TheCable

The Lagos state government has declared Monday, August 21 a work-free day to commemorate the Isese Day celebration.

In a post on X — formerly Twitter — on Saturday, Jibril Gawat, senior special assistant to Babajide Sanwo-Olu, governor of Lagos, said the announcement was made in a circular issued by Hakeem Muri-Okunola, the state’s head of service.

He said the decision reaffirmed the governor’s “commitment to continue to provide the necessary support to traditional institutions in the state with a view to promoting our indigenous culture and tradition while preserving our heritage”.

Gawat added that public workers in the state are billed to resume by 8am on Tuesday.

The announcement comes a few hours after the Oyo government had also declared Monday a work-free day in the state to mark the festival.

Olanike Adeyemo, the secretary to the state government (SSG), announced that Seyi Makinde, governor of Oyo, has approved the holiday.

The Isese festival, marked annually on August 20, is celebrated by adherents of the Yoruba traditional religion.

The day is commemorated by several processions and worships of the multitude of gods that make up the Yoruba traditional religion pantheon.

The festival has led to controversy in Ilorin, Kwara, in recent months. Traditional religion practitioners were stopped from celebrating the festival in the state after an Islamic group warned a priestess against holding the celebration.

Sulu Gambari, emir of Ilorin, had said the festival was cancelled “to prevent crisis”.