Article Author:
Associated Press
Chinedu Asadu
Nigerian OSOGBO (AP) — Yeyerisa Abimbola has devoted most of her 58 years on Earth to Osun, the devout Nigerian waterway. I was. She is the goddess of the fertile river. As God's chief priest, she leads other women, known as Osun's servants, in daily worship and sacrificial offerings along the river banks.
But with each passing day, she worries more and more about the river. Once sparkling clear and inhabited by a variety of fish, today it is muddy and brown.
"The problem we face now is what we mine in the river," Abibola said. "As you can see, the color of the water has changed." It is highly regarded for its cultural and religious importance among the tribes. A predominant speaking people in southwestern Nigeria where Osun is widely worshiped.
However, there is a constant threat of pollution from waste disposal and other human activities. In particular, dozens of illegal gold miners have spilled across Osun State to fill the sacred rivers with toxic metals. Due to the region's lax enforcement of environmental laws, some people use the river as a dumping ground, further contributing to pollution.
Osun's servants, mostly made up of women between her 30s and her 60s, lived in a row of one-room her apartments next to the Osogbo Palace, the royal residence of the Osogbo monarchs. I'm in. 1.5 km (1 mile) north of the grove and river.
They leave behind all worldly life, including marriage, to serve both goddesses and kings. They have little interaction with outsiders, allowing them to devote themselves entirely to the goddess they worship daily at a shrine deep in the forest. Women, often seen in white gowns, perform a variety of tasks for the goddess from dawn to dusk, from overseeing sacrificial offerings, mainly live animals and drinks, to conducting cultural activities. to hold. Osun water. Some say that drinking and bathing in the river cures suffering, while others say it brings wealth and fertility.
One of her Osun servants, who goes by the name of Oluwatosin, said that her river brought her a child when she was having trouble giving birth to her. rice field. Now a mother of two children, she intends to remain eternally devoted to the river and the Goddess.
"That is my belief. Osun answers my prayers," said Olwatshin.
The river also serves as an important 'place of pilgrimage' for Nigeria's Yoruba people, said Yoruba scholar Ayo Adams. They are Yoruba scholars, especially during the Osun Osogbo Festival, a colorful annual festival that draws thousands of Osun worshipers. Tourists "to celebrate the essence of the Yoruba people."
But this year, as the two-week-long August festival approached, royal officials ordered people to drink water. He announced that he was forced to take the unusual step of telling him to stop drinking.
"We wrote to the state government and the museum about the activities of the illegal miners and asked them to take action to stop them," said Osun Emi Ifalinu, a priest of Osun. Ifabode said.
Osun State is home to some of Nigeria's largest gold deposits and is home to miners, many of whom operate illegally, in search of gold and other minerals. , dotting the wetlands of remote villages. Law enforcement is scarce. Osogbo community leaders were able to keep the miners out of the immediate area, but they were basically free to operate upstream and north with impunity.
Miners extract water from rivers for exploration and development, and runoff flows back into rivers and other waterways, contaminating drinking water sources for thousands of people.
"The main body of water here is polluted, as 50% of Osun's waters are more or less similar. Omori River.
Urban Alert conducted a series of tests in Osun in 2021 and found it to be "heavily contaminated". A report shared with The Associated Press found levels of lead and mercury in Grove's water that were 1,000 percent and 2,000 percent, respectively, above the values allowed by industry standards in Nigeria. are believed to be responsible, some of which are within 30 kilometers (19 miles) of the river.
During a recent visit, AP witnessed residents flocking to the river daily to fill up gallon containers for home use, despite the palace's imposition of a drinking ban. .
Dr. Emmanuel Forami, a doctor based in Osogbo, the provincial capital, said drinking the toxic water or using it to risk exposure to the human body could cause lead poisoning. He said it was a "major health concern".
In March the Osun state government announced the arrest of "several individuals for illegal mining, seizures and site closures" and lowered pollution levels in rivers and roads. Promised to investigate and deal with it.
But activists question the sincerity and commitment behind such efforts. Adejuwon of Urban Alert, who runs his campaign on Social with the hashtag #SaveOsunRiver, said:
She was only a servant of Osun since she was seventeen. She thanks Orson for blessings such as her home, children, and health.
"All the good things God does for people, Osung does the same," she said.
But she and others warn that even Osun has its limits.
If the river remains polluted and Osun "does not get angry or appease him properly," there could be problems, he said, with a lot of mining going on about 40 kilometers away. Abiodun Fasoin, the chief of the village of Esaod, said. (25 miles) east of Osogbo.
"When the banks get angry, they will overflow and wash people away," said Abimbola. "Don't do anything she doesn't want."
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AP's religious coverage is supported through a partnership between AP and The Conversation US, Lilly Endowment Funded by Inc. AP is solely responsible for this content.
