AFONJA

AFONJA was a misnomer. HE WAS NOT AN IDEAL ONA-KAKANFO (Fields Marshall).

Why? 

He was a Prince.

Are-Ona kakanfo is reserved for a CASTRATED SLAVE nurtured in warfare.

But the time he is commissioned, everyone will be confident to donate their spiritual powers to him because he has no inheritance. His only  nobility is to fight to death without turning back from WAR!

Occassions when a non-castrated slave occupies that office, are rare and not when the Oyo civilization had become well composed.

It was therefore the saying; OMO OBA KII JAGUN BII ERU. (A prince cannot fight a battle like the slave). 

That was what OYOMESI (senators) told AFONJA when he began his intrigues. He purposely took that position to undo Aole. But that one was wise to send him to hottest battles. They dazzled themselves with various escapades until the entire Yoruba nation suffered it when the Fulani that Afonja invited planned a coup against him at the ILORIN CANTONEMENT.

The Are-onakakanfo was usually stationed far away from where his FREEDOM would interfere with that of the King. "Jagun jagun ko se e f'oba mu" (You cannot control a warrior the way you control civilians).

Being above the civil law to a large extent was the privilege that warriors enjoy. You need not ask why IBADAN was lawless! (Ibadan maja maja o se bee ko ara iwaju leru = While Alaafin will still be restraining Ibadan from going to the next battle, next thing you hear is that they have conquered anither place). Its the Cantonment for the Alaafin's Armies. ("Iwo na se mu sibe un?" Why do you place it there? = the absurd response to the person crying for his stolen item).

All these is why white historians wrote that the YORUBA HAD A BALANCED GOVERNANCE BEFORE THE COMING OF THE WHITE COLONIALISTS. Its called CHECK & BALANCES.

Yoruba do not condone a king whose tenure smacks of hunger, suffering and foolish deaths! They would consult the gods and the Oyo mesi (senators) led by the Bashorun (Prime minister) will make the High priests (ogbonis) to offer the Oba AN EMPTY CALABASH.

And when he opens it, that Oba MUST SHOW HIS LAST BRAVERY BY COMMITTING SUICIDE!

So, if the FULANI says they are Born to rule BECAUSE THE EMPIRE THEY CAPTURED HAPPENED TO BE WITHIN THE AREA CALLED NIGERIA BY THE WHITES, What Yoruba expect from a ruler is MUTUAL PEACE & PROGRESS.

Yoruba philosophy is different from what we observe in the way the FULANI rules the 14 TRIBES OF HAUSA THEY CONQUERED.

Yorubas are empire builders too. And we conquered to the extent of Modern Ghana. While a people we capture must pay TAX (Isakole); we allow them to pursue their prosperity and would protect them against other attacks. But its like the FULANIS only know to reduce their captives TO NOTHINGNESS!

And that is what is showing up in their collective think-tank and unprogressive approach to whatever opportunity they have to be in control in any space.

We can't make a leopard to shed his skin. Its left for us to succumb to a discerned evil or stand for the LIBERTY we cherish.

Yorubas were coming out from a 300years Wars. This included expansionist wars that was followed by internal supremacist wars. The coming of the British was a respite. The post Independence YORUBA NATION so much crave for LIBERTY and mutual progress. And that is why they cherish OBAFEMI AWOLOWO that built the GREAT WESTERN REGION for them.

WE KNOW THE COST OF WAR! Not that we are cowards. Our warrior clans have no other profession. Entire IBADAN was cantonment of Baloguns (War Captains). That is why they had Bale and not Oba in those days.

The cenotaph of MAGBON WAR by the Ijebu against the British is still stationed at the junction of  Epe road from the Express road at Ijebu-ode.

It is unfortunate that the various tribes are strange bedfellows in the project Nigeria. ONE THING SACROSANCT EVEN IN THE MODERN POLITICAL INSTITUTION IS THAT unlike many others, YORUBA WILL ALWAYS CERTAINLY DEMAND ACCOUNTABILITY FROM THEIR RULERS!  Its our Definition and culture from the ancient days of our fathers!  It does mot matter how fearful that ruler is. Remember that the first Alaafin was sango, and fire did come from his mouth when he speaks!

I hope we would revive abd and encourage HISTORY subject in schools. We need to have scholars examine  WHY in the 1966 wild west conflagration, YORUBAS NEVER KILLED IGBOS OR HAUSA-FULANI but KILLED THE fellow Yorubas that were DETRACTORS WHO BETRAYED THEM TO OTHER TRIBES! That's Yorubas for you!

And this piece is advantageous to those still experimenting to know WHAT YORUBA WILL CONDONE or not even in the face of death!

And to say YORUBAS DON'T UNITE is wrong. We do not follow incredible persons. We do not follow MONEY! INSTEAD,Yoruba philosophy is to exchange MONEY FOR NOBILITY.

IBB, knew this. So he began to debase our nobles during the military era of MBUHARI. THAT WAS HOW HE CLEVERLY DEFACED MBUHARI AMONG THE YORUBAS.

If you bribe a Yoruba to undo his people, he will chop your money and pretend to display leadership. He knows, they do not take him seriously. We are philosophical, and do allow CHILDREN TO PLAY PRANKS to a reasonable extent.

One surprise other tribes never know therefore, is that while the rich, the famous, the gun carrier is not issue of our leadership, A WOMAN CAN SHOW FORTH AND WE SHALL AFFIRM HER LEADERSHIP!  The British knows that when they talk of gender rights, they need to learn from our sopisticated civilization. We have the MINISTER OF WOMEN (Iyalode) and  WOMEN OBAS since time immemorial! Okonjo Nweala, a noble world achiever described us as a race that "FLY WITH THEIR TWO WINGS!". The girl child is equally of noble birth and full rights as the male child even in our traditional inheritance laws. Woman can buy land and own land under our land tenure system. My paternal grandmother was so rich in land, farms and slaves that when the son of a poorer family flogged my father in school, she made him stop schooling.

STOP your stampedes over YORUBA DIGNITY AND LIBERTY WE CHERISH. If any politician tells you HE IS CONTROLLER OF YORUBA KINGDOM, its 419.

Yoruba adage is that BI ERU BA JOBA ENIA KO NI KU 'KAN ("When a slave rules, noble born will suffer!"). RULE WELL and Yoruba will not mind where you come from!  ACTUALLY, YORUBAS ARE OVERCONFIDENT it may even irritate you. WE DO NOT FEAR, WE RESPECT & GIVE DUE HONOUR. WHAT WE FEAR IS tendencies bordering on stupidity when so much honour has been entrusted upon you.

Else, ....TO YOUR TENTS O ISRAEL.