Sunday Essien, the manager, New Afrika Shrine in Ikeja, Lagos, says many people visit the shrine to pray for specific requests, noting that they attest that those prayers are answered.

“People come here to pray at the shrine, depending on their needs, people come from different countries of the world, including the diasporans,” Mr Essien said on Wednesday.

Speaking during the “bestoflagosfamtour22”, organised by the Lagos State Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture, he said late Afrobeat sage, Fela Kuti, visited the shrine to pray when embarking on journeys.

Mr Essien also said that drugs were not allowed in the shrine which houses five entertainment floors used for different purposes like dance, music, comedy and more.

“We also don’t allow drugs here,” he said.

While dismissing claims that the shrine was used for the conduct of fetish activities, the manager said tourists “should not say what they don’t know.”

Mr Essien said that people held that belief because the tourism site was named as a shrine.

“The shrine is only a preservation of the site where late Fela Anikulapo-Kuti communicated with his ancestor.

“It  was only in the past that fetish activities were conducted at the shrine,  but nothing like that takes place again,” he said.

The New Afrika Shrine is an open air entertainment centre, which serves as the host location of the annual Felabration music festival.

It is the replacement of the old shrine, which was  created in 1970 by Fela. Following his death in 1997, his eldest children, Femi and Yeni, built the New Afrika Shrine in his honour.

(NAN)