By Kayode Emola
It is a fact that the largest living land animal is the African bush elephant. It is no wonder the African adage says that when two elephants fight, it is the grass that suffers. Meaning that when two heavyweights in any field fight, it is those who are underneath or around them who will bear the brunt.
Last week, we witnessed the fallout between President Trump and his buddy Elon Musk. The pair traded war of words on the internet as though they were secondary school kids throwing tantrums at each other.
Trump vowed to use his power as the President of the United States to hurt Elon Musk’s business empire, and Elon also vowed to use his wealth to torpedo Trump’s political power. In all of this, I believe it is not just those who are underneath or around them that will suffer, but both will come out heavily wounded.
In Elon’s defence, no country can spend its way into prosperity, especially with the growing US debt, especially since the US economy is not as resilient as their government wants the world to believe. It is only a matter of time before everything collapses right before our very eyes. Maybe by then, it will be too late, or perhaps we will appreciate what the argument is all about between these two heavyweights.
The US is already in a huge financial deficit of over US$$32 trillion and counting. The last thing they need is more borrowing to fund the richest in society. Trump has proposed numerous tax cuts on top of his inflated global tariffs that can spark a global meltdown.
After the financial crisis in 2008 and the COVID-19 pandemic, the last thing anyone needs now is a global financial meltdown. If the US economy were to crumble today, many in the US might be forced to take their own lives, which can also spiral into many European countries and the rest of the world. This is the genesis of the feud between Trump and Elon Musk, and this cannot be easily wished away like a pinch of salt.
Talking about two heavyweights slugging it out in America, Nigeria seems to be on a different trajectory. It is more like a one-way traffic system where you either conform to the decadence, or you get out as if every other person’s opinion doesn’t matter.
Nearly all the opposition parties are now aligning themselves with the ruling APC (All Progressive Congress) party in readiness for the 2027 election. In the same light, the dissatisfied members of the ruling APC who worked hard to bring President Tinubu into power in 2023 are now becoming the opposition.
This goes to show that the Nigerian politicians and elite do not fight on ethics but for their own benefit. Nigerian politicians always want to be aligned with the winning team and will do whatever is possible to remain relevant. Not minding that they are elected on the trust of the people who gave them the mandate.
Therefore, we Yoruba cannot continue to wallow in the poverty-ridden country called Nigeria when we know we can do better for ourselves as a nation outside Nigeria. We have done it before, and we sure know we can do it again.
The Yoruba economy has sustained Nigeria since its amalgamation in 1914 and continues to do so to date. It’s high time we put a stop to that. We cannot carry the burden of other people in perpetuity, and not especially those who do not wish us any good.
Yoruba money was used to build the railway network in the north and the east of Nigeria in the amalgamated Nigeria. Yoruba money was used to educate the north and the east when we had our autonomous rule in the 1950s, and today, Yoruba money, which is very scarce, is still used to subsidise the north and the east.
It is time to say goodbye to this unwholesome arrangement and walk away from this unworkable union. It is time to join the Yoruba movement in a street protest rally to demand our sovereign Yoruba nation. We must be ready to confront our oppressors in the face to demand our freedom, otherwise our children will remain beggars to the children of those who hold the political powers in Nigeria.
Yoruba nation holds a lot of potential, and we must not let it suffer under the Nigerian tyrannical rule. We need to come out en masse whenever the time comes to pour out into the streets to demand our freedom. If not, we may as well forget about our freedom and conform to the decadence that exists in Nigeria.
