Traditionalists in ondo demand a public holiday for the isese festival

 Traditionalists in the Ondo state government have expressed dissatisfaction with the government's inability to declare a public holiday to commemorate their annual festival.

 On august 20, 2023, only four states in the south-west — lagos, ogun, oyo, and osun — declared a holiday for the isese festival, but ondo and Ekiti states did not. Chief Temiadara Ariwajoye, the leader of Ondo state, said at the ondo state isese cultural day celebration 2023 in akure on saturday, "we are asking the government of Ondo state to declare a public holiday on august 20, as some other states have done." In all yoruba-speaking communities, the isese festival takes place on august 20. 

The day has been set aside for individual traditional religious adherents to appreciate our traditional religion and culture.