By Edith Igbokwe
The secretary of the Idera market, Oja Oke, Mafoluku, Oshodi has disclosed that the Ifa oracle will determine the next Iyaloja of the market.
In a chat with ECHONEWS on the plan to install a new Iyaloja, the “mother of the traders in the market”, Ojo listed several qualifications but stated that the most critical would bring be the verdict of the oracle.
Ifa is a divination system practised by the Yoruba for more than five centuries. It has a system of 16 chapters divided into 256 verses each with a message that is decided through divination.
It is largely used for the appointment of kings and chiefs and influential positions in the Yoruba community.
Ojo said although candidates have started to emerge, the position of the marker executives is that Ifa oracle would be consulted to know the right person to be selected.
ECHONEWS reported last week that the leadership of the market has started searching for a replacement after the demise of the former Iyaloja, promising to get a new person to occupy the position before the end of this year.
The vacant position has been thrown open to the various groups in the market to brainstorm and present not more than two interested candidates without a violent competition.
A five-man committee has also been formed to screen the candidates for the position.
One of the criteria to be fulfilled according to the market executives is that any interested candidate to be nominated must be a positive contributor to the development of the market.
The Market Secretary, High Chief Oluwafeml Ojo, told ECHONEWS that the identity of the candidates who have shown interest remain undisclosed for precautionary reasons, as they have started lobbying for the support of the leaders.
He said after the certification of two candidates by the market group leaders and the committee body, the Ifa oracle would be consulted to decide who to assume the position while the other can go for the vice position.
He said the Ifa selected candidate would then be presented to the local government and to the market at large for recognition.
