By Kayode Emola
I believe it is worthwhile, in this season of Easter, to remember the sacrifices of our heroes past and present, particularly those currently sacrificing their time, effort, resources, and energy for the sake of the Yoruba liberation struggle. And we most especially remember the sacrifice of our Lord Jesus Christ on the cross of Calvary. As the Apostle John beautifully captured it: “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friend.”
In the Yoruba people’s journey to nationhood, many have given their all, eventually paying the ultimate price. Many more are still doing all they can and, as the campaign intensifies through the coming months, we need to encourage our troops to persevere fervently until the end.
When people ask what motivates us to keep plodding onwards, I can only say it is the love for mankind. For love is the greatest gift one can bequeath to a friend; it is the driving force that leads a person to lay down their life for their countrymen, their beloved homeland, and all that they hold dear.
When I hear stories of Yoruba patriots fighting for over four decades for Yoruba emancipation, I know deep down that it is because of the great love they have for their people, desiring that the Yoruba race does not get wiped into oblivion. They seek to ensure that it is not extinguished like many ancient civilisations.
For those who are still wondering what the point is of fighting for the Yoruba emancipation, all I can say is, look at Nigeria. We can see that many of the vices afflicting the Yoruba people are as a result of our association with this country. We all know that the moral decay infiltrating every institution in Nigeria can only be purged from the ground up. We cannot think we can build a civilisation worthy of emulation whilst we continue to permit bribery across every facet of our daily life.
The Nigeria of today is built on faulty foundations, where attempting to fix one sector is like trying to bail water from the ship’s cabin whilst the ocean floods in across the entire vessel. It is impossible to build Nigeria to heights that nations around the world will respect – not because we lack human or material resources, but because neither the leadership nor the people of the country desire holistic change.
If we know that _“Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach,”_ then how can many Nigerians enjoy doing the wrong thing and expect to get away with it? Politicians steal the nation’s treasury with impunity and no one holds them accountable. The people also require bribes to ensure essential services are delivered. All this is done in broad daylight, in full view of the populace, yet no one finds this troubling.
The politicians who have destroyed Nigeria are the same ones presenting themselves as the ultimate messiah of the country. We need to understand that anyone coming to the table must come with clean hands. Since we cannot find a single good politician in the country, then it is time to call it quits with Nigeria and create a clean slate for new nations to emerge. After all, Nigeria would not be the first to do that and definitely not be the last. Consider the former Soviet Union, broken up in the early 90’s, yet today the emergent nations are doing well for themselves. Similarly, the division of Yugoslavia produced six prosperous nations.
It is time now to fly the Yoruba flag high for all to see. We need to embark on relentless public campaigns, calling home our people who are trapped in the Nigerian bubble. We need to understand that Nigeria is irredeemable, that any effort to salvage it is like trying to dam the sea with your hands. There is no gainsaying all the benefits that a sovereign Yoruba nation would bring: we have previously witnessed it, in the 1950’s, yet even greater than the 1950’s are our aspirations.
I have the believe that, if the United Arab Emirates could reverse its fortunes, with Dubai becoming an international hub for global business after just five years of solid work, the Yoruba nation can even do better. Yet we must also remember that the Emirates did not achieve this by merely wishing for it, it was due to hard work and sacrifice by all their people, from the least to the greatest.
If we desire our Yoruba nation to succeed, we must realise that an even greater sacrifice is required from us all presently. I appeal to all our patriots to not relent in their activities at this time, remembering that everyone has a role to play in achieving this noble cause. Therefore, I plead with everyone to continue to stand strong and speak out, and then very soon we shall see our God-given nation come to pass.
