'Ritualists, oda religions deserve di same rights'

African Traditional Religion worshippers for Nigeria don voice out dia anger sake of say goment no recognise dia religion and and na only dem no get public holidays across di kontri.

One of di worshippers of di religion wey follow BBC Pidgin tok, Oluwo Olawole Olakunle, tok say pipo dey discriminate against dem wen dem know say dem dey practice African Traditional Religion.

"Di kain eye wey pipo take dey look you di moment wey you tell pesin say you be traditionalist, e be like say you kill pesin, or e be like say you dey attempt to wan go kill pesin," di traditionalist tok.

E tok say dem dey part and parcel of Nigeria and im want make goment and pipo of Nigeria treat dem as such.

Oluwo Olakunle also tok say pipo dey call dem ritualists and e also admit say true true dem be ritualist.

E say ritual na wetin pesin dey do evri time sake of say di pesin want one particular result.

"If 10 kings stand up say we want holiday for state, dem no go write three letters, dem go give us," Oluwo Olakunle tok.

E say di oppression wey dem dey face dey real even for goment work.

Di traditionalist say im don go hospital before and dem tell am say im no go fit fill form if e no choose weda im be Christian or Muslim.

"Who tell you say Ifa no fit design economic policy for Nigeria?

"Who tell you say Ifa no fit tell us how Nigeria go be for di next fifty years wey go determine how we go take get long term plan for di kontri?" di traditionalist ask.

On im part, anoda traditionalist, Oluwo Jogbodo Orunmila, tok say e get tins wey im no fit do for di city wey im dey live sake of di faith wey im dey practice.

E tell BBC Pidgin say e also get places wey im no fit go sake of im religion.

"Our pikin dey face discrimination wen dem go school. If dem put bead for hand, dem go say make dem remove am. And di pipo dey use hijab and rosary for school.

"Wen our pikin go school, dem go say make dem pray di Lord prayer, make dem say Allahu Akbar, but wen dem wan chant Ifa, dem go say no. And we tok say na circular kontri we dey," Oluwo Jogbodo tok.

Di traditionalist tok say wen dem go bank dem dey keep dem waiting while dem attend to oda pipo.

"Pipo fit do crusade, 17 days, 21 days. Muslim dey go mosque Friday and evri day five times. If Babalawo tok say I wan take agogo dey beat am, dem go be like hey wetin dey happun dia?" Oluwo Jogbodo tok.

Wetin Nigeria constitution tok on religion?

Nigerian lawyer wey follow BBC Pidgin tok cite section 38 chapter 4 of di kontri constitution wey tok say evri citizen of Nigeria get freedom of thought, freedom of conscience, and freedom of religion.

Barrister Gladys Eyongndi tok say dis one mean say evri citizen of Nigeria fit choose any religion wey im wan belong to.

"Dem no dey limit anybody say you must either be Christian or Muslim," di lawyer tok.

Video Journalists: Monday Idara and Olawale Adekola