Ikaro is a community in Ose Local Government Area of Ondo State where the deity of the town detests lies. BABATOPE OKEOWO, who was in the town, writes that Orisa deity also helps settle rifts among indigenes and wards off evil from the community.
Oath taking is not limited to the court of law or inauguration of political office holders but also when there is argument over ownership of property and dispute over sundry issues among friends or colleagues. Oath taking is so common that people do it and still go ahead to lie.
It happens in the day to day life of average Nigerian. In fact, oath taking is so common in the society that newly elected political office holders or litigants in the court of law vow to conduct themselves honestly while in the office, and be guided by the truth on the matter brought before the court of law, using the Bible or Quran depending on their faith.
As common as oath taking is in other parts of the country, Ikaro, a community in Ose Local Government Area of Ondo State, has a different perspective on oath taking. This is because the Orisa deity in the community detests falsehood and deals a heavy blow on whoever takes an oath without examining himself properly before the deity.
Orisa deity is what the people of the community depend on in discovering truth in any dispute, either on land matter, chieftaincy dispute or material infidelity. A community leader, Mr. Adeleke Taye, who spoke for the Regent of the land, Princess Ade Olarewaju said nobody dares tells lies before Orisa deity because its judgment is an instant one. It is their belief that Orisa knows all things. Speaking on how Orisa deity reveals the truth, he said whenever there is a knotty issue in the community on which a fact is to be established, those who are involved would appear in the traditional court of the land after all efforts to establish the fact have failed. Adeleke also said the Orisa priests, who represent the deity, would appear in white robe and everything on him would be white. According to him, white represents purity and the people of the land believe that truth itself is white.
According to him, immediately the people, who are involved, appear before the Priests, the persons who committed the offence would not be able to hold anything back until he or she confesses all that he knows concerning the issue in question. Apart from establishing the truth of any dispute, Adeleke said, Orisa deity prevents evil from happening in the land His words: “evil may be happening in the neighbouring communities, but it can never get to us, because Orisa god stands at the entrance of the town to ward-off any evil that wants to come into the land.
“In the olden days, when invaders often invaded towns and villages, they (invaders) could not gain entrance to the town because the god was standing at the entrance of the town, it would blindfold them by turning the entrance into a thick forest. “We have never been invaded by the enemies, since the community was established many centuries ago.”
He added that the Orisa festival comes up once in a year when all sons and daughters of the land, home and abroad, would come home for the festival. He said it is a period of great re-union. This festival, according to Adeleke, is a carnival like festival as everybody would appear in their best attires and traditional music for the occasion would fill the air at the village square.
He said men of the marriageable age will come to the centre of the village square dancing to the traditional music with canes in their hands flogging themselves with the canes in their hands to the admiration of the onlookers. Adeleke said anybody that sustains injuries as a result of the flogging a chalk- like substance will be applied to the wound and the wound will heal instantly and the scar will disappear. He said it is an avenue for those who are ripe for marriage ‘ to choose their husband or wife.
He suggested that Orisa deity should be integrated in the State Judicial system, adding that people who are involved in financial improprieties should be compelled to appear before the Orisa court, they would confess and the money will be recovered because such a person will disclose where he has kept such money. He argued that if this is done, the work of Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC) and Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) would be reduced.
Adeleke posited that, since the conventional method of combating corruption is not yielding the expected results, this method should be adopted, so as to recover our money stashed away in various banks at home and abroad. He added that this will help to redeem the country’s image that is already battered before the international communities. His words “Orisa deity, if adopted into our judicial system would be a perfect way of nipping corruption in the bud in Nigeria.
It is a taboo in Ikaro land to get involved in shady deals; we are transparent and honest people.” He therefore called on the government of Ondo State to promote Orisa culture to international standard, such as Mare of ldanre land and Osun Osogbo of Osun state.
The people of Ikaro are fishermen and they do a little bit of subsistence farming. Adeleke said fishing is one area that needs to be developed because if government, invests in it, it will yield huge revenue. He said modern fishing method should be given to the farmers. According to him, we still depend on the crude method of using hooks and nets for fishing. He is of the opinion that instead of using billions of naira to import fishes which are not even enough for the country, he said that amount should be used to develop the sector which will increase the country’s foreign earning. It will also create employment for the teeming unemployed youths in the country.
He also advocated for the training of people in the act of modern fishing, especially those in the riverrine areas of the state. He said, “This will go a long way in curbing social vices such as armed robbery and the likes.” He thanked the Governor Olusegun Mimiko led administration for what they are doing in all the rural areas in the state saying, “this is the first time in the history of Ikaro that we will feel the presence of the government, we asked town hall and they did not waste time in giving us a befitting town hall.”
“We will always support this administration in any future election, because they are indeed the government of the people.” He however pleaded with the government to save them from erosion that is causing havoc in the area. He lamented that if something is not done fast, serious havoc will occur in the area. Adeleke also appealed for the channelization of their road, so that erosion will be channeled to Ose river.
