Lagos State traditional rulers recently rose to protect the sanctity of people’s culture with Oro, the deity of security and protection. Despite that traditional rulers are apolitical as fathers to all politicians, paternal duties behove them not to allow desperate politicians to descrate the sanctity of norms that are the pillars of peace, progress and development in the state.
Across the state, and from one community to the other, Oro came out to drive away forces of destablisation and keep disorderliness at bay. This they did to keep Lagos safe.
The recent governorship election displayed what was regarded a threat to peace in Lagos State.
Stakeholders could not afford to mess up, hence a novel method of restoring peace. Eureka! They found it in celebration of Oro, the security and protection deity.
Many traditional rulers showed concern that norms of the state were under threat. Those who cherish peace and orderliness felt the need to prevent disruption of peace in the state and, therefore, resolved to deploy Oro deity to ward off any unbecoming thing that could pose danger to the people.
On various days, chosen by the deity priests, Oro was brought out at night.
From mid-night to dawn, those who woke mid-night to urinate could hear the frightening wheezling sound of Oro as it announced its presence with telling effect on roads and streets of Lagos.
The priests were up to their task as they had earlier warned people in loud voices in every community that Oro would be on parade. You dared not come out to watch it or see how it was done. Thus, those who had planned mayhem in the state were put in check. Everybody sat up. They could no longer put any diabolical deed they had earlier planned into action. It was not surprising that a wide-scale of violence was prevented. There was no loss of life in Lagos unlike many other places in the country.
Before the modern state structure was imposed on the territory called Nigeria today by Britain, every community or town had a means of warding off threats, epidemic, pandemic and even war. In Yorubaland, Oro is the deity that is employed and deployed to scare off anything that could distrupts peace, economic activities and development of the soceity.
Traditional rulers, chiefs and priests are the custodians of Oro. If a community faced a daunting challenge, or an emergency that needed quick and immediate action and solution, the traditional rulers would summon the priests in-charge of Oro, after due consultation of Ifa, oracle, that would give directives on what to be done to curb the unpleasant threat that could create fear and pandemonium in the society. The first measure taken against internal and or external threat, whatever maybe its colour, is deployment of Oro.
If the threat is external, Oro deity would be brought out and celebrated at the borders. During the celebration, the priests would implore the deity to come to the community’s aid. They would call on Oro to use all its power to emansculate the enemies and put them to flight.
Oro, security and protection deity, is cherished by Yoruba people for its indispensable services to the community. It is worshipped and celebrated every year in a festival. Whenever a town or community faces a life-threatening nuisance that could disrupt peace, engender disorderliness and pose a serious danger to productivity with attendant dwildling economic activities, people resort to using Oro to curb the menance.
In various towns and cities across Yorubaland, a day or a week is usually set aside to mark the festival of Oro. Mostly, it is a men affairs. Only men could participate in the worshipping of Oro deity. All men are, however, not welcome to either worship or witness the worshipping of Oro. Only the initiates have the priviledge, unhindered access to the site where Oro is being worshipped. Mostly, Oro is worshipped at night when most members of the community are already in bed.
In the past, the deployment of Oro as a preventive measure is usually the last line of defence before a town or community could resort to war.
