She stirred debate after suggesting that Nigeria’s challenges began when people abandoned traditional gods and embraced foreign religions.
Nigerian actress Toyin “Lola Idije” Afolayan has revealed what she believes lies at the root of the nation’s current problems. The actress disclosed this on Friday at the Osun Dagbonu cinema experience with Sotayo Gaga, amid growing insecurity, a worsening economy, and other challenges confronting the country.
She said: “We won’t suffer, and we won’t be implicated in matters we know nothing about. God will help us find solutions to these problems in Nigeria. It’s when we stop worshipping our idols that everything in Nigeria turns upside down.
“Imagine we want to swear in our political leaders before the god of iron and other idols, for them to swear that they will do the right things and won’t embezzle, because they won’t want thunder to strike them.”
Furthermore, the 66-year-old maintained that the country’s problems are unlikely to be solved until citizens return to embracing their roots. According to her, the challenges facing the country are lessons showing that one’s roots cannot be ignored.
“We’ve been copying the white way of life. We don’t want to worship our idols again because we believe those who are modern and behave like white people are the new people we should be. We’re just deceiving ourselves and living a fake life. Let’s go back to our roots. Some people belong to one spiritual cult or another, and they must do what’s required of them; when they don’t do it, they won’t progress,” she said.
Lola Idije further praised Babatunde Akorede for the knowledge and wisdom he brought to directing the film. The knowledge and wisdom the director of this movie has to write this story can’t be taken away from him because someone who has no knowledge or wisdom can’t write this type of story. You won’t write a story that’ll put you in trouble,” she said.
Actress Tayo “Sotayo Gaga” Sobola produced the movie under her production house, Sotee Entertainment. The film starred Peju Ogunmola, Lola Idije, and Ronke Odusanya, among others.
The actress’s remarks come as several celebrities condemn the abduction of pupils, students, and teachers in Oyo State, alongside the worsening insecurity across the country under President Bola Tinubu’s administration.
PREMIUM TIMES had reported that the celebrities faulted Mr Tinubu and his administration for their “muted response” and demanded urgent action from security agencies and government authorities.
