The Ogun State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun has approved every 20th of August as a day to celebrate Isese Day, (Traditional Worshippers Day) in the state.
Prince Dapo Abiodun who disclosed this during an engagement with members of the Alternate Medicine Board in the state said that by the pronouncement, traditional worshippers would also have a sense of belonging by celebrating Isese Day every year.
Abiodun who also noted that he would officially sign an executive order before the end of the week, added that he would further back the order up with a bill that would be sent to the Ogun State House of Assembly.
“I, Prince Adedapo Abiodun, the executive governor of Ogun State hereby publicly pronounce that August 20 will now become the official day to celebrate and commemorate the Isese Day in Ogun State.
“By an executive order that I will sign between now and the end of this week and further backed up by a bill that will be sent to the Ogun state House of Assembly, this day, the 7th day of March, 2023,” he said.
Governor Dapo Abiodun while commending the Board and it’s members for organizing workshops for their continued development, noted that he would soon seat down with the Attorney General and the Commissioner for Health to look at how best to deal with alternate medicine practitioners who practice what they are not authorized to do.
“I am happy that the issue of those alternate medicine practitioners doing what they shouldn’t do is of great concern to you, we will seat down with the Attorney General, the Commissioner for Health to ensure that we find what we can insert as a clause in the Board of Alternate Medicine that prohibits alternate medicine practitioners from engaging in what they are not competent or authorized to do,” he said.
Abiodun while acknowledging the contribution of members of the board to the victory recorded by the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress and now President elect of the country, charged them to go all out to vote and canvass others to vote him and other 26 House of Assembly candidates for a second term.
Earlier in his remarks, the chairman, Alternate Medicine Board; Alhaji Nurudeen Olaleye while noting that they are solidly behind the second term ambition of Governor Dapo Abiodun, commended Governor Abiodun for recognizing the board after almost 43 years of trial.
Olaleye while noting that the board is grouped into 9 groups of birth attendants, herbalists, Babalawo, Agemo, spiritualists comprising of white garment church, oracle consultants, traditional bone setters, traditional surgeons, disclosed that the alternate medicine members are over 20,000.
The board chairman who noted that they would support his second term ambition, asked for the actualisation of the ‘Isese Day on August 20 and the empowerment of the board to be able to persecute quacks giving the board a bad name