The Nobel Laureate, Wole Soyinka, on Wednesday threw his support behind the Isese Day celebration, as it allows people the opportunity to reconnect with their roots.
Soyinka also called on the people to embrace traditional medicine, stating that it is an effective and oldest form of healthcare that has stood the test of time.
The 91-year-old literary icon stated this on Wednesday during the programme organised by the Ogun State government and the traditionalists to commemorate this year’s Isese Day held at the June 12 Cultural Centre, Kuto, Abeokuta.
Soyinka, who flew into the country to celebrate the day with the people, enjoined Nigerians to go back to their roots and embrace alternative medicine for healing and health care, saying traditional culture and inheritance must be protected and propagated.
He said some of those people who are promoting orthodox
Medicines through Western education are now also adopting traditional and natural medicine as the best forms of care.
The Nobel Laureate said, “One thing I must also talk about here is about our herbs and roots, our traditional medicine, which the people in the western world call pharmacology.
“We seem to have pushed these things aside. If we don’t go to the hospital, we don’t think we can get the care that we need, whereas these our herbs and roots are very potent.
“Even many people are now tracing their steps back, so those who are producing these traditional medicines should not be afraid; it is the way to go, and they should be supported”
Soyinka described the celebration of the Isese Day as a cultural reawakening, urging the people to jealously guard their highly cherished traditional heritage.
Speaking at the event, Ogun Governor Dapo Abiodun congratulated traditionalists as they celebrated this year’s Isese Day, lauding them for embracing unity among themselves while assuring them of more government support.
The governor, who was represented by the Commissioner for Culture and Tourism, Sesan Fagbayi, said that Isese Day has come to stay in the state and that the present administration would continue to strengthen religious tolerance in the state.
The Chairman of Alternate Medicine Board in the state, Balogun Nurudeen Olaleye, appreciated Ogun Governor Abiodun for fulfilling the promise of declaring August 20 as Isese Day, just as he had pledged to the traditionalists during his second term campaign.
Olaleye has, however, appealed to the governor to also look into all other necessary areas that require government attention in the practice and promotion of the alternative medicine in the state, describing it as another gold mine sector in the global world of today.