Opinion

Voice of Emancipation: Preservation of Our Yoruba Heritage

Published

2 years ago

July 8, 2022

Eric

By Kayode Emola

Every civilisation across the world and throughout history is shaped by culture. Civilisations are influenced by the cultures of those who came before them, and defined by the culture they develop. Traditions are handed from generation to generation, some consciously, some unconsciously, for millennia. Culture and tradition are such an integral part of shaping who we are, that, if lost, it becomes hard for the race to even survive.

We know that Africans hold the oldest civilisations and best-preserved cultures, and this resonates throughout our daily lives, even in the modernity of today. Although many of our cultures have been watered down by the European and American civilisations, the vast majority of them have been preserved in one form or another. Our generations must endeavour to preserve this culture and tradition, passing it down to the upcoming generation, so that they may also have something to hand down.

As the Oyo would say, “Óyó ò ṣé bí bàbà ẹni kàn kàn, a jí ṣé bí Óyó l’a ń rí,” meaning, “Oyo does not behave like anyone’s father, it is only those that behave like Oyo that you will see.” This is a very well-known adage in Oyo, saying that their cultural heritage is supreme above all, and so others must conform to the Oyo way of life rather than expecting the Oyo to be conformed to theirs.

However, Oyo also recognises that “Bá yìí l’a ṣé ṣe ni ilé wà, ewọ ẹlò mí ni;” “This is how we live in our house; it may be forbidden in another’s house.” Therefore, we must demonstrate mutual respect when dealing with others who are not from our culture.

This, however, was not exhibited by the European explorers who for centuries forced their way of life upon us in Africa; ‘til today they still continue to insist that we must live the way they live. While the totality of the European way of life is not in itself bad, forcing it on other cultures is nothing more than a way of declaring cultural supremacy.

As the journey toward a sovereign Yoruba nation intensifies, it is clear that Yoruba must be the official medium of communication, with English and other European languages as optional. The use of Yoruba, though it may be strange and difficult for some people at first, will undoubtedly strengthen our culture, and therefore our nation, in the long run.

The use of Yoruba for every day communication would rapidly expand the vocabulary of many Yoruba, as well as non-Yoruba in our midst. New Yoruba words will be required and thus developed for everyday items – such as ‘fridge’, ‘flat’, ‘bed’, ‘pen’, ‘bag’, ‘bread’, etc – that were not a part of our culture, and so also not of our language, prior to our encounter with the Europeans.

One important facet that we must endeavour to preserve is our numbering system, so that we do not lose it the way we lost our calendar to the Gregorian system. Most of the Romanised world – that is, Europe and America – uses a decimal numbering system, based on multiples of 10. This is believed to have its roots in the fact that we have 10 fingers.

Yoruba, by contrast, have always used a vigesimal system, based on multiples of 20. However, unlike others of this ilk, such as old Welsh or Parisian French, the Yoruba system has a much richer origin story than simply adopting it based on the sum total of fingers and toes.

Pre-colonisation, our ancestors traded in cowrie shells. These would be grouped in twenties, then subdivided into fives. As the standard base number was 20, the naming of the other numbers stems from the name for one group of twenty, ’ogún’. Therefore, if counting from one to 14, it made sense to count individually. However, a faster means of obtaining 15 was to take a group of 20 and remove one subgroup of five.

This unique counting system means that some numbers are counted using the subtraction method. For instance, rather than say sixteen, we say twenty take away four (mẹrìndínlógún). We also use the addition or multiplication in twenties for higher numbers. For instance, numbers like eighty are counted as four multiply by twenty (ọgọ́rin: ọgún mẹrin). Also, numbers like a thousand are the multiplication of five by two hundred (ẹgbẹ màrún: ẹgbẹ̀rún).

Even amongst those who use this numbering system daily, not many understand its root or how playing with the numbers in the fives and twenties can give you the means of counting in Yoruba from one to one million. A system so steeped in our heritage and culture, yet that same heritage forgotten by the collective memory.

One aspect in which it will be of especial importance to refer back to our history for guidance is the political structure of our new nation. In the past, the Kabiyesi was the head of the government in their domain, wielding all the executive power. The Kabiyesi cannot be removed except by death, potentially deleterious if the throne is occupied by an evil Kabiyesi. With the Yoruba nation not lacking in Kabiyesi, the biggest challenge will be determining who will become the overall Kabiyesi of the new Yoruba nation.

This article is not trying to suggest a system of government for the new Yoruba nation. However, with our long history of monarchical rule, it will be difficult for the Yoruba nation to thrive under a presidential system of government. It therefore seems most probable that we would instead be practicing a parliamentary system.

Accepting that it may not be practical to return fully to the system used in the old Yoruba government, we nevertheless should endeavour to retain much of our historical system of governance when building the future Yoruba government. We must construct a system that works for the benefit of our people, eliminating such loopholes as permit fraudsters to defraud the government and the good people of Yoruba nation. We must strive hard to ensure that those who take on leadership roles are ready to serve the people, not those who pursue political positions solely for what they can extort for themselves and their cabal.

In our new nation, the Omoluabi ethos must always be projected and adhered to. Furthermore, we must ensure that our education system is returned to its former focus, where intelligent reasoning is encouraged and developed; rather than the current system where rote-memorisation and exams are considered the metric of academic excellence. Above all, we should not be afraid to adopt new ideas if proven to be better than our current approach. This is not about ignoring our past, but embodying it in a new way, utilising the best of all that makes Yoruba Yoruba, to harness our destination of a glorious future.

Opinion

Rivers Crisis: A Note of Caution by Dr. Goodluck Jonathan

Published

2 days ago

October 5, 2024

Eric

I am aware that the local government election taking place in Rivers State today, October 5, has been a subject of great interest to political actors.

The political happenings in Rivers State in the past days is a cause for serious concern for everyone, especially lovers of democracy and all actors within the peace and security sector of our nation.

Elections are the cornerstone of democracy because they are the primary source of legitimacy. This process renews the faith of citizens in their country as it affords them the opportunity to have a say on who governs them.

Every election is significant, whether at national or sub-national levels as it counts as a gain and honour to democracy.

It is the responsibility of all stakeholders, especially state institutions, to work towards the promotion of sound democratic culture of which periodic election stands as a noble virtue.

Democracy is our collective asset, its growth and progress is dependent on governments commitment to uphold the rule of law and pursue the interest of peace and justice at all times.

Institutions of the state, especially security agencies must refrain from actions that could lead to breakdown of law and order.

Rivers State represents the gateway to the Niger Delta and threat to peace in the state could have huge security implications in the region.

Let me sound a note of caution to all political actors in this crisis to be circumspect and patriotic in the pursuit of their political ambition and relevance.

I am calling on the National Judicial Commission (NJC) to take action that will curb the proliferation of court orders and judgements, especially those of concurrent jurisdiction giving conflicting orders. This, if not checked, will ridicule the institution of the judiciary and derail our democracy.

The political situation in Rivers State, mirrors our past, the crisis of the Old Western Region. I, therefore, warn that Rivers should not be used as crystal that will form the block that will collapse our democracy.

State institutions especially the police and the judiciary and all other stakeholders must always work for public interest and promote common good such as peace, justice and equality.

– GEJ

Opinion

The End of a Political Party

Published

3 weeks ago

September 16, 2024

Eric

By Obianuju Kanu-Ogoko

It is deeply alarming and shameful to witness an elected official of an opposition party openly calling for the continuation of President Tinubu’s administration. This blatant betrayal goes against the very essence of democratic opposition and makes a mockery of the values the PDP is supposed to stand for.

Even more concerning is the deafening silence from North Central leadership. This silence comes at a price—For the funneled $3 million to buy off the courts for one of their Leaders’, the NC has compromised integrity, ensuring that any potential challenge is conveniently quashed. Such actions reveal a deeply compromised leadership, one that no longer stands for the people but for personal gain.

When a member of a political party publicly supports the ruling party, it raises the critical question: Who is truly standing for the PDP? When a Minister publicly insulted PDP and said that he is standing with the President, and you did nothing; why won’t others blatantly insult the party? Only under the Watch of this NWC has PDP been so ridiculed to the gutters. Where is the opposition we so desperately need in this time of political crisis? It is a betrayal of trust, of principles and of the party’s very foundation.

The leadership of this party has failed woefully. You have turned the PDP into a laughing stock, a hollow shell of what it once was. No political party with any credibility or integrity will even consider aligning or merging with the PDP at this rate. The decay runs deep and the shame is monumental.

WHAT A DISGRACE!

Opinion

Day Dele Momodu Made Me Live Above My Means

Published

1 month ago

September 1, 2024

Eric

By Uzor Maxim Uzoatu

These are dangerous days of gross shamelessness in totalitarian Nigeria.
Pathetic flaunting of clannish power is all the rage, and a good number of supposedly modern-day Nigerians have thrown their brains into the primordial ring.

One pathetic character came to me the other day stressing that the only way I can prove to him that I am not an ethnic bigot is to write an article attacking Dele Momodu!

I could not make any head or tail of the bloke’s proposition because I did not understand how ethnic bigotry can come up in an issue concerning Dele Momodu and my poor self.

The dotty guy made the further elaboration that I stand accused of turning into a “philosopher of the right” instead of supporting the government of the day which belongs to the left!

A toast to Karl Marx in presidential jet and presidential yacht!

I nearly expired with laughter as I remembered how one fat kept man who spells his surname as “San” (for Senior Advocate of Nigeria – SAN) wrote a wretched piece on me as an ethnic bigot and compelled one boozy rascal that dubiously studied law in my time at Great Ife to put it on my Facebook wall!

The excited tribesmen of Nigerian democracy and their giddy slaves have been greased to use attack as the first aspect of defence by calling all dissenting voices “ethnic bigots” as balm on their rotted consciences.

The bloke urging me to attack Dele Momodu was saddened when he learnt that I regarded the Ovation publisher as “my brother”!

Even amid the strange doings in Nigeria of the moment I can still count on some famous brothers who have not denied me such as Senator Babafemi Ojudu who privileged me to read his soon-to-be-published memoir as a fellow Guerrilla Journalist, and the lionized actor Richard Mofe-Damijo (RMD) who while on a recent film project in faraway Canada made my professor cousin over there to know that “Uzor is my brother!”

It is now incumbent on me to tell the world of the day that Dele Momodu made me live above my means.

All the court jesters, toadies, fawners, bootlickers and ill-assorted jobbers and hirelings put together can never be renewed with enough palliatives to countermand my respect for Dele Momodu who once told our friend in London who was boasting that he was chased out of Nigeria by General Babangida because of his activism: “Babangida did not chase you out of Nigeria. You found love with an oyinbo woman and followed her to London. Leave Babangida out of the matter!”

Dele Momodu takes his writing seriously, and does let me have a look at his manuscripts – even the one written on his presidential campaign by his campaign manager.

Unlike most Nigerians who are given to half measures, Dele Momodu writes so well and insists on having different fresh eyes to look at his works.

It was a sunny day in Lagos that I got a call from the Ovation publisher that I should stand by to do some work on a biography he was about to publish.

He warned me that I have only one day to do the work, and I replied him that I was raring to go because I love impossible challenges.

The manuscript of the biography hit my email in fast seconds, and before I could say Bob Dee a fat alert burst my spare bank account!

Being a ragged-trousered philanthropist, a la the title of Robert Tressel’s proletarian novel, I protested to Dele that it’s only beer money I needed but, kind and ever rendering soul that he is, he would not hear of it.

I went to Lagos Country Club, Ikeja and sacked my young brother, Vitus Akudinobi, from his office in the club so that I can concentrate fully on the work.

Many phone calls came my way, and I told my friends to go to my divine watering-hole to wait for me there and eat and drink all that they wanted because “money is not my problem!”

More calls came from my guys and their groupies asking for all makes of booze, isiewu, nkwobi and the assorted lots, and I asked them to continue to have a ball in my absence, that I would join them later to pick up the bill!

The many friends of the poor poet were astonished at the new-fangled wealth and confidence of the new member of the idle rich class!

It was a beautiful read that Dele Momodu had on offer, and by late evening I had read the entire book, and done some minor editing here and there.

It was then up to me to conclude the task by doing routine editing – or adding “style” as Tom Sawyer would tell his buddy Huckleberry Finn in the eponymous adventure books of Mark Twain.

I chose the style option, and I was indeed in my elements, enjoying all aspects of the book until it was getting to ten in the night, and my partying friends were frantically calling for my appearance.

I was totally satisfied with my effort such that I felt proud pressing the “Send” button on my laptop for onward transmission to Dele Momodu’s email.

I then rushed to the restaurant where my friends were waiting for me, and I had hardly settled down when one of Dele’s assistants called to say that there were some issues with the script I sent!

I had to perforce reopen up my computer in the bar, and I could not immediately fathom which of the saved copies happened to be the real deal.

One then remembered that there were tell-tale signs when the computer kept warning that I was putting too much on the clipboard or whatever.

It’s such a downer that after feeling so high that one had done the best possible work only to be left with the words of James Hadley Chase in The Sucker Punch: “It’s only when a guy gets full of confidence that he’s wide open for the sucker punch.”
Lesson learnt: keep it simple – even if you have been made to live above your means by Dele Momodu!

To end, how can a wannabe state agent and government apologist, a hired askari, hope to get me to write an article against a brother who has done me no harm whatsoever? Mba!

I admire Dele Momodu immensely for his courage of conviction to tell truth to power.