Chief Sangodele Atanda, the Elegun Sango of Oyo Kingdom, has called on followers of the three major religions in Nigeria to allow religious tolerance be their watchwords.
Elegun Sango is also the Interpreter of Sango deity, who delivers annual messages from Sango to Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Olayiwola Adeyemi III.
Atanda made the call on Saturday in his abode in Oyo Town, while speaking with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on the celebration of 2021 World Sango Festival.
NAN reports that the annual festival is held among Yoruba people in honour of Telaoko, popularly known as Sango, a thunder and fire deity. Sango was a warrior and the third King of the Oyo Empire after succeeding Ajaka, his elder brother.
NAN also reports that the festival was renamed World Sango Festival in 2013 by Oyo State Government.
The festival is to be held annually in August at the Palace of Alaafin of Oyo, and also observed in over 40 countries around the world. Atanda said, “There is need for Nigerians to embrace one another and allow harmonious peaceful coexistence in the society, irrespective of religion affiliations.”
He said that followers of the three religions serve one central God, who is the creator of every being.
The Elegun, therefore, urged everyone to worship the creator without any interference with other religions.
Atanda said that leaders of the three major religions in Oyo Town – Christianity, Islam and traditional religion, have cordial relationship and that they do tolerate one another. On his role as the interpreter of Sango deity, the Elegun said he had been performing his role in the last 50 years.
Atanda said he also performed entertainment roles such as display of frightening magical powers during the grand finale of the festival annually. He added that the last assignment during the annual festival was the delivery of the Sango deity messages to the Alaafin.
According to him, such messages are usually treated with utmost priority by the Alaafin, such that necessary sacrifices would be done to appease the god for continuous peace to reign in Oyo Kingdom and Yorubaland, as a whole. (NAN)
