Community Resists Govt Plan To Uproot Sacred Tree
Tension rose Tuesday in Ikere-Ekiti, Ekiti State, as attempts by government agents to uproot a sacred tree located in a historical site in the community to pave way for road dualization project was resisted by the youths and traditionalists in the town.
The youths who made bonfires at Odo-Oja area of the town and disrupted free flow of traffic in protest against the move claimed that the historical site known locally as the “Ereja” was the source of Ikere and was the place where the town was established, saying removing the tree is a bad omen.
Governor Ayodele Fayose was said to have led armed policemen and operatives of the state security outfit, “Operation Flush” in the heat of the crisis.
The residents had placed sacrifices made with a goat and pigeon and other fetish objects at the site where they said the annual Olosunta Festival is celebrated while palm fronds were also tied around the shrine.
Reacting to the development, the state Commissioner for Information, Mr. Lanre Ogunsuyi, said the road construction must continue because for every developmental efforts, people must make sacrifices.
“Houses had been demolished, now that it is the shrine, it is only proper that we relocate the shrine to a proper place. With the necessary appeasement, the shrine could be relocated. All the gods in Yoruba land are for protection and not for death. We want to assure him (Olukere) that nothing bad will happen to him.
“The government will continue with the construction of roads, government must carry on with its responsibilities.”
The Olukere of Ikere, Oba Ganiyu Ayodele Obasoyin, who spoke with journalists at his palace on Tuesday said “cutting down the sacred tree and demolishing the Ereja was akin to passing a death sentence on him (Olukere).”
The Olukere who was joined by Alare of Are-Ikere, Chief Oguntuase Atitebi and the Elejoka of Ikuomoba-Ikere, Chief Benjamin Owolade said: ” On Monday the governor led the Police to Ikere that the shrine be bulldozed; it is when a king dies that the branches of the tree are cut off and I went to meet the governor that he should not pass a death sentence on me.
“I want to say that Fayose wants to kill me; by ordering that the tree which represents my life be uprooted and the people resisted him. My subjects said they don’t want a tenant that will be making life difficult for the owner of the land because I am the owner of Ikere.
“The Ereja is where Ikere people meet once in every year, if that tree is removed, it means they have killed the Olukere. The people came out yesterday (Monday) that they don’t want their king to be killed.
“This is the tradition here, the tree branches are cut if the Oba dies. They have that type of tree in Afao-Ikere, it was preserved for them and was not cut for road project.
The expatriate contractor said the sacred tree at Ereja does not hinder the construction work.”