By Kayode Emola
Quite often, most people give up on their dreams just before they succeed. According to Ross Perot, “they give up on the one-yard line. At the last minute of the game one foot from a winning touchdown”. When I joined the Yoruba Sovereign nation campaign in early 2020, for me it wasn’t one of the options to free our people and bring the much-needed development. It is the only option we have to be perpetually free from the Nigerian tyranny that has subjected over 133 million people to abject poverty today.
Several people have joined the campaign for several reasons; some for the financial reward they think they can get from it, and some because they believe it is a pathway to political relevance. The most important thing for me was the freedom of my people, the freedom to choose for themselves the type of life they want to live in our modern society. That choice can only come about if we have good governance which only a Yoruba sovereign nation can deliver.
Alas, along the line, many of these people that joined with ulterior motives started to fall on the wayside when they realised quickly that their dreams cannot be achieved through the struggle. They began to align with Nigerian politicians for a pittance in order to sell out their fellow compatriots in the struggle. Some even claim they are still in the struggle whilst actively campaigning for politicians in the upcoming 2023 Nigerian elections.
If only they have seen the handwriting on the wall, they would have known that we are just in the last few seconds of achieving our Yoruba sovereign nation. They would have not given up on the surest path to victory for the Yoruba people. I attribute their actions to greed and the thirst for power at all costs, if not they could have focused their efforts in the direction of travel in which they first started.
Bruce Lee a popular American actor once quoted; “always be yourself, express yourself, have faith in yourself, do not go out and look for a successful personality and duplicate it”. When I look at many of these people who claimed to be leading the Yoruba nation’s struggle, then going out to seek the same politicians who put us in this bondage for salvation, I just smile, nod my head and move on.
In my mind, I know these people don’t understand what focus actually means; Focus means Following One Cause Until Successful. “The price of success is hard work, dedication to the job at hand, and the determination that whether we win or lose, we have applied the best of ourselves to the task at hand” Vince Lombardi. These people just want a shortcut to success, no wonder they cannot stay steadfast to the cause no matter the cost.
Before I joined the Yoruba sovereign nation campaign, I took 2 years (2014 – 2015) to research what it takes and how to navigate a freedom struggle. I researched several personalities like Malcolm X, Martin Luther King Jr, Kwame Nkrumah, Nelson Mandela, Patrice Lumumba, and several others. I went in-depth into their lives and times and how they conducted their struggle.
I even visited the Nkrumah Museum in Accra in 2016 to learn more about his life and what his people think of him. He was the first African who caught the vision of Independence for Africa, got jailed for his conviction, contested an election whilst in prison and won a seat in parliament, became Prime Minister of Ghana, and was bold to declare Independence for Ghana even when his comrades were all against it. Many of the developmental projects Ghanaians enjoyed over the years were what Nkrumah built like the Akosombo dam which is their main source of power in Ghana today.
We have several of the achievements of these freedom fighters mentioned above, like Martin Luther King Jr who pursued his dream for freedom for African Americans. He believed that one day they would not only be given the right to vote but the right to rule America. Malcolm X went about empowering Africa Americans economically in Harlem, New York to the extent that they even had their own bank and led many businesses in Harlem.
If only the so-called Yoruba leaders particularly the ones in the UK rooting for politicians for the 2023 elections had done their homework, they would have been better prepared for a leadership role. They forget that no matter how difficult life may seem, or how treacherous the journey is, there’s always something we can do to succeed.
Therefore, those of us who are still steadfast in the Yoruba cause must realise that we are a few moments away from victory. We must not let down our guard, for now, is not the time to be complacent. Now is the time to be steadfast and vigilant, knowing fully well that we have more enemies than we have friends. We have those who would rather see us fail than they would want freedom for the Yoruba people.
Those of us who are still standing strong now need to go out with a clear message of hope, knowing fully well that we have prepared, and have burned the midnight candle. Now is the time to show strength and not weakness to the world. Now is the time for action and no more petty talks. We cannot afford to be distracted, the time for the Yoruba sovereign nation to stand is now, and surely as God lives, it would stand among the comity of nations as an independent nation this year. All we need is to believe and see the mighty hands of God, and how He frees His people from bondage.
