By Kayode Emola
As we remember the Kiriji war, also popularly known as Ekiti-Parapo (Ekiti together), and those who died for the sake of freedom during its course, we must not let their sacrifice be in vain. Those who risked everything to prevent their towns and villages, families, and descendants from becoming vassals within their own land, these people know what it means to live in a free society. We honour their heroism every 23rd September across Yoruba. I pray that the peace they fought so hard to protect in the nineteenth century does not elude us in our present generation.
At the signing of the Kiriji peace treaty in 1886, the Ekiti Parapo were unaware of a bigger problem approaching, in the form of colonialisation. With the Ekiti Parapo unprepared for the British invasion, the Ijebu had no one to turn to for support, and so could do nothing but capitulate to the British army. This problem then multiplied again when the British made us a protectorate, joining us with those who are now set upon the extermination of the Yoruba race.
In hindsight, we could look back at the mistakes our forebears made, learning from them so that we may correct them going forwards. Failure to do so will cause us to make even greater mistakes, whereupon we will only be able to hope that one day our children will be able to redeem themselves. In the words of the late British Prime Minister, Sir Winston Churchill, _“Those who fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it.”_ I pray we will realise the lessons of our history before it is too late, that unless we come together we will never be able to win the bigger war ahead of us.
As we Yoruba fight for our own little corner in Africa, war on a global scale, from tech, cyber, economic, social, and even physical warfare, is occurring around the world. Nor are the Yoruba people shielded from the effects of these wider conflicts. The globalisation of trade has led to the world becoming tightly interconnected, meaning that adversity anywhere across the world will have an impact on us too. Therefore, we must realise that the only way we can succeed is when we fight alongside each other, rather than fighting against one another.
Although many of us Yoruba are quick to blame our tribulations on outsiders, from Britain to the Fulani, we also need to look at the mirror when apportioning blame. The fact that we decided not to let love reign among us is not something we can attribute to these outsiders, but it is we ourselves who must admit culpability. A house that is divided truly cannot stand, which is why we are on our knees begging for our place in the wider society. Until we realise this, we will never achieve the change we so desperately require.
In the quest for Yoruba sovereignty, some of us are still making this same mistake made by our forebears before us. Fighting each other over what, in some cases, could be regarded as a minor misunderstanding, easily resolved if only we listened to one other. Many of us want to have the last word and win every conversation, forgetting that, in life, there needs to be a balance of give and take.
Others are bent on destroying their fellow Yoruba, because of some political or economic position they may never even achieve. We miss the truth that there is room for everyone to excel, if only we listen to each other and are willing to assist however we can. The struggle for freedom, democratic principles, and human rights should be held sacrosanct in all that we do, and we must pursue them with the highest degree of integrity.
I implore those who are still incubating animosity against their fellow Yoruba to think twice, to realise that we are at a crossroads in history. The next junction we take will determine not just our own future but the future of millions of children yet unborn. We must tread carefully and wisely, to ensure that we do not take a very wrong turning.
Right now, the world is battling with severe food shortage, due to droughts caused by climate change in so many places. Likewise, the ongoing war between Ukraine and Russia is exacerbating the whole situation. Our university students are home through no fault of their own and many of them will not be graduating this year. If all these issues are not sufficient reason to cease fighting each other and to fight for our freedom in unanimity, then I do not know what can possibly bring us together.
Ultimately, we are all fighting for the same goal: to live freely in Yorubaland, in a country where everyone can aspire to the highest level of their ability. Our nation should be one that affords opportunity for all to express themselves, without ire for airing their views. As we look forward to our own sovereign land, I pray that the labours of our heroes past, who fought so that we may be free, shall never be in vain.
