By Kayode Emola

As the Iran-Israel conflict enters its second week, most commentators are analysing the implications for the region and the wider world. At first glance, the fighting may have been limited to just between Israel and Iran, but the way events are progressing, it seems that it may escalate to become a global affair.

With Hamas and Hezbollah, who previously appeared to pose the most immediate threat to their national security, now stricken, the Israeli government seems to believe there is no better time to attack Iran than now. Israel has adopted the “strike whilst the iron is hot” approach, and, so far, it seems to be paying off.

Whether Israel will be able to sustain the war in the long run is another question entirely. However, the level of precision with which the Israeli government has carried out its operations in the first few days of the conflict has given it an edge over the Iranians.

As the world watches on, it is worth noting that the calmness experienced over the past few days should not be mistaken for peace. The US has given Iran two weeks to negotiate, after which they warned they would join the Israelis in the conflict.

The US unexpected bombing of Iran’s nuclear facilities this morning brings a new twist to the conflict. If history has taught us anything, it is that war provides no resolution to the real problem on the ground, and that there are never any real winners.

Both sides will always come out worse off, having expended huge numbers of resources during the war’s execution. Whilst war may be inevitable in some circumstances, it is nonetheless difficult to predict the outcome from the onset.

Israel, no doubt, had hoped that it would be able to complete its operations in Iran within days. However, the fact that the Ayatollah is still standing gives the Israeli government something to worry about.

Whilst we Yoruba may learn from the Israeli government’s handling of the killing of innocent Jews on October 7, 2023, we should also be aware that the world faces the potential of World War 3 if the situation is not handled properly.

The Israeli government did not hesitate to make known that it will do everything within its power to protect every one of its citizens. It demanded that all the civilian hostages be released unconditionally, and failure to do so would lead to the elimination of Hamas leadership and the destruction of the activist group.

Likewise, those of us leading the Yoruba self-determination struggle now need to begin taking concrete decisions towards the actualisation of our independent Yoruba nation. As the world is arming itself for a potential war, we cannot stand idle for those weapons to be used to unleash fear and terror on us.

The time for wishing and hoping is over. The Israeli government didn’t dilly-dally around, hoping and praying that heaven would give them their people back. They took the action to the enemy’s camp to free their citizens held captive there.

We need to begin to view each other within our nation as family, and family means no one gets left behind. Nigeria does not hold this philosophy, as it is now openly embracing terrorists as respected citizens of the country. The time is ripe for us to treat our struggle with the seriousness it deserves, so that we may free our people from the shackles of slavery.

By Kayode Emola

If you faint in the day of adversity, your strength is small meaning if you give up or lose heart when facing difficulties, then there is a lack of resilience. Many people had hoped that there will be one big mega rally where we will keep ourselves and our people vulnerable to the brutal forces of Nigeria.

However, in our wisdom, we thought the time is not ripe for that not because we are not ready but because we didn’t want to endanger lives. Rightly so, the rally was meant to draw attention to a lot of our people who cared to listen to our message but are still not bothered about the plight of our Yoruba people.

The clear message now is that we will continue to sensitize our people concerning the dangers that’s staring us in the face. What we face is an existential threat, not just to our way of life but to our very existence.

This is the reason we cannot afford to give up now, not especially when this is a matter of life and death. We cannot afford to throw the lifeline millions of our people are looking up to for the sovereignty of the Yoruba nation.

The present government of Nigeria knows fully well the plight of our people but they themselves are helpless in proffering solutions. That is why they have resulted in mass looting of the treasury for their own personal benefit. We cannot fold our hands and allow these uncontrollable stealing of our children’s future by a few Nigerian government officials.

The situation at our homeland has become worse that nearly everyone in Yorubaland is now seeking to travel out of the country. Not minding the perils of the journey or what they will encounter when they get there. This is why we all have to act now to save our children from the ruins that will become of Yoruba land if we do nothing.

So, I beseech our people to support the ongoing efforts in creating the much-needed awareness required for the liberation of our Yoruba nation. This is not the time to buckle but a time to reflect and to act. This is the time to spread the gospel of the Yoruba nation to those who are yet to catch the fire and together we can make a difference for the coming generation.

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.