Just Ponder On This

This is a story that should touch the heart of any Yoruba leader that is conscious of Yoruba history and who understands what power is.

From last Friday to Monday, I barely slept for 3 hours, all night it was calls and calls and meetings because of this issue- Small me!!!

The newly picked Olu has a Yoruba mother. Emami and co were opposed to him. When the President of Itsekiri Congress called me that I should do something, so that they won't stop the man with Yoruba mother, I knew the meaning.

Itsekiri has some 25 to 30 percent of Nigerian oil. It's about 2hours on sea drive to Lagos.

Historically, there are 5 clans in Itsekiri- three of them from Yoruba and two from Igala and Edo. The law says any Olu MUST have Itsekiri or Edo mother.

The new Olu has Yoruba mother, so they opposed him. That was too bad Awolowo never joked with Itsekiri. His last public assignment was the installation of late penultimate Olu in May 1987. Since Awo died, we have largely had leaders without any sense of history.

This will never happen to any Fulani leadership. They would have sent 5 Emirs to Warri until their own emerged.

Too bad. I didnt know what to do. Who would I call? No Yoruba think tank. Every leader see himself as thin god, no coordination, Lowest Common Factor, amidst several naive advisers.

The Yoruba link with Itsekiri had been severed after Awo's demise though sustained by Pa Adesanya and Pa Ajasin, two last icons who had a deep sense of history, same with Yoruba link with Oworro-the owners of Lokoja-Ilu ko Jo and Ogohi, Okun all in Kogi, and Olukunmi in Delta.

So I started making calls amidst depression caused by Yinka Odumakin and Innocent Chukwuma's sudden death.

I could not reach LASG. The CoS, an excellent man could not be reached.

I have no access to the VP. Even If I have  does he recognise the strategic importance? Will he ever do anything? Not sure!

I sent mails to Ooni not sure he would see it. Then I called his Director of Media, Moses Olafare, a deep, young man who is my honorary Professor on Yoruba matters.  I was lucky. He took the case immediately to the Ooni. Thank God. OONI got the message. The request of Itsekiri was for Ooni to assert the Yorubaness and also send high powered delegation to the Itsekiri General Global Congress slated for Monday.

Impossible, less than 24 hours notice. Alas, Ooni got the message and rose to the occasion. Mogaji of Ibadan had also risen to the occassion when I called him, a very articulate and intelligent man.

Few hours after, Olafare told me two Obas would attend. I could not believe it. Would they use Egbe?

Ooni had delegated Oore of Otun and another Oba from Osun. I went down on my kneels: God, thank you. You didn't disgrace Yoruba people.

May God honour Oore and the other Oba. Oore travelled immediately through the night. They called me from Warri that Oore had arrived.

The second Oba, HRM Olubosin of Ifetedo left Osun 3am and reached Warri 9am. They attended the event and asserted that Itsekiri are Yoruba in the face of thousands of Itsekiri people

Seeing Ooni send powerful delegation, opposition went into coma. 

May God bless Yoruba Nation with the right leadership at this critical time. Amen!

By Adewale Adeoye