Workshop on The State of The Yoruba Nation within the present Realities of the Nigerian Nation-state, held at The Efunyela Hall of the Residence of Chief Obafemi Awolowo, Ikenne, 11th of October, 2018, organized by The Yoruba Unity Forum.
My Speech: Issues Relating to Security of Yorubaland.
By Mogaji Gboyega Adejumo
Chant:
Á díá fún Lápatẹ́ ọmọ ẹ̀fọn
Lóde àtẹ
Níbi tí wọ́n ti ń patẹ́
Óní ikù ni wọ́n ńgbèrò
Wọn ò patẹ́
Ikú ni wọ́n pète wọn ò patẹ́
Lápatẹ́ the son of mosquito went on its first flight. It heard claps as it flew around. When Lápatẹ́ got back home he reported his experience to his father. He said its first flight was very successful. Everyone was clapping for him and eulogising him. He would like to relieve the experience again. The mosquito told his son Lápatẹ́ not to be deceived, the clap he heard was not an ovation, the people he saw were not eulogising, they were clapping to kill him. His father told him to offer the sacrifice of protection to the deities. What the gods needed was for him to be careful. But Lápatẹ́ did not understand. He only remembered this when it was caught in another party of claps, this time its last flight; it never returned home. Indeed, a clap party would never be an ovation for a mosquito it would for ever be an attempt to kill it.
We like to commend the convener of this workshop as it is coming at a time when Nigerians are visibly divided along ethnic/tribal lines. To pretend Nigerians are united at these times, is to do so at one’s peril.
Without being immodest, however, we like to recommend that only Yoruba language should be used at this kind of forum, going forward, especially as majority of the participants are Yoruba. Our language is our identity and a major part of our culture.
As a Steadfast scholar and researcher into Yoruba, sociology, anthropology, Idagbasoke Ásà ilẹ̀ Yoruba, are in great parts, my cardinal objectives, to help ensure that Yoruba language is spoken freely in the region to ensure that our culture is not consigned to the dunghill of history.
Asa Yoruba ko ni parun títí lai, láṣẹ Èdùmàrè.
Having observed that Nigeria is moving to a state of extreme egoism being championed by the various ethnic groups, it behoves on all right thinking men to urgently prepare for the unexpected so as not to be caught unawares when the unexpected happens.
It was probably during the glorious era of the Oyo Empire that this saying was coined – “Ajisebioyo la nri, Oyo kin se bi baba enikan kan”. Today, we prefer to say, “Ajise bii Yoruba la nri, Yoruba kin se bi baba enikan kan”. In view of the fact that The Yoruba have always been The pacesetters, our candid advice is that we should look inward to see how we can develop the region ourselves.
We are blessed with human and material resources to be a great nation even if us Yoruba, have to stand on our own tomorrow.
But, we have to start the planning today, by putting necessary structures in place to make us self-sufficient as a people.
There is no gainsaying the fact that, it was in anticipation that Nigeria may not continue as an indivisible entity in the nearest future that made our people in the northern parts of the country to have been working vigorously to develop that part of the country. This explains the search for oil in the Chad basin and the billions of naira invested in the region.
The onus is therefore on us to call on all the state governments in Yorubaland, as well as well-meaning Yoruba sons and daughters, to urgently embark on projects that can engender a rapid development of the region and we must not relent in our efforts in this regard.
As the main focus of our research, Iwadi ati Idagbasoke Asa ilẹ̀ Yoruba should lead the way to our development, and our cherished culture, to be the pivot upon which to achieve our objectives.
It will be helpful to point out that certain material aspects of our culture, which appear to have been neglected, can also generate huge revenues for the region. It is in appreciation of this, that we are poised to agitate for increases in the visibility and the activities of our state governments in the region in protecting past Yoruba cultural heritages and to also develop new activities for ensuring long-term protection.
Increasing local as well as national awareness of our heritage, alone will not do it. We also need to call for the preservation of all our tangible and intangible, immensely immeasurable arts, structures, language, monuments and historical places.
We must also be determined to record and preserve Yoruba culture for generations yet unborn to easily and proudly identify with it, while equally ensuring that Yoruba language does not become extinct. The language should be spoken freely in all primary and secondary schools within the region, thereby putting an end to prohibition of the language in such places of learning.
THE YORUBA NATION IS ENDANGERED!
The most dangerous animal in the world is a beautiful woman, quiet and smiling. The most vulnerable animal in the world is her husband watching and careless, forgetting that someone out there wants a slice of his piece. That is the corpus of Uriah the Hittite. Whenever one was going to an unknown place, one offers a sacrifice, so that one could go and come back safely.
Even after you have offered sacrifice, you need to be careful. Care is the medicine of the elderly for a long life. Ìfura l’òògùn àgbà!
We are searching for something very dear, our security, that was taken from us, and, we must take it back!
We are Yorùbá with great history of diplomacy, wars and internal security. In the new dispensation we are wrestling against flesh and blood and principalities in high places… we must wrestle them to a stop!
Ọ̀rúnmìlá went to the Alágbẹ̀dẹ and met several Olúwo, many Ojùgbọ̀nà and numerous Àràbà the father of palm fronds. Ọ̀rúnmìlá saw them casting divination to vulnerable ones. They told the lame he would regain the use of his legs, and divined for the hunchback that his hunch would disappear; they informed the albino that his colour would turn to glitter ebony. But Ọ̀rúnmìlá challenged them and their divination. He told them they were lying and giving false prophesies.
Ifá̀ advised them to stop telling lies and not promise what they could not fulfill.
They were warned that if they do not stop corrupting divination and giving false prophesies, their lives would end in regret.
Yoruba have been given many false divinations in the past about the Nigerian state about security. These prophesies would never come true. But do not mind anyone that took advantage of us Yoruba with false prophesy. He shall not end well.
Chant
‘Agbe gbe mi dele o-o agbe,
odidere ki i ku soko iwaje o-o agbe
The blue and red turaco should assist me to reach home, a parrot does not die searching for food, blue and red turaco should assist me to reach home!
“Ifá does not lie and Ọ̀pẹ̀lẹ̀ does not preach falsehood”!
To leave our Total security in the hands of strangers is to leave our house open to attack.
Èmi ó ní kí Gàmbàrí ó má sún rárà; kó sá mọ́ ti ki ìyá mi, Wúràolá Adùkẹ̀.
I would like to acknowledge my mother Late Mrs Christiana Wúràolá Adùkẹ̀ Adejumo, ìyá Yard, who told me a story before she died — A dog laid in front of its masters gate baring its teeth and showing its white canine. No one was sure whether it was sleeping, dead or awake and no one tried to find out. But from afar, everyone saw the glitter of its teeth hence avoided its master’s house….this is because, out of the living creatures on earth, the dog has the whitest teeth and it is the most loyal being.
The dog’s white teeth and its loyalty were its master’s security. For the reason of its white teeth everyone saw a weapon of attack and for the reason of dog’s reputation of loyalty to its master, no one dared to approach its master’s gate.
Lessons from this story:
The Yorùbá should showcase whatever resource of strength they have at their disposal to the world to see. Above all, their leaders must have a reputation of loyalty to the people. That way, no one would threaten their security.
I am happy to make this report to the Yoruba Nation, that, The Yoruba Language may no longer be in danger of Extinction as suggested a while ago by UNESCO, the arm of the United Nations, saddled with the preservation of cultures and languages, as serious efforts are being made by our ever resourceful, ever industrious Yoruba young men and women both home and abroad, geared towards reducing every conceivable educational subject being taught in our schools, to Yoruba language as the medium of facilitation.
I must make mention of Individuals who are making great efforts in that direction, Olasupo Oyegòkè, who goes with the sobriquet, Yoyọn Ọlọbẹ, the preparer of finger-licking sumptuous dishes of cultural, spiritual and anthropological dimensions, a scholar and lecturer who works in the UK, but has put together a group of young men and women working on the vocabulary that will reduce every foreign or English word in physics chemistry, biology and the rest, into Yoruba…
One of such men is here, Bode Oje, who has written in fluid, fluent and contemporary Yoruba language, a novel in the science of space travel. A sci-fi fictionalized story of travelers into space called, “Ìrìn Àjò sínú Ayédiméjì…!
With these young men and women I am working with, on this venture, our language will not die.
I must also mention Ms Olutope Amudipe, a PhD student in mathematics at the University of Ibadan, who is also helping to reduce mathematics and all of its vigorous formulas and calculations to Yoruba words and expressions.
Recently too, a group of Yoruba sons both here in Nigeria and in Rio De Janeiro, in conjunction with others, won for the Yoruba, the feat of having our language declared, as an “Intangible Heritage”, in the state of Rio De Janeiro. Further efforts are being made to have The Yoruba Language attain greater significance in other states in The Whole of Brazil. I must thank Oloye Fola Oludare Ayodele, who for the past 15 years has been impacting on Yoruba culture, Ifá and our heritage in Brazilian institutions, for his Steadfastness in these matters… My thanks also go to Ogbeni Sola Alabadan, who is here in Nigeria but part of the movement in Brazil to actualize the listing of the Yoruba language as an intangible Heritage in far away Western Hemisphere.
Oodua a gbe gbogbo wa Ooo!
YORUBA INTERNAL SECURITY.
PROF KOLA KAZEEM, (Provost of Osun State College of Education Ilesa) – wrote a paper on Education and National Security that I have found useful.
I would have included the full paper but for space and time. However I have included below citations that I find useful.
The good professor stated that, the challenges of national security, are wider than deploying military might, defence or law enforcement. They require the search for a more holistic approach to redressing the various security challenges facing the nation. To make any remarkable progress in achieving national security, the process of reformation must start from the individual level. The mind of the individuals is the engine of development. In other words, there is the need for a more retrospective, introspective and proactive approach to issues of national security so as to arrest the negative drift currently impacting our national psyche.
Security and development are Siamese twins that cannot be separated without leaving scars on them or causing the death of one or both. Thus you cannot have development in a society where there is no peace, nor peace in a society without development. And where national development is mentioned, education invariably comes to mind.
In quoting one Faudez, another author on what security entails, he said:
“The development process is in fact an educational process. Or rather it should unfailingly be viewed as such. We cannot therefore conceive development in the absence of education anymore than education in the absence of development”!
Same principles in addressing the national security challenges, are also clear and present in the challenges facing Yoruba security and even more…
In our Yorubaland today, we have more of same challenges in Internal Security, Food Security, Heritage Security, Language Security… Somewhat more organic, pressing and present than those of the general type insecurity, as the Yoruba are the singularly the largest homogeneous group in the Nigerian Nation state.
We should be relatively free of the type affecting Others. But unfortunately, we are not, particularly at these times of incursions by foreign nationals and non-indigenes into our midst.
The concept of security has shifted over time, with emphasis on the welfare of the people. The new conception of security is rooted firmly in the ideal of freedom and the right of the people to basic fundamental rights.
The Real Yoruba Internal security can be described as a state or condition where the most cherished Values and Belief systems have been subsumed, by the new democratic way of life, but not dissimilar.
Institutions of governance, unity, welfare and well-being of all Yoruba as a nation and people are at all times, to be permanently protected and continuously enhanced, whether in the old or new times, it just did not matter.
I am therefore of the view that the term “Yoruba security” does not appear to lend itself to the limiting definition of incursions into our borders and the killings of our people by the Fulani herdsmen alone, because, “Tí ògiri kò bá lanu, alangba kò lè ráyè wọ bẹ̀!
If our people have not also been complicit, the present situation would not have happened.
It was the he-goat that was used to scatter a whole town like ashes and it was a sheep that brought them back together but it took a lot of work before the rat could unite them. We were warned to be careful about Buhari and the united entity Nigeria but we ignored Ifá’s warning. The consequence of our refusal to offer the necessary sacrifices is what we are going through and may consume many of us if we are not careful and do not properly atone.
We are in this state today because some of our so called leaders have compromised on our internal security.
There is a short-hand for this, called,” Àtenujẹ. Greed, Sycophancy.
Two main tendencies in defining how we have compromised our internal security, easily emerges when put to critical analysis, namely:
1. The state-centred concept which views the Nigerian national security in terms of powers in the hands of one group who perpetually have a sense of ownership of the whole. Our national defence system then becomes the interpretation of the survival of a few to continue to lord it over others and how to sustain themselves in power.
2. A political consideration that does not take into proper context, the meaning of federalism. To equate the concept of Igbo internal Security, with Yoruba internal security, is wrong, much in the same way of equating Arewa internal security, with the ideals of what national security should mean or be, which is also wrong.
In a Federation, each federating unit has the unique combination of homogeneous knowledge and its own uniquely placed “sense of belonging”, to help manage its own internal workings, so that security issues will not become much like the Boko Haram scourge that is of a clear political connotation and deployment and the menacing fulani herders, being pandered and Prevaricated to, by their kith and kin at the centre. Nigeria suffers from a unitary system. The Yoruba Nation with our farms plundered by the Fulani, our farmers killed and mothers butchered, suffer, because of those so called leaders, who have refused to ask and insist on a change of Structure.
In the First Republic, Chief Obafemi Awolowo saw Internal Security as within, an indigenous, Introgenous concept of “Tiwa ń Tiwa”, where the protection, much like the psalmist point of view, does not come from from ìlà oòrùn, East, tàbí àríwá, North, but from Within…!
Chief Obafemi Awolowo built internal security on educating his people to be self-reliant, self—actualized, sell-utilized, self-fulfilled and self-sustaining. He saw the concept of Internal Security in such a context as far removed from the meaning and essence of mere military type national security.
He opened embassies and consulate offices for the Western Region in far away places. He observed that national security cannot be equated to military might, defence or law enforcement alone. He gave his people the security of purpose to withstand both mental and physical incursions.
It goes beyond that to accommodate far more reaching issues. Chief Awolowo averred that Yoruba security is wider than military might, defence or law enforcement and pointed out other rather basic dimensions like job creation, housing, water and food security, where the pertinent issues leading to the welfare and well being of the people, become The REAL SECURITY!
Similarly, the struggle to secure the most basic necessities of life such as food, fuel, medicine and shelter, constitute the most important security issues to the late SAGE… And all of these were things by which The Yoruba were Known, Admired and Feared!
His broader view of security from the perspective of human physiological needs is important for the attainment of physical and national security and overall peace and development, as social unrest arising from the absence of such basic-human security can indeed lead to security problems and conflicts…. Leaving one to wonder where all of these have gone to!??
Thus, Yoruba Internal security in a broad sense implies the absence of threat to life, property and socio-economic wellbeing of the people. It is the totality of the measures instituted by those vested with the responsibility of leadership to promote Yoruba territorial integrity and cherished values and interest of the people as well as guarantee the freedom of the citizens from anxiety, threats to life and property and their safety from natural or manmade disasters….
All that said, the question then to ask is; In this present situation and structure of unitariansm, how has the concept of Yoruba security feared in context to The Nigerian National Security!??
The answer is all glaring for everyone to see. The unworkable structure is Not helping. Our lands, property and lives are not secure.
The Nigerian state has failed to provide lasting, sustainable security. The system in which state governors do not have executive powers over the state police commissioners, in which police commissioners withdraw police protection from elected governors at will, is a system designed to fail on internal security.
We are all helpless.
We have heard from the respected Retired General TY Danjuma that even the military are complicit on these matters of fulani herdsmen. We have also heard how a prominent Yoruba politician has blamed the incessant killings by the Fulani herdsman on a purported scarcity of water. Derisory to say the least! That is to tell us where leadership emigrated to after Chief Awolowo.
An agency of the United States of America has released a figure of close to 20,000 people, killed internally since the inception of this administration, three and a half years ago.
There is definitely something very, very wrong.
On this same issue of security in Yoruba land, one worrisome development that must be brought to the fore is that increasing influx of aliens into all parts of Yorubaland. Literally, these are potential Boko Haram insurgents, disguising as okada riders, cobblers, but unfortunately they live among us. This should be a cause for concern. Yoruba, e je ka fura o.
Every year, two of the biggest farms of Chief Olu Falae and General Ipoola Alani Akinrinade are targeted, destroyed, burnt. After feeding their cows freely and full and even beyond, they burn the rest of the farms produce… Why burn the farms… Why!??
Simply because, they want to deny the Yoruba of our Food Security.
They want us dependent on their own produce.
They want us incapacitated.
Babaláwo tó ṣe àfẹ́ẹ̀rí fún aáyàn Fulani, òun náà ló ṣe àrìnnàkò fún Adìe Yoruba koya…!
A confluence of Kònígbọ́ and Kònígbà ni…!
Ní ilẹ̀ Yorùbá tia loni, Àbọ̀ábá lórúko Abọ́bakú!
Bẹ́ẹ̀ sì ni, omidan tó fẹ́ joyè Abọ́bakú ni, òwe burúkú ni ń pa fún olórí àgbà láàfin…!
The central government that will not do much to safeguard our Yoruba homeland, cannot come to profess the ability to guard our heritage.
A young maiden putting herself forth to die along with the departed monarch, is only mocking the senior queen. No such love there, but a mockery.
Let us tell those pretentious of giving us security that we are wiser with our votes, for they only mock us with their Deceit.
Until the rotten tooth is pulled out, the mouth must chew with caution!
“My people…. Children of our fathers, sickness is like rain. Does the rain fall on one roof alone? No.
Does it fall on one body and not on another? No.
Whoever the rain sees, on him it rains. Does it not?
It is the same with sickness…”
~ Ola Rotimi, in “The Gods Are Not To Blame”
No matter where you and I belong in the present political arrangements, we are all potential victims of Insecurity…
Iku n’sunkun owo,
Arun ni n’sukun òsé,
Eniti ebi n’pa ko jeun,
Nitori ironu o san gbese..
Iran Yoruba o ni d’ero ehin…
Eni iwaju ko si ni d’ero ehin lailai..!!
The gods are not to blame —
Àwa Yoruba ni ká lọ tún ra mú ni ó!
Apari isu ni…
Kai, Ile to lo…!!!
A l’epo n’ile a nj’ofun;
A l’ata n’ile a nj’ate…
A n’iyo n’ile a nja’se…
We have in abundance, palm oil to put to taste our stew, yet we could not find a drop to add…
Likewise we have the aromatic ingredients to Make a good sauce, yet none is found;
With the abundance of salt, yet the cooking is awful, tasteless…
And out sauce has become, tasteless…
O ma se Ooo
Opelope, Aare Gani Adams.. Opelope Yoruba Koya…
Otunba Deji Osibogun, I salute you Sir.
Ẹ kú ìṣe, ẹ kú ìnáwó ná’ra..
Gbogbo wa la sì ni iṣẹ́ yí — Kìí ṣe iṣẹ́ ẹnìkan;
Àgbà ò sì nìdí pé à ń jẹ Ọ̀kẹ́rẹ́, gbogbo ẹni bá fẹ́ jẹ rán yó ṣ’ọdẹ ni.
We all have to be involved!
Long live Yoruba land. Asa Yoruba ko gbudo parun.
Ìrònú kò san gbèsè.
Ẹni ebi ń pa, kò jẹun.
Nítorí pé, ilẹ̀ Yoruba, kò ní re ẹ̀hìn.
Eni iwaju ko ni pada di ero eyin lagbara Edumare.
Aseese o.
Paper Delivered by Mogaji Gboyega Adejumo, at the Yoruba Unity Forum,
Efunyela Hall, Ikenne.
11th of October, 2018
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