIEW OF THE ABOVE, IT IS NOT WITHIN ANYBODY’S POWER TO DECLARE THE POSITION OF THE ICIR PRESIDENCY VACANT WITHOUT RECOURSE TO THE PROVISIONS OF THE CONSTITUTION, MORE SO WHEN SUCH A PERSON IS NEITHER A MEMBER OF CONGRESS NOR THE EXECUTIVE OR ORGANS OF THE COUNCIL.
ICIR is one, and I, Solagbade Popoola remain the President. It is true that some disgruntled elements within the ICIR are stirring up the polity based on their selfish motives. They cause confusion and maintain false narratives because they are benefiting from such. The office of the President is also aware that some of these people are parading the name of ICIR to achieve their selfish and dubious gains and create false realities, which has confused the minds of Ifa adherents worldwide. To this extent, I am using this medium to warn such people to desist from such dubious behavior as the Council shall not hesitate to resort to legal action to redress the issue.
The issue of the World Ifá festival or divination has become a contentious one, creating rivalry in some quarters. Why would this be so? I have received some insulting messages from some Ifa practitioners from Ile Ife before the World Ifa divination at Ekiti this year, asking me to stop the divination. It is an established fact that Orunmila spent most of his lifetime in Ekiti land than in any other place in the world. There are several Ifa verses and enough social anthropological landmarks in Ekiti land to support Orunmila’s place of abode while on earth. Therefore, having the World Ifa divination in Ado Ekiti is not a misnomer. Moreover, any Temple, Council, or Association with branches or chapters in other countries has the right to cast a World Ifa divination as it relates to their members worldwide. Regardless of the number of times that Ifa is cast, the core message of Ifa remains the same.
It is a known fact that the origin of the Yoruba race in Ife is not questionable, and the truth is this: Ife, be it Ife Oodaye, Ife Ooyelagbo, Ife Akelubebe, Otu Ife, Ife Abure, or Ile Ife was the source of human existence. That site was where all the 801 Irunmole responsible for making our planet earth habitable for the habitation of all living beings landed when Olodumare gave them this assignment. All the Irunmole, without exception, made Ife their operational base. They worked there and from there achieved the assignment given to them by Olodumare. They also ensured that all living beings, human and nonhuman, lived on earth without a problem. When Olodumare changed the creation process to procreation when human and nonhuman beings began to multiply through sexual intercourse as against the creation process, all the Irunmole were in Ife.
But the story did NOT end there. Ifa explained that even though these Irunmole stayed in Ife at that period, most of them did not achieve their individual identities until they moved out of Ife to settle in other parts of the world. They were able to achieve their individual destinies in the various parts that they moved to, and they made those places their PERMANENT places of abode. There is no argument about this at all.
If nobody contests the fact that Ire is the home of Ogun. And not anyone contests Igede as the home of Osun. Or Itile as the home of Sango. Or Ijelu as the home of Esu Odara. Or Irawo land as the home of Orisa Oko. The list is long and continuous. My question is, why is it a contentious issue or controversy if the International Council for Ifa Religion decides to celebrate Annual World Ifa Pilgrimage and Festival at Ado Ekiti? Ejiogbe has shown us how Ori placed all the Irunmoles in their respective places of abode. Orunmila was thrown and settled at Oke Igeti by Ori. Have we even bothered to ask where is Oke Igeti situated? Is it Ife or Ado Ekiti? I say it without fear of any contradiction that Oke Igeti is in Ado Ekiti. Oke Igeti is a HILL. The hill is in Ado Ekiti. The Hill in Ife is Oke Itase. Oke Itase is the abode of Obaluaye. When Oduduwa invited Orunmila to come back to Ife to be his personal doctor, he stayed with Obaluaye, his personal friend and whose abode was close to the home of Oduduwa. The facts are there for everyone to see. The site being called Oke Igeti in Ife is NOT a Hill. This fact is also there for all to see.
When I was the Editor-in-chief of Orunmila magazine, I interviewed Late Araba Awosope, (may he receive the blessings of the Irunmole and Olodumare in his abode among the Egungun) the then Araba of Ife, and I asked him what to expect to see at Oke Igeti to be sure that the site is actually Oke Igeti (this question became necessary at that time because we could not easily find Oke Igeti), he listed FIVE things that will be found to authenticate the finding and confirm it as Oke Igeti. It is of interest that ALL the five signs mentioned by the late Araba are in Oke Igeti in Ado Ekiti. It is also of interest that NONE is in this newly discovered Oke Igeti in Ile Ife. Also, this same question was put to Late Baba Aniye of blessed memory, who until his passing was the one casting the Annual Ifa consultation in Ile Ife. He listed FOUR landmarks that will be seen on Oke Igeti. ALL these were found in Ado Ekiti. NONE is in Ile Ife. I stand to be challenged on these facts.
Bullying and intimidation, name-calling, and expletives have no effect on me. Stones, batons, machetes, and broken bottles can break my bones, but name callings cannot and will not. If we are looking for peace, it must be peace based on truth, honesty, and respect. I do not think that graveyard peace is what we need at this point in time.
Aboru aboye,
Oluwo Nla Solagbade Popoola
President, ICIR
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