Thursday 30 September 2021

Ofun Ose (Ofunse)

This odu talks about money making not like ofun osa (Ofunsa) that talks about when wealth, good things, good luck, riches, fortune etc refuse to come orunmila.

In odu ofun ose if positive is a good odu or if is someone birth odu, is also positive.

Ofun Ose ( Ofunse )

Awo aje 

Adifa fun aje 

Ohun ti ikole orun bo waiye 

Won ni ebo ni ko oru 

Ati ewe, Ati agba 

Ere Aje nla sa ki ri

Translation: 

The priest of Aje 

Cast divination for Aje 

When she was coming from heaven to earth

She was ask to perform ebo

Both youth and old will look after getting wealth.

By Ifanla Ogbeate Temple

Suzanne Wenger(1915- 2009) aka Adunni Olorisha

Austrian-born artist and Yoruba priestess. She was unique in her absorption into traditional African religion. After her arrival in Nigeria in 1950, she worked hard to revive Yoruba art and culture among Nigerians who had drifted away from it under the influence of western culture and religion. She also made enormous efforts to protect the sacred grove of Oshun, a forest along the banks of the Oshun river just outside Osogbo, which she turned into a sculpture garden filled with art made by her and others.

In 1959 after divorcing her husband Ulli Beier, she married a local drummer, Chief Ayansola Oniru Alarape. She also adopted and mentored more than a dozen Yoruba children, including the prominent artist Nike Davies-Okundaye.

In 2005, her efforts to protect the Oshun grove were rewarded by Unesco’s decision to list it as a World Heritage site.

Info: The Adunni Olorisha Trust

Wednesday 29 September 2021

HOW MANY WIVES SHOULD MEN GET MARRIED TO ACCORDING TO YORUBA TEXT OF WISDOM?

Ọ̀BÀRÀ MÉJÌ, CHAPTER SEVEN STATES

Introduction

I can't imagine how revelationary the wisdom Ifá maintains in Yoruba people to present messages in a way that every sensible man will understand.

At the beginning, this chapter classifies women into two with pounding wooden mould (odó) and ìkòkò àmù (big pot for water).

It goes forward to tell us that every woman needs special treatment and attention, so, equality is not by treating them the same way but by identifying their areas of differences and try your best to fulfil that.

Furthermore, it allows us to realize that odó is made from wood while ìkòkò is made from clay. In other words, we should justify the softness of clay with solidity of wood.

Ìkòkò becomes more beautiful and useful when put omi (water) in it always.

Odó becomes beautiful when you use it to turn yam to pounded yam (iyán).

Ìkòkò will be silent with water in it, but, odó must make noice to give you a good pounded yam.

Olódùmarè does not teach hell or paradise with marriage matter, Èdùà teaches us the implications of marrying with choices of number.

Read the verses below;

Gbirigbiri ni à á yídó

Gbirigbiri ni à á yí ìkòkò

Ìyí a yídó

Kí á mọ́ mọ̀ yí ìkòkò;

Bí a yí ìkòkò,

Inú alámọ̀ a bàjẹ́......

Odó ni igi,

Ìkòkò l'amọ̀.....

Ọ̀kan ṣoṣo póró l'obìnrín dùn mọ

L'ọ́wọ́ ọkọ......

B'o bá di méjì,

A d'òfófó;

Bí ó bá di mẹ́ta,

A di pamínkú;

Bí ó bá di mẹ́rin,

A d'àjààgbilà;

Ẹ̀kàrún ni túlétúlé;

Ẹ̀kẹfàá ni Ifá ọkọ òun

Kò mọ rereé ṣe......

Èkejé ní Ifá ọkọ òun

L'ó ti kó èyí ṣẹ òun lọ́wọ́

Tí òún fi d'ẹni t'ó dà báyìí....

As you started reading, you should have felt the analysis of every number and this is a place where Y'orùbá numerology rest. Especially, in marriage matters.

It also teaches us the value of numbers that if a girl has it in numerology, she will probably behave in that way. Because, the position in marriage is also determined by number of individual orí.

Also, you must know that, when one number is not the end, the one before and after it will reflect on it.

Also, you must know that, the odu stops at seven 7, the chapter 7 of 7th Odu. So, this is really numerological in nature. 777 for reality of feminism and 999 for man.

Let's see the description of every number here.

1. Ọ̀kan = adùn = goodness and joy

2. Méjì = òfófó = back saying

3. Mẹ́ta = pamínkú = kill me or let me die

4. Mẹ́rin = Àjààgbilà = fighting upon fighting 

5. Áàrún = túlétúlé = intruder

6. Ẹ̀kẹfàá = ọkọ ó mọ rere ṣe or arọ́kọríbı = bad seer

7. Èkeje = orí ọkọ ohun lo fàá = it is the head of her husband that makes her to be a seventh wife.

We are aware that an adage says; A problem known is a problem solved. Being aware of the consequences of every step or addition in marriage makes you wise and gives you a chance of positioning yourself as a centre of gravity to control al that might happen.

How can you achieve this? Apply the first verses that says;

Ìyí a yídó

Ká má mà yí ìkòkò 

Odó ni igi 

Ìkòkò l'amọ̀ 

Bí a bá yí ìkòkò 

Ní yìí a yódó

Inú alámọ̀ a bá jẹ́......

Translation;

The way we push-roll pounding wood

We should not push-roll a pot

Pounding mould is from wood

A pot is clay

If we push a pot

The same way we push odó

The potter will be very sad.....

Apply this in your family.

Men with many wives or intending men, do not compare women in your judgment. Study them and treat them with their specialization without excesses.

Finally and finally, a woman that was destined to be a second wife will never be a first wife. The one to be mid-life will never be last wife as a last wife will never be first wife.

In addition, somewomen, no matter how, if they are destined to always be first wife, wherever they go, they will be fist wife, even if they are already a mother. And a lady that is destined to be second wife, even if she is a single, she will end up marrying someone's husband.

Also, men that were not destined to get married to a virgin or pure single will end up marrying a mothers as their first. They may do whatever thereafter.

It is all about orí. If you fail to follow your Orí, you may remain single forever, moving from one man to another or not be able to conceive until you reach your destination.

Many singles are out there because they keep dragging it with their orí. You know yourself as you are reading, get ready to change for better and for the best of your life.

Ẹ gbé jẹ́ fún orí.

Your culture is rich, get closer to learn.

By Oriade Ìpọ̀sọ́lá Ajétẹ̀lú 

Source: www.agloglob.com

Just Powder On This

When they could have used Ayelala to prevent the step of stealing, they go setup EFCC and ICPC with money, in addition to the Police and DSS, then they put their friends in charge to go after those who don't want to cooperate in their stealing.

And all these they do through Jesus Christ and Mohammed our Lord!

Because Jesus and Mohammed forbids them bowing to Ayelala.

Why?

Ayelala kills thieves. The god of thieves will not want you to bow to Ayelala because Ayelala is its husband.

The African politician knows this, yet, because of what he will chop, he will keep quiet and be chopping money with them through Jesus Christ and Mohammed their lord.

How much does Ayelala request from you?

The truth.

Òtítọ́, omi alẹ̀ Ifẹ̀, awo tó mu nínú ẹ̀, kò wọ́pọ̀.

Truth, the Ifẹ̀ spring, few are they that drink from it.

What is expensive in our age is not a car, not a house, not anything money can buy, but Truth. That which does not cost money, that's the most expensive thing to buy right now. It's free, yet very few can afford it.ú

That's how poor we are, the human race.

Ayobami Ogedengbe

2021

DEAR WIFE...

1. If you want your husband to make love to you often, have a good attitude. No matter how sexy you look or dress, your husband will not find you attractive if you have a bad attitude.

2. If you want your husband to be eating with you, be pleasant to be around. No matter how tasty your food, it loses taste when being around you is stressful.

3. If you want your husband to be opening up to you sensitive and difficult information, learn to keep secrets and not to overreact. A man refrains from sharing too much when he is scared information will be leaked or be misinterpreted.

4. If you want your husband to be praying with you, stop acting as if your prayers are more powerful or you are closer to God than him. Allow your husband to pray his kind of way.

5. If you want your husband to be taking you out often, stop bringing drama and ruining dates with issues that should be dealt with at home. No man wants to go spend time and money at a venue where he will be emotionally drained.

6. If you want your husband to solve the issues in your marriage, stop seeing yourself as the angel and him the devil, stop attacking him or labelling him as "The agent the devil is using to ruin your marriage". See also your fault, show him you are on the same team and seek solutions, not finger pointing.

7. If you want your husband to come home early, be peaceful. The wife tends to own the home and so can easily make the husband keep off if she becomes harsh, uninviting and combative.

8. If you want your husband to be chatting with you and calling you up, be fun to talk to, make him miss you. If each time he calls you or chats you up it ends up with you starting a fight, reminding him of his wrongs or ordering him around he will avoid communication with you.

9. If you want your husband to receive your suggestions and corrections then speak to him with a tone of love. If you come at him shouting, dictating at him or manipulating him he will harden up.

10. If you want your husband to enjoy kissing you, then speak loving words, be gentle, be easy to talk to. Lips that speak words that hurt are not attractive to kiss.

11. If you want your husband to do more sweet, romantic and special things; appreciate the little he does and he will do more. Complaining never inspires a man to do better but appreciation does.

ACROSS THE AMERICAS, AMONG AFRICAN AMERICANS, CHRISTIANITY IS DOWN, ISLAM IS DOWN, AFRICAN SPIRITUALITY IS UP. AFRICAN ANCESTORS ARE VISITING AND INSPIRING. IS THERE A RESURRECTION OF A PEOPLE?

Below is culled from Femme d'Afrique magazine, September 2021 edition, Spirituality Section. It's quite long but I guess it might be an interesting read for some here.

Mamiwata Priestess, born Vanessa Leverne Perry, began her journey in African traditional spirituality in 1997. While on a trip to South Africa, in pursuit of a Ph. D. in African Psychology, she was directed, by a Sangoma, to search for her ancestral roots on the West Coast of Africa. One year later, she arrived on the shores of Benin, West Africa with two bottles of gin and gifts for the Supreme Chief of Vodun, at that time, Daagbo Hounon Houna. 

As a result, Mami traveled to Benin three times in 1998 (February, July, and December) where finally, in December 1998, she spent eight continuous years (1998-2006) on the continent before she again placed her feet upon American soil. Thus, her doctoral committee had to be disbanded. She had been captured by her ancestors and personal divinities. Destiny had brought her to Benin.

For those eight years she spent most of her time in initiation chambers in Benin, Togo, and Ghana. She found her paternal ancestry to be Agassou of the Fon tribe and her maternal ancestry of the Ashanti tribe of Ghana, West Africa. She was initiated into the pantheon of Mamiwata in 1999. 

Since her return to the United States, she has spent her time writing and teaching about African spirituality; in particular African Vodun. She continues her visits to Africa and is associated with one of the largest Mamiwata temples on the West Coast of Africa... Temple Behumbeza.

Mamiwata Priestess is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in African Studies and Research at Howard University, in Washington D.C. Her dissertation research is an investigation into what extent African Traditional Medicine can assist in the treatment of mental illness in African Americans.

PRIESTESS MAMIWATA

Q: How would you define African spirituality? Some practitioners of African spirituality say it is not a religion. They belong to the persons who make a difference between religion and spirituality. What is your opinion on those two issues?

A: Spirituality comes from within. Religion comes from without. A person on a spiritual journey is out to determine what is one’s purpose in this world or his/her destiny. One is trying to understand to what relation they are to the cosmos and nature itself. Thus, they began a journey of spiritual understanding. As they become more in tune to those spirits which are guiding them they are led to enlightenment which could or could not lead them to a particular religion, spiritual system or self-enlightenment. That is why African spirituality is not considered a religion per se. It is a spiritual journey of enlightenment and service to one’s personal divinities.

Q: Could you give us three elements distinguishing African spirituality from other spiritualities? 

A: African spirituality is a form of traditional spirituality; those that predate organized religions. It is simply the one practiced by Africans. As all others it is indigenous, holistic, and nature based.

Q: How did you come to African spirituality? 

A: I began a journey to where I searched for “self ” as well as wanting a closer relationship to the Divine. It led me back to my ancestors and embracement to their service to the spirits.

Q: One often hears about the ancestors’ central role in African spirituality and rituals. Could you please detail that role?

A: All that we are comes from our ancestors. We inherit those divinities that give us life from them. In some cases, we even inherit most of our physical traits and habits. So, it is through us that they are served once they pass over to the spiritual realm. Thus, when trouble comes, they are our first line of defense. If we serve them (through feeding them, caring for them and observe obedience to them) then they guide and make our journey smoother as we walk this earth.

Q: You are known as “Priestess Mamiwata”? Could you please explain your name and the title? How did you obtain that title? 

A: Mamiwata Priestess is not a title. It is a simple designation that I am a priestess of the pantheon of spirits called Mamiwata. I do not use my title. It is insignificant to my destiny of spiritual service to all those who come my way.

Q: You trace your ancestral and spiritual ancestry to the country of Benin in West Africa. How did you arrive at that destination? How did it change your life?

A: My ancestral pedigrees were revealed through African divination. My service to the ancestors and my personal divinities changed my life entirely. All that I do, whether it is a job or whatever, it is all done in support of one thing... my ancestors and personal divinities. My relationships with them have developed so fervently over the years that my service is now deeply based in love, obedience, and respect.

Q: You have gone through a long process of initiation in typical African spirituality, which is perhaps unique among African Americans. Could you please describe the main milestones of that process? 

A: In African Vodun initiations very well may continue throughout one’s life. It simply depends on the various spirits that choose to come into your life, and you decide to serve. But my initial initiations happened in an eight-year span, and I am far from finished. In that I may be unique. At this point in my life my spiritual father says I possess over 1,000 spirits. It is due to the spiritual work that I am destined to do. These spirits help me in that work.

Q: How could your initiation and your current position as Priestess Mamiwata help the African American community today?

A: I have been helping African Americans ever since I returned from Africa, in 2006, and started writing about African spirituality in 2007. One book, THY NAME IS VODUN, has been written and hundreds of essays to guide them in their pursuits of African spirituality. Many have visited our temple and come to know African spirituality through me as well as seminars given and talks.

Q: What is known about the spiritual life of the Africans under slavery in the USA? We sometimes hear that they kept their African spiritual life. Others say as they came mainly from West Africa, and Islam had reached that region centuries before the Atlantic slave trade, many of them practiced Islam. Then they are still others who say they converted to Christianity. What is the truth? What was those slaveowners’ and white society’s attitude regarding their spiritual life?

A: Much is known about the spiritual life of Africans under slavery. There is an abundance of research out there on the subject. But in a nutshell, the right to practice one’s indigenous spiritual systems from Africa were denied. Thus, those that continued to practice in secret did so with the threat of death upon their heads. Those in the United States basically converted to Christianity. Those in the Caribbean hid their traditional spiritual systems and the practice of them under the cloak of Catholicism. The simple truth is that the White people considered Africans to be heathens (those who did not know God) and that their duty was to convert them in order to save their souls.

Q: In his book “Awash in a sea of faith: Christianizing the American people”, Jon Butler used the phrase “African spiritual holocaust,” a metaphor to mean that Christianity and the conversion of African Americans to Christianity have decimated the diverse African traditional spiritual practices the slaves brought with them in America. Likewise, to mean the same fact, Albert Raboteau says the United States of America has killed “African gods.” He speaks of the “death of African God” on the American soil. How do you answer those two authors and their two phrases?

A: Well, due to conversion of so many to Christianity, it would seem that way on the surface. However, what none has understood is the power of the African ancestor. What they have begun to do is reach into the hearts and souls of those to whom they have chosen and put them on journeys of self-discovery; ones that has led many, like me, back to the ways of traditional Africa. Remember, spirituality comes from within, religion from without. Thus, the ancestors have chosen the spiritual route, one unseen by the human eye, to reconnect us.

Q: Usually, a religion or a spiritual systems is built on a dogmatic explanation of both the origin of humanity and the afterlife. What is your spiritual system’s or religion’s explanation of those two issues?

A: African Vodun simply upholds the reality that we are all born of spirits that come with us in birth to help us fulfill our destinies. And that in order to do so one must come to know these spirits, develop a relationship with them and allow them to guide us through obedience and respect. When our eyes close on this earth and we return to the spirit realm. Thus, we come from the spirit realm, and we rejoin it. Our time on earth is transitory. We come here to do a work or fulfill destiny.

Q: You are also a researcher about to complete your Ph. D. dissertation. How does that dissertation’s topic relate to current African Americans’ spiritual and religious life? How would you describe that life in its main components? How does that life impact the general well-being of African-Americans and their relation with the European Americans? 

A: My doctoral work specifically deals with African traditional medicine’s ability to heal mental illness in African Americans. I will know more when it is complete.

Q: Before embracing African spirituality, you were a Christian. Why did you reject Christianity?

A: I did not reject Christianity per se. It may be good for some but not for me. My prayer was to come to know God more intimately and to serve my fellow humans. It led me to African traditional spirituality, in particular, African Vodun the spiritual system of my ancestors.

Q: Many African Americans proclaim themselves Muslims or Christians. Some of them now claim atheism. If you had to attract to African spirituality a member of each of those three groups, what reasons would you put forward?

A: Those of us who serve the spirits are not evangelists. We simply help those who themselves are on their own spiritual journeys back to traditional Africa. As I do not know each person’s destiny whom they choose to serve is their prerogative. However, if I am asked specific questions about African spirituality I will attempt to answer to the best of my ability. But trying to convert people is not something that the spirits require us to do. The Europeans have done enough of that already. Anyone coming to the spirits will do so on their own through a process of self-discovery as I did.

Q: How do you see the spiritual future of African Americans?

A: As I do not know everyone’s destiny or ability to be led by the spirits I do not know. But what I do trust in is the divinities and their ability to call upon those to whom they choose.

Q: How do you see the spiritual future of Africans?

A: The same as above. I have no idea. My prayer is that many return to the traditional ways. But this world is not in my hands but of those of the spirits.

Q: What is your message to both African Americans and Africans in general? Particularly, what would you say to women of both populations?

A: Find your ancestors and personal divinities. Serve, honor, and obey them and they will give you the desires of your heart.

As we are preserving our culture, we should also preserve our generation!

Our boys whom we sent to the Universities to study are now living in hotels doing Yahoo, defrauding people. They are not studying. They are sorting. Bribing lecturers for pass. They only come into the campus with convoy once in a while to show off. Guess what? Some lecturers are even worshipping them. Our teenage sons are now driving Benz in the university. 

They are now the latest boys in campus. The houses our sons are living in the university are now flats and duplexes as against the self-contained we used to know. Well furnished and more beautiful compare to room of some state governors. Our sons are all married in the university but single at home. Girls crawl around them... living with them, cooking for them, doing all sort of things with them... These girls are our daughters whom we sent to the university to study. 

They are in every clubs and hotels....they are in every front cars, fastening seatbelt, snapping and moving their lips like DOGS. My recent research in Nigerian universities opened my eyes to the recent ugly reality. I wept for the future. These are teenagers not even adults. Guess what? We still see them as children who know nothing. 

 I don't want to mention names of hotels in IBADAN, LAGOS, IJEBU ODE, ABEOKUTA, AKURE, etc you will see your sons and daughters. They have been living there for months. Nobody is going to school. Who school help? Don't you get it? Those teenagers— boys and girls are abusing drugs. Not just igbo but cocaine and tramadols. I have boarded a vehicle with a young girl in AGO IWOYE who had some crack (cocaine) in her purse. 

Because she's too beautiful, police that stopped us to search didn't search her but searched us all. On the way, she brought it out, gently fix some into her nose and threw the little remaining substance through the window. I remained deaf and dumb until I got to my destination and paused, she paused; both of us paused. Who will save this generation who painfully are our tomorrow... 
 
As we are preserving our culture, we should also preserve our generation!

By Prof. Oludare Ogunlana

Tuesday 28 September 2021

VALUE ADDED WIFE (VAW)

Many people think that Jacob loved Rachael because she was beautiful.

Beauty only attracts a man to a woman but what determines his true love for a woman goes beyond beauty. Rachael was not just beautiful, she was industrious per excellent.

Why do we have a lot of beautiful ladies today yet no husband? Because beauty without value and virtue is like a smoke. What impressed and attracted Jacob to Rachael was her industriousness.

While her brothers and elder sister Leah were at home, Rachael singlehandedly brought her father's flock to the well. That was where Jacob met her for the first time. No sensible man can resist a woman who is beautiful and industrious.

What made a man worked for 7 years for the woman he loved and yet felt like he just worked for 7 days?

 ... VALUE!

My man doesn't respect me, is because you are not a Value-Added-Woman (VAW).

Do you realized that Jacob did not pay Leah's bride price? They gave him Leah as bonus. Because she has no value. This was why Jacob had no respect for her and her children, hence he set them as first entourage when he was going to meet his angry brother.

If you force yourself on a man, he may never respect you. If he got you cheaply, he will never respect you. If you are not adding value to his life, he will never respect you.

Even after marriage, Leah was begging and buying the attention of her own husband. Rachael was practically in control of Jacob.

Rachael was a shepherd in the midst of her siblings, a Profession meant for men. She was in control of her father's business. This was what glued Jacob to her. Gen 29:9 - Jacob was still talking with them when Rachel arrived with her father’s flock, for she was a Shepherd.

How can boys be in the house and a girl (last daughter of the house) be the one to tend her father's flocks and family business? Industriousness!

After Jacob slept with Leah, he still went for Rachael. Sex does not keep a man, value does!

Leah had 5 children, Rachael had none, yet Jacob still loved Rachael more than Leah. Having children is good but adding value is better.

Don't ever think you can pin a man down with children. If you like give him a nation, if you are not adding value to his life, he will walk away someday.

I'm pleading with our parents not to raise their daughters in a way they will be liability to a man. Make your daughter a shepherd before her Jacob arrives. Give her a source of livelihood before marriage. If you want her husband to respect her, give her quality education and hopeful future.

Don't train her merely because of the bride price you want to collect on her head. Laban wasted the bride price he took for his daughter. But he lived on the flock kept by his daughter even after she was married out.

This is why many men fall for their ugly hardworking housemaids than their beautiful housewives. We indirectly train our housemaids to be industrious while we train our daughters to be lazy and dependants. Future will tell.

Be a Value-Added-Woman.

Monday 27 September 2021

OONI RECEIVES THE COMPANY OF ASHE FOUNDATION

The Olofin Adimula of the World, Ọba Adeyeye Eniitan Ogunwusi Ojaja II, The Ooni of Ifẹ̀, on Monday, 27th September 2021 received the company of members of the African Sociocultural Harmony and Enlightenment Foundation, led by the Foundation's president, Prince Justice Faloye, who went on a courtesy visit to the king in his palace to felicitate with him on the occasion of Ọlọ́jọ́ festival.

The Paramount monarch who is also the Chairman of the Board of Trustees for ASHE Foundation commended the Foundation for its relentless efforts in uniting Original Africans through its Enlightenment programs and reaffirmed his unalloyed commitment to support ASHE's effort to reposition the dignity of the Black race in the global affairs. 

ASHE Foundation used the occasion to present a large pictorial frame that shows the image of the planets in our solar system and their Òrìṣà representations to the foremost Yoruba ruler. Some of the Òrìṣàs that featured in the diagram include  Ọ̀rúnmìlà which stands as the Sun, Èṣù as Mercury, Odùduwà as the Earth, Yemoja as the Moon, Obatala as Jupiter, Oya as Pluto, amongst others.

The gesture is a part of the continued effort of ASHE Foundation to push forward the knowledge of the global essences of our Òrìṣà pantheons in order to educate the public on the ancient African ancestors' understanding of the cosmos.

"A working knowledge of the global essences of our Òrìṣàs will go a long way in helping Ifá/Òrìṣà devotees to see their practice as not a merely local activity but one that has a standing in global reality", Prince Justice said.

According to the Ooni, the frame is going to be displayed in his personal Museum for his visitors to see for them to begin to understand the global scope of our local Òrìṣàs.

The distinguished monarch also said that he will commence the Obatala school upon rounding off the activities for the Ọlọ́jọ́ Festival. 

The Obatala Academy is an ASHE Foundation initiative which is an effort to create a school where adequate knowledge of the Ifá/Òrìṣà pantheon can be taught to African children in a modern Academic setting while at the same time the children would have access to contemporary education for holistic development. It is going to be the first of its kind in the world, and the Paramount ruler of the Yoruba people all over the world is committed to seeing it stand.

Reported by Ayobami Ogedengbe. 

Media & Publicity, ASHE Foundation.

Weekly Reflection

We are all cut from the same genetic cloth; there is no ladder defining the direction towards which to head; evolutionism & social darwinism are victorian obsolete, toxic and harmful ideologies at the origin of atrocities committed in the world; every culture is a survival strategy; not all cultures share the same standards, perception, aspirations, beliefs, ideas, intuitions but all are endowed with the same creative potential; we are all on the same boat, facing the same challenges but above all we share, in spite of very necessary differences [which make the world a more colorful place] the desire for the best for our families, loved ones, communities and nations,....If we do not learn our lessons & understand that what binds us together is much stronger that what separates us, there is no much hope.

Igi kan ko le da 'gbo se - A single tree does not make a forest.

In our differences lies our strength nor our weakness. We are the nations of Air, fire, water and Earth and as such we all should and therefore must learn from each other in order to attain greater heights of awareness, understanding, and wisdom; by refusing to, we become rigid, static, sterile, and stale [with all its implications]. We are collectively faced with the choice to either evolve [by producing structural changes (inner engineering) and redefining the relationships that we maintain with ourselves, others and Nature (as the entire web of life from which we are but more grains of sand in a vast desert)] or fall together as stated in the following proverb: aikowoorin ejo nii sek pa won lokookan - "snakes are easily killed because of their failure to operate as one (a group)".

Àsùwàdà Institute

Oluwo Fatoogun.

ANNUAL OLOJO FESTIVAL 2021

Theme:  

Eni bi ni ni a njo!!!

Yoruba Men &  Yoruba Nation.

History is a conscious witness to Yoruba Heritage of Valour.

Know the 12 lessons the Kiriji War which ended Yoruba Civil Wars taught the World.

"Irohinoodua presents to you today",

12 important lessons from the Yoruba Kiriji War which ended on September 23, 1886.

The Rules of War:

Yoruba did not fight like savages.

They demonstrated high level of civilization. 

Killing of Women and Children not allowed for instance.

The Kiriji War was fought without attacks on women and Children.

Though women were captured, they were never killed. Children were spared and it was a taboo to arrest or attack a pregnant woman.

This was long before the United Nations adopted the Convention on War.

Ceasefire Rules: There were rules of ceasefires.

On such occasions, General Latoosa who led the Ibadan and Ogedengbe who led Ekiti Parapo would visit the enemy camps without any incidence.

Execution of Generals:

During Kiriji War, Generals on both sides could not be looked at in the faces. When a senior military officer on both sides were captured, they were to be blindfolded. If the punishment was execution, the junior officers carrying out the execution must be blindfolded and must give salute to the General before execution.

Managing the Economy:

Though the War lasted for 16 years, the nations were never broke. None of them borrowed money to prosecute the very expensive war.

There was economic self sufficiency to the extent that the War did not record farming for the 16-year period.

Local Production of Military Hardwares:

There was mass production of military hardwares on both sides which included local rifles and explosives.

There was a ballistic expert from Okemesi who manufactured explosives used during the war under the careful supervision of General Fabunmi.

Import of  Hardwares:

The war had international dimension.

The King of England for instance was so impressed by Ogedengbe Military Tactics that he wrote to him inviting him for a State Visit. Ogedengbe declined.

He said he was busy with State Matters.

The King sent his picture which remains in the home of Ogedengbe unto this day.

Ekitiparapo imported Military weapons from Hamburg, Germany to prosecute the war.

No fewer than 10,000 rifles were imported from Germany by Ekitiparapo while Ibadan was noted for importing thousands of weapons.

Secret Service: The Kiriji War had secret service section on both sides.

Ibadan were exceptional in Secret Service to the extent that they employed beautiful girls that married Ekiti Parapo Generals but later escaped to reveal their secrets to Ibadan High Command. Ilara Mokin in Ondo State was the head quarters of the Kiriji Secret Service and the cite has an iron buried mysteriously in a rock until this day.

Intensive Training: 

There was intensive training on infantry, night attacks, ambush, retreat and attack tactics.

Most of the training manual were sourced from the study of animals.

For instance when a bevy of birds fly skywards, it was an indication the enemy from distance was near, when a buffalo ran aggressively, it showed the enemy was from far off was advancing, rapid slow movement of elephants indicated the enemy was heavily armed, the particular song of parrots gave different indications, among others.

Large Military Operations:

No fewer than 400,000 soldiers took part in the military expedition on both sides, more than the number of Nigerian soldiers of today put together. All of them were armed.

Nigerian False Federalism:

The artefact of the war were largely kept by the Federal Government unto this day, including the uniforms of General Ogedengbe and several of his military weapons imported from Germany.

These were taken from the Western Region under the military and kept in Federal Government Museum. 

These items of inestimable value should be returned to the South West.

Military Communication: Eventhough there were no telephones, the Kiriji military high command on both sides developed Military Codes and Military Communications.

Fabunmi for instance wrote letters on a piece of sand to Ogedengbe while Ogedengbe did the same as they shared information on war progress during the conflict.

British Invasion: When the British came to Yoruba Nation, the war was fierce. Some Britons were captured who came as spies or suspected to be so.

If not for the division in Yorubaland caused by the war, the British could not have been able to defeat Yoruba nation with some 400,000 heavily armed soldiers.

The British desperately wanted ceasefire to enable them to penetrate Yorubaland.

The move for ceasefire began among the Yoruba leaders, the British only came to help move it forward.

Yoruba Are no Cowards:

Yoruba has a rich history of military expedition.

The average Yoruba person is from the family of a war-hero.

It is naïve and irresponsible assumptions to think Yoruba people are cowards who cannot defend their homeland. 

History is a conscious witness to our heritage of valour.

Article by Erelu Tunwase  - for the purpose of The Global Network of African Yoruba Peoples of Oodua - To mark Annual Olojo Celebration, of today.

Saturday 25th September 2021

THE BEST WAY TO SOLVE AFRICA'S PROBLEMS

Africa needs infrastructure, Africa needs development, but the truth is that if we call on the Europeans to build Africa's Infrastructure, Africa will be owned by Europe; and if we call on the Chinese to develop Africa, Africa will become a Chinese Colony.

It is only when the Africans build and develop Africa by themselves then Africa can be owned by the Africans. Our development must reflect in our needs and our capabilities and not the master craft or capitals of others.

We must remember that development is a process; it is not a product that can be bought and be given to a society. This also means that anytime we call on others to develop our society for us, we deny ourselves, the opportunity of the process of learning and the opportunity of creating and accumulating capital in our society.

This is because while we build our own development, we gain experiences by doing it and the process of developing also helps us to build capital that are kept in the economy for maintenance and further development in other sectors. But, what happens when the development is done by outsiders? They go away with the skills and the financial capital, leaving our economy in a hollow state.

The the government of the African Continental Unity Party - ACUP will support and develop local capacities and use the African skills and ingenuity to develop Africa. This agenda will ensure that everyone, including you, will become useful in the development process of our continent and none will be unemployed as long as you are capable of, and willing to work.

Copyright: © 2021

2023: For Hakeem Baba-Ahmed

Monday Lines

Alhaji Baba Ahmed, a Mauritanian cow seller, plied his trade from his country to the Gold Coast (now Ghana) and to Dahomey (now Benin Republic). Business was very good but at a point, his customers in Dahomey, with impunity, refused to pay for his cows. Is it not the law that every seller must collect the proceeds of his sale? This was not the case with the cow seller who was not a son-of-the-soil in Dahomey. The options before him were very limited. My people say if the landlord offends the tenant, it is the tenant who must go; again, if it is the tenant who has wronged the landlord, it is still the tenant who must go. This trader from Mauritania had to move out of Dahomey, leaving his money behind. And he moved, crossing over to Nigeria; first to Sokoto and later to Zaria. He entered Nigeria all alone but soon found Zaria a very conducive environment for his business, for his Islamic scholarship and for raising a family (See Daily Trust of Saturday, January 13, 2018). The Mauritanian finally settled in Zaria around 1920 - that was about 100 years ago - and died on November 5, 1987 in Zaria, reportedly at the age of 104 (see Facebook post of Abdulrahman M. Baba-Ahmed of 9 July, 2021).

Alhaji Baba Ahmed loved all and was much loved by all around him. He prospered in Zaria, Nigeria, had 33 children - and got all soundly educated. One of the 33 children of that Mauritanian businessman is Dr. Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, spokesman of the Northern Elders Forum (NEF) who spoke down to the entire southern Nigerian people last week. What did the south do to him? Because southern governors met in Enugu days earlier and demanded that the next president of Nigeria must come from the south, Hakeem, mouthpiece of the north, came out, emitting fire. The son of the Mauritanian immigrant shouted down the south and its 17 governors and boasted that his north had enough votes to defeat them and produce the next president. “We will lead Nigeria the way we have led Nigeria before. Whether we are president or vice-president, we will lead Nigeria. We have the majority of the votes and democracy says vote whom you want. Why should we accept a second class position when we know we can buy a form and contest for first class and we will win?," he was heard saying so on television and in viral video clips. He said more: "If they don't like the fact that it is a northerner who may emerge as the next president, too bad..."

I feel that was rather crude - and rude. Is it no longer the case that a guest does not break the dishes of his host? I am from the south of Nigeria and I feel hurt and insulted by what Baba-Ahmed said of my people. If you say you won't ever play second in a game of two supposed equals then who will? Baba-Ahmed's father was not an indigenous Nigerian but so was Joseph in the holy books. He was not an Egyptian yet he ended up as Prime Minister of Egypt. But could Joseph have achieved that lofty height and lasted in grace by spitting in the face of those who prepared the grounds for his ascendancy? If a first-generation northern Nigerian was that audacious and so condescending in talking to the south, I wonder what those whose fathers' placentas were buried in the soil of Nigeria would do. Ethnic converts are like religious converts in zealotry. They swim in extremism. Remember Enoch, the "proud, zealous, and belligerent" Christian convert in Achebe's Things Fall Apart. Remember, how, with his mouth, he serially provokes violent clashes with 'the other side' - his own south. And, remember that with his belligerence, he rips apart the mask of the sacred Egwugwu finally putting a knife on the things that hold his land together. That is the import of that insult from Baba-Ahmed.

Even if the south were his cows' grazing ground, it should still get some measure of respect. Baba-Ahmed spoke to a south he took as his inheritance, a vast land of slaves. A carpenter thinks always of hammer and nails and there is an eternal connection between the earth and its fruits. The taproot of this talker is Mauritania, the very last country in the world to officially outlaw slavery. It did so as late as 1981 - 40 years ago. Even then, there are still castes of generational slaves in that country. The fair-skinned there are freeborn; the dark-complexioned are serfs. They are still there. The way Hakeem spoke against the south and the applause he got from his ABU, Zaria audience could only mean that he and his people thought (and think) the south is a camp of bondsmen and women; an enclave of enlightened slaves - with no useful votes; a band of hapless states whose governors are second class. The north holds the hammer of incumbency, and they will do anything with it. The people Hakeem Baba-Ahmed speaks for see the south and its loud denunciation of Nigeria's current structure as impudent nails that must be hammered down. And they are hammering and breaking the nails one by one. I heard Baba-Ahmed say something like 'we' will produce the next president then let's see what 'they' will do. Whenever I hear that kind of fire-rhetoric, I look at the chirping bird and the branch on which it stands. How about you produce your president, and I produce mine? Something like nail driving out nail as said by Desiderius Erasmus. But whose purpose will that anarchy serve?

If Nigeria burns, descendants of the Mauritanian have Mauritania to relocate to. They are citizens by descent under that country's laws. Mauritania's Nationality Code of June 12, 1961 says any child "at least one of whose parents is a citizen of Mauritania, regardless of the child's country of birth" is a citizen by descent. Their old man died 34 years ago, yet the road to Mauritania has remained a familiar terrain for his surviving children. On Saturday April 17 this year (2021), Hakeem Baba-Ahmed with his brothers and sister and uncles had a family get-together in Nouakchott, Mauritania (see his Facebook post made on 18 April, 2021). That is the man threatening fire unless 'his north' has its way in Nigeria's 2023 and at all times. When a man that has more than one home stirs trouble, the Yoruba have for him a saying: Asa o naani a nkun'gbe, igi da, eye oko fo lo (Kite does not care if the bush burns; when the tree falls, the bird flies away).

Now, let us look again at the words of the kite: “We will lead Nigeria the way we have led Nigeria before. Whether we are president or vice-president, we will lead Nigeria." If you boast that you have led Nigeria all the time, including when all you had was Vice President, and the nation is this down and out, what does that tell you about your score? You failed; you are a failure. And do you think any sane people would put their future in care of such castes of failure? We go to his next sentence: "We have the majority of the votes and democracy says vote whom you want." Baba-Ahmed's north is so proud of its Almajirai population buoyed by ceaseless streams of illegal immigrants. Beyond using the overcrowded households to vote on election days, what else has been the benefit of that 'majority' to Nigeria? Omo beere, osi beere (many children, much misery). Every Yoruba child is taught that sense very early in primary one. If you can't feed them, don't birth them. Beggars give birth to beggars who also give birth to beggars on the streets of Lagos and Ibadan. They are there as I write; they procreate every minute and suffer generational misery. They are northerners without the care and empathy of northern elders. What excites their strange elders are the next elections and the veins of gold in their vaults. There should be no pride in birthing a pack of millions without skills beyond the menial and mendicancy. You hatch them in billions and load them in open trucks for your southern neighbours to house and feed and you mount the mountains now to proclaim your supremacy over that same south! Shamelessness has no better definition.

It is strange and surprising that Baba-Ahmed's north still think southern agitation and restiveness are about posts and positions. No. That was the case years ago. The spirit roaming the streets of southern Nigeria today is not about Nigerian presidency or about who sits in there. It is about how to escape the north and its curse. They call it restructuring. The experience of recent years has told the south that having even a southern president won't ever make any positive difference. Baba-Ahmed confirmed exactly that in his impudent statement. He said on the very few times when the north did not have the president, it was still the captain of the ship. Or what else did he mean by: “We will lead Nigeria the way we have led Nigeria before. Whether we are president or vice-president, we will lead Nigeria." He added forcefully that a southerner would be supported only if the person would serve the north's interest.

When a sheep says it wants to grow horns, it should be prepared to have its ears cut off. Baba-Ahmed's Mauritanian people have some other interesting proverbs which should have guided his lips. They say: "He who begins a conversation does not foresee the end." They also warn that "one must talk little and listen a lot." And this one: "He who wears too fine clothes shall go about in rags." That is rather deep! Now, apart from its production, harvest and circulation of terrorism, banditry, mass death and mass misery, what has the north achieved for itself and for Nigeria with its decades of being in power? If you spit in your partner's face and tell him it is saliva then you are bold. But you can't do that and forbid a reaction from the assaulted. Nigeria's case now borders on the insane; it is the folkloric Omoye who has entered the market stark naked. When you listen again and again to Baba-Ahmed and you remember that this is a highly educated man who was even at a time the secretary of our electoral commission, you conclude that Nigeria's ailment is truly beyond cure. But if you are right behind someone on a journey and you discover that the person does not behave normal, what do you do? You retrace your steps without letting him hear your footfall. The southern vibes and vibrations are exactly about that.

By Lasisi Olagunju

(Published in the Nigerian Tribune on Monday, 27 September, 2021).

70% OF TOXINS ARE RELEASED SIMPLY BY BREATHING PROPERLY

Breathe in. Breathe out. We do this all day, every day without a thought. Ask yourself this- when was the last time you took a deep breath?

Probably not as frequently as you think. I would venture to say only a few times a day. 

But did you know that deep breathing is one of our easiest, most convenient, and natural tools to combat issues like stress and anxiety, reduce pain, high blood pressure and even aid in digestion?

Deep breathing should be slow and gentle. Remember to fill the abdomen, not just the chest. A simple way to make sure you are doing this is to place one hand on your stomach and one on your chest.

Breath deeply and make sure your hand on your stomach is rising. Try to be aware of your breath, heartbeat and to release tension from your body. Sometimes it’s easier to lie down or sit comfortably in a chair.

By YogaLap.com


ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE E-NAIRA SET TO BE LAUNCHED ON OCTOBER 1,2021 BY CBN

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) is set to launch the eNaira on October the 1st. Let us take a closer look at the eNaira, what it means for you, and how you can position to take advantage of its launch.

What is the e-Naira?

The e-Naira will be a digit representative of the paper Naira currency issued by the Central Bank of Nigeria. The eNaira will be a “complementary” legal tender in Nigeria, having the same exchange value as the Naira, and maintain a “parity of value” with the Naira. The e-Naira will not earn any interest to holders. The e-Naira is built on a blockchain open ledger technology. Creating the eNaira on the blockchain means you cannot have a duplicate or fake eNaira. Each eNaira note will be unique.

Is the e-Naira a Stablecoin?

A stable coin is a cryptocurrency backed by reserves. The keyword is reserves, but what kind of reserves? Stable coins are backed by holding an equal equivalent of FIAT money like the US dollar. FIAT means government-issued but usually not backed by any commodity, e.g., gold. Thus a stable coin like USDT is tied to a currency, the US dollar, and maintains a stable exchange value. Note, stable, not immovable. The eNaira technically is linked to the FIAT Naira, but is the Naira stable? Well, not exactly. To be a stablecoin, the eNaira has to be tied to a currency like the US Dollar or Euro or even the Yuan.

How safe is the e-Naira?

Think of the e-Naira in this way; you want to send N100 to an uncle in a remote village without a bank branch. A common practice is to buy mobile phone recharge cards of that value, load them to your phone, and text your uncle. Your uncle can then go to any phone card retailer and discount his N100 mobile phone credit for N95. The mobile retailer can redeem the call credits and pay cash because he trusts the person doing the exchange; however, he cannot tell if the mobile numbers are real.

The eNaira is designed to solve this verification risk by assuring all holders that each eNaira is a valid token. This authenticity is achieved by building the eNaira on the blockchain. Thus instead of buying phone credits, I will debit my bank account for N100, convert to eNaira, and transfer it to my uncle. My uncle can spend the funds directly from his phone or transfer and get cash. Every retailer is more likely to accept the eNaira because it can’t be easily faked.

How will I get the e-Naira?

The CBN has planned a rollout in a tiered manner; first, it will issue the e-Naira, to financial institutions like banks. Your bank will then retail the e-Naira to you. If your transaction value is less than N50,000 a day, you don’t need a bank account to get the eNaira; you can use a NIN verified phone number to buy eNaira. If you want to withdraw more than N50,000 but up to the daily limit of N1 million, then you will need a BVN in addition to a NIN verified phone number. The CBN has very strict ‘Know Your Customers” protocols for this process, the aim being to assure all retailers of the safety and utility of the eNaira.

Why should I use the e-Naira?

The eNaira has a low-cost advantage when compared to FIAT. The daily transfers between accounts are at no cost to the holder of the account. Lower transaction cost is a massive incentive as traders will pay no fees for withdrawals and deposits to and from their bank account. No transaction fees reduce the cost of commerce while improving safety.

How will dollar remittance to e-Naira work?

The e-Naira will be integrated into the CBN’s forex process, and this is to make it easier to receive remittances to Nigeria. These transfers could be from the CBN crediting e-Naira directly to the International Money Transfer Organisation (IMTO). A Nigerian abroad sending $100 to his uncle can debit his US bank account and credit $100 to an IMTO, who will buy eNaira from their corresponding Nigerian bank. The $100 is converted to e-Naira instantly at a far lower transfer fee which is a real benefit and a significant advantage the e-Naira will enjoy.

What about inflation?

The street definition of inflation is too much cash chasing too few goods; however, not all inflation is this simple. Coins in Nigeria are scarce; thus, most merchants round up their prices to match with available currency, usually notes. This rounding up induces an artificial rise in prices because any cost-push does not cause the price hike but other factors, for example, selling eggs for N100 instead of N88. With the e-Naira, it becomes possible to transfer the exact cash price in the marketplace, especially in rural areas. This reduces the possibility of “round-up inflation.”

The e-Naira can be the ECOWAS currency:

The e-Naira can be used by any two parties who can credit a Nigerian banking institution with corresponding currency. This means a trader banking with UBA in Burkina Faso can settle his import bills from the Gambia using e-Naira. This will be the next level of the rollout. The financial institutions and FINTECH start to build out an ecosystem with eNaira as the base product.

The e-Naira helps the financially excluded:

The e-Naira will also bring in the vast majority of the unbanked Nigerians who have no bank account but have a phone into the formal financial economy. With the e-Naira, salary payments and payments for goods and services can be concluded. A plumber can accept payments on his phone, store them in his wallet, and make transactions with any vendor.

What are the risks?

Data security. The e-Naira is online, the BVN and NIN information is also online, the risk of malicious actors attempting to hack or gain access to the data is very low. The process of minting and burning eNaira tokens by the CBN has to be top-notch.

Overall, it’s a plus to the society, with lower costs, and higher productivity.

US Dollar vs NIG Naira: The Real Issues

1. Appreciation and depreciation of currency is not related to race or color or who is the president be it Hausa Igbo or Yoruba. It is basically about production of goods and services and the demand of your products in the world market. A confused country that produces almost nothing will never meet up, policies only control your currency not the value of another countries currency against yours.

2. A country where over 500 industries died within 30 years must be stupid to complain of depreciation of her currency. We keep killing local industries and expect policies to make it up, it's a joke sir. Don't use China as an example if depreciating currencies and strong economy, China produces and may attract more export with that strategy unlike Nigeria that produces nothing.

3. A country where someone carried $2+billion simply to be shared is already a doomed one in terms of monetary policy and value. A country that produces Dizeani and Bafarawa who spent billion to appease demons. Those money without economic value is an economic poison injected into the system.

4. A country that favours importation over local production is doomed because it creates employment for another country while sacking her own citizens. Some people are working in Michelin and Dunlop somewhere, yet we use the tyre here. Don't tell me principle of comparative advantage here, it's not applicable.

5. A country that exports all raw materials without adding value is shameless to talk of depreciation of currency, to later re-import finished products of that materials is the peak of daftness. A bag of cocoa will go for like N1 million naira but when it is processed it will worth around N7million.  Even farmers who produced raw cocoa can't buy chocolate.

6. A country that deliberately operate banking system that gives loans to importers at the expense of local industries is doomed and should say nothing about depreciation. Most of the loans are given to senators and representatives not industrialists.

7. A country that give loans in billions to agric sector without monitoring & evaluation of such loan on how it gets to the real farmers is a sham. A guy collected over N2 billion agric loan, he bought a jeep, built a nice house and use the rest to import processed pork. Meanwhile, local pork farmers are dying here. Is that not a double tragedy, stressing forex at the same time killing local industries.

8. A country that spend more on few privileged politicians at the cost of the populace who are unemployed should not talk about money depreciation. A country that keeps paying NNPC staff N10 billion as salaries every month when a single drop of petrol was not processed shout shut up about depreciation of currency. Crime is rising as value added to the initial failure.

9. A country where it is difficult for investors to register businesses because of the governent officials demanding for bribe. Right from airport, to hotel, to minister to governors investors will bribe, all these are part of cost of investment. A friend brought investor on estate development just for the state commissioner in charge to demand 30% of the investment. To see the governor in a state will cost you N2 million as bribe before you can be scheduled. This is a state as poor as anything.

10. A country where the cost of travelling for treatment abroad by officials will build world class hospitals should not talk about naira against dollar parity. Money taken to that trip is part of stress on forex. Same as forex spend on pilgrimage, let religion fanatics keep off me here. Without going to Mecca or Jerusalem you can still make heaven. You waste forex on pilgrimage to later be talking rubbish about forex.

11. A country where few people have access to federal reserve and those few can get loans are not because of what they can produce but the connection they have, is that country not  gone already?

12. A country where we import what we produce because it's cheaper over there is gone.

13. A country that has arable land, teaming idle youths and still complain of hunger should not talk about currency depreciation. It's annoying.

14. A country where free money flows can never control inflow and outflow of forex. Imagine someone who wants to hide his loot went to Aboki to buy dollars worth $50 million just to hide it in the basement of his house. That money has no economic value yet it deprived those companies that need it to import raw materials, those companies go to Aboki to buy at exorbitant price.

15. A country where a strong bank owners can influence shares from within Stock Exchange room to inflate their shares worth from N20 to N150, crash the same share to N30 and ready to buy it back at N28 all within a year. Forget it, currency will never appreciate in such economy.

6. A country where banks are involved in round tripping and inflated cost to siphon money is doomed.  A company wants to import caterpillar worths $50,000. A bank made the forex $550,000j meanwhile no caterpillar was imported at last yet the money faded into private accounts. Who strain forex in that case?

By Dr Oni Gbolabo

Sunday 26 September 2021

All of us have our roles in the divine agenda

1. The Children of Ogun : They lead war and technology.

2. The Children of Sango : They lead the justice charge. 

3. The Children of Obatala : They lead the philosophical/religious order charge.

4. The Children of Osun : They lead the medicine, women and children protection charge.

5. The Children of Èṣù : They lead the information dispensation charge (CIA).

6. The Children of Ọ̀rúnmìlà : They lead the education, social organization and spiritual charge.

7. The Children of Eyenla : They are the protectors of the realm, the guardians of all the forces.

This is the beauty of African spirituality. 

Africans will be liberated when they KNOW themselves. 

There is no liberation for a nation that neglects its spirituality and doesn't understand it.

Many people think that Yoruba spirituality is all about doing spells and charms, no! 

Our spirituality is the core of our being. 

The Òrìṣàs are a reflection of who we are and their character traits are what we all carry. 

It is what Olódùmarè has deposited into each of us to create a harmonious world.

Without proper understanding of who we are we will keep moving from problem to problem. 

After we finish dealing with Fulani, we will start looking for something else to blame. 

The real problem is that we are out of connection with our Source, the Fountain... Isese!

We don't know ourselves so we are disorientated. 

It is in our frantic search for meaning that we look for culprits to blame for the emptiness we feel within. If we are not blaming our government, we are blaming another tribe or another race.

Leave lapalapa and treat the leprosy.

-Awo Owonrin -Pota

Ase... Titilare Omololu

How is the Bible and the Koran not considered Idols, but Ifá is considered an Idol?

The Bible is the final authority for the belief of the Christian. The Koran is the final authority for the belief of the Muslim, the Ifá is the final authority for the belief of the Onifa.

The misconception comes, I believe, from not being able to separate IFÁ: The Word from IFÁ: The Icon (The Ikin). Ifá is the scripture of the Onifa, while Ikin Ifá is the physical conduit through which the living word Ifá can be summoned (opened) concerning a particular situation. IFÁ is the mind of Olódùmare which is ever living and ever active. It remains the same as it has been from the beginning of Olódùmarè (if Olódùmarè has a beginning) and it will remain so unending (in the belief that Olódùmarè cannot end). To know Olódùmarè's mind concerning a matter, the process of Idafa is done through the sounding of the Ikin. Ifá can be referenced anytime for sermons or admonition purposes.

The one who believes in the Bible is called a Christian, the one who believes in the Koran is called a Muslim, these two people are regarded as Worshiping the creator God but the one who believes in Ifá is called an Idol worshipper by these two sects. Why?

This is one of the evidence of misinformation.

The Christian Bible believers believe in Jehovah/Yahweh as the Creator God, the Muslim Koran believers believe in Allah as the creator God, both of these sects have a mutual respect for each other as serving the same God in different ways but their disposition changes when it comes to the Ifá believers who believe Olódùmarè as revealed in Ifá as the creator God.

The Christians believe that Jesus christ is the one who brought the message of the creator God, the Muslims believe that Mohammed is the one who brought the message of the creator God, the Onifa believes that it is Ọ̀rúnmìlà and other Irunmoles who brought the message of the creator God.

One evidence of misinformation or should I say deliberate dishonesty on the part of these two sects is that both of them acknowledge Olódùmarè as the creator God. The Christians especially, use this name in their praises of the Bible God but they do not acknowledge that the name Olódùmarè as attributed to the creator God was from the Odu of Ifá and not a translation of any concept from their own Bible. They picked the name Olódùmarè to use but ignore the revelator of the said name which is Ọ̀rúnmìlà and the source which is Ifá.

It can be understandable if over the years there are young Christians and Muslims of Yoruba extractions who do not know these things that I have written up here, but in this information age, efforts must be made at correcting these notions in order to promote peaceful coexistence as well as guarantee religious liberty to the Onifa who would love to worship Olódùmarè through Ifá without having to deal with the stigmatization that comes with this unfortunate misinformation that paints an Onifa as one who worships a lesser God.

OLÓDÙMARÈ is the Creator God in Ifá, the worship and all rites performed to the Irunmoles by the Onifa are sanctioned by Olódùmarè. This should be understood and respected by all.

By Ayobami Ogedengbe.

Remembering Moremi Ajasoro

History is replete with women of valour who not only towered head and shoulders over the men of their own time and age but who also left their imprints in the sand of time. Having attained the status of demi-gods, such women, in some cases, are worshipped till date by devotees. Statues stand in their recognition, keeping their memories alive while History books continue to recall their heroic acts. Scriptures record outstanding women like Prophetess Deborah, wife of Lapidoth. Where men feared to tread, Deborah led the army of Israel to defeat Sisera and deliver Israel from the oppression of Jabin, king of Canaan. Ruth, through her self-sacrificing service, devotion and faithfulness to what she considered as her manifest destiny, unwittingly wrote her name into the lineage of Jesus Christ. Queen Esther of the “If I perish, I perish” fame took upon herself an unimaginable risk in the desperate effort to save her Jewish people from looming peril. These were women of uncommon courage and devotion to duty who put others before self and the common cause above selfish interests!

The exploits of the Amazons, the women warriors of old Dahomey Kingdom, remain indelible in living memory.  They were an all-female military regiment of the Kingdom of Dahomey which existed until 1904. A frontline military unit formed during Queen Hangbe's rule, the Amazons’ history traces as far back as the 17th century, and theories suggest they started as a corps of elephant hunters who impressed the Dahomey king with their skills while their husbands were away fighting other tribes. From the time of King Houegbadja's son, King Agaja, who reigned from 1708 – 1732, the Dahomey Amazons were established as bodyguards armed with muskets and were used as militia to defeat neighbouring kingdoms. Whether conquering neighbouring tribes or resisting European forces, the Amazons were known for their fearlessness. In one of the final battles against the French in 1892 before the kingdom became a French colony, it is said that only 17 out of 434 Amazons came back alive.

What of the legendary Queen Amina of Zaria? Commonly known as the warrior queen, Amina was the first woman to become the Sarauniya (queen) in a male-dominated society. She expanded the territory of the Hausa people to its largest borders in history. Although no one is sure of the exact dates of her birth and death (1533 – 1610 ?), Amina, it is believed, was born in the middle of the sixteenth century to King Nikatau, the 22nd ruler of Zazzau, and Queen Bakwa Turunku and ruled between 1536 and 1566. She had a younger sister named Zaria, after whom the modern city of Zaria (Kaduna State) was renamed by the British in the early twentieth century. Were the dead able to look back, Queen Amina will weep in her grave to behold what has become of the Hausa kingdom she laboured hard to build.

The Benin (Bini) Empire boasts a plethora of great women of valour in the likes of Emotan of Benin, Queen Idia, and Queen Iden. Emotan (born between 1380 and 1400 ?) traded in foodstuffs around the Oba Market in the ancient Benin kingdom during the reign of the usurper, Oba Uwaifiokun, and his elder brother and rightful heir to the throne, Prince Ogun, who later took the name "Oba Ewuare the Great" after becoming the Oba of Benin. Emotan is credited with having helped Prince Ogun to retrieve his usurped throne from Uwaifiokun. For this, her charity works, and many other valiant acts, Emotan was decorated as “conscience of justice” and in 1950, a life-size bronze statue was erected in her honour in Benin.

Queen Idia was the mother of Esigie, the Oba of Benin who ruled from 1504 to 1550. She played a very significant role in the rise and reign of her son, being described as a great warrior who fought relentlessly before and during her son's reign. Queen Iden is yet another heroine whose sacrifice helped shape the Benin Kingdom. Queen during the reign of Oba Ewuape in about 1700 AD, she is known to have volunteered herself as a sacrificial lamb for the welfare of her husband and that of the entire kingdom.

The Yoruba are not without their own equivalent of Emotan, Amina, Idia or Iden. Take, for example, Bilikisu Sungbo: According to oral history, 'Sungbo' was an Ijebu noblewoman named Oloye Bilikisu Sungbo who was actually the biblical  Queen of Sheba. A wealthy and industrious widow who was greatly revered by her people, Oloye Bilikisu Sungbo built Sungbo Eredo, a massive monument second only to the Great Wall of China, as a personal memorial.

In “History rediscovered: Sungbo’s Eredo, Nigeria’s lost Yoruba kingdom”, Michael Driver had this to say: In Nigeria, Africa’s largest monument is having a   renaissance, as locals and tourists revisit the ancient ruins that lay undiscovered for centuries. Second in size only to the Great Wall of China, Sungbo’s Eredo in Ijebu-Ode is a staggeringly impressive hand-built system of defence walls dating back to around the year 1,000 and located just an hour’s drive from Lagos.

"The name ‘Sungbo’ is attributed to an Ijebu noblewoman named Oloye Bilikisu Sungbo who, as legend has it, was actually the Queen of Sheba according to biblical and Quranic accounts. A wealthy and industrious widow who was greatly revered by her people, Oloye Bilikisu Sungbo built this monument as a personal memorial. It is located in close proximity to her grave in Oke-Eiri, a town north of the Eredo which pilgrims continue to visit to this day. As historian Ed Emeka Keazor observes, Oloye Bilikisu Sungbo essentially ordered this to be built as a monument to her greatness because she was childless and, in traditional society, a child is seen to be the ultimate preservation of your legacy. Because she didn’t have a child, she wanted something built as a reminder of her stature as an accomplished woman.

“It is a site that elicits both mystery and curiosity since its discovery in 1999 by the late British archaeologist, Dr Patrick Darling. Since then, much attention and debate has centred around its existence and, indeed, its purpose... Darling estimated that Sungbo’s Eredo ‘covers 2,500 square miles (6,475 Square kilometres) and consists of more than 500 interconnected communal enclosures and that most of the complex was built progressively over a 450-650-year period – from between AD 800 and 1000 up until the late 15th century, when much of the area was conquered by the Benin Empire’. It is also suggested that the wall system not only served as a defence mechanism but was built as a way to unify an area of diverse communities into a single kingdom. Sungbo’s Eredo consists of a 10,000-mile-long (16,000-kilometre) series of ramparts naturally camouflaged by patches of moss and partly concealed within the rainforests of the region.

“Carbon-dating suggests the monument is over a thousand years old...Sungbo’s Eredo mirrors the construction process of similar defence systems found in Nigeria, including the ancient walls of Ilé-Ifẹ̀, Ilesa and the infamous Benin Walls (called 'Iya' in the Benin language). The latter was, at one time, the largest man-made structure in the world, with 6,500-kilometres of ramparts ranging in size from shallow trenches to gigantic 20-metre (65-feet)-high walls once surrounding ancient Benin City. Even though Sungbo’s Eredo has been listed as a UNESCO Heritage site since 1 November 1995, it is still not on the radar for many history-lovers, or even to be widely visited by Nigerians. The site is a testament to the early engineering innovation of an indigenous population and speaks of one woman’s legacy, vision, prowess and ambition that have stood the test of time. A pre-colonial architectural and engineering feat... The best time to visit Sungbo’s Eredo is during the dry season and, as the trail leads deep into the forest, loose, comfortable clothing and walking boots are recommended. Avoid visiting during Easter-time, as this is when pilgrims flock to the area to pay tribute to Bilikisu Sungbo. Hiring a tour guide is essential as the Eredo is virtually impossible to discover without the aid of someone who knows it well”.

I wouldn't know why the author chose to describe the Benin Walls as “infamous” but I grew up learning that my native Owo had similar defensive walls and moats called “iyara”. Owo and Benin share a lot of historical and cultural affinity. But perhaps the best known and the most venerated Yoruba heroine is Moremi Ajasoro. Moremi was a legendary Yoruba queen and folk heroine famed to have led the liberation of the Yoruba kingdom of Ife from the neighbouring Ugbo Kingdom. Married to Oranmiyan, the son of Oduduwa, the first king of Ife, Moremi lived in the 12th century; she hailed from Offa in present-day Kwara South Senatorial District. I visited her shrine at Offa decades back when I was in the town to interview Chief JS Olawoyin, one of the “old reliables” who stood with Awo like the wall of Gibraltar.

Moremi’s iconic statue towers at Ile-Ife as a memorial to her votive sacrifice to save her people from annihilation. She willingly surrendered to the invaders of her people, got married to the enemy king, and seized the opportunity to discover the so-called “Forest People’s” military strategy. She thereafter escaped and returned to Ife to reveal that secret to the Ile-Ife people. Moremi is also reputed to have paid the heart-wrenching vow she made to the gods for success.

 For her heroics, many honours have been bestowed on Moremi. A hall of residence stands in her honour at the picturesque Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, in the same manner that Idia Hall stands in honour of Queen Idia at the University of Ibadan, and Amina Hall in honour of Queen Amina at both the University of Lagos and the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, among others. Not done yet, a consortium of media gurus led by my friend and Comrade, Dele Oguntayo and Fountain Bloom Limited, is putting together a Moremi Ajasoro Annual Lecture, in collaboration with the Palace of the Ooni of Ife. Kabiyesi the Ooni has personally given a letter of approval and recommendation under his own hand as the Arole Oduduwa Olofin Adimula. One of the legacies of the Ooni Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, Ojaja II, is the gigantic Moremi Ajasoro statue he caused to be erected at Ife in honour of Moremi. According to reliable information, Yeye Olufunso Amosun has been designated as the "Moremi of the Source" by the Ooni. The Moremi Ajasoro Annual Lecture, when it kicks off this October or sometime thereafter, will be another well-deserved feather in the hat for an unforgettable heroine of the Yoruba people. Surely,the labours of our heroes and heroines past shall not be in vain! As the Yoruba engage in the ongoing make or mar battle for self-preservation, self-rejuvenation and self-determination, it is important to draw inspiration from the heroics of Moremi, who, in one stride, combined beauty, brain, and bravado. One author described her as “the Yoruba woman who sacrificed everything” for the liberation of her people. Not only is that true, it also should be emulated! Assailed by outside enemies and quislings and traitors from within, the Yoruba need no less inspiration than the one demonstrated by Moremi.

By Bolanle Bolawole

Published in the "On the Lord's Day" column, Sunday Tribune newspaper of Sunday, 26 September, 2021.

Saturday 25 September 2021

Master Your Own Odu

Everyone was born with an Odu. Every situation, event or circumstance has an Odu. It is your birthmark, it is the spiritual and physical map of your existence in the universe.

No matter how talented, gifted or psychic anybody claims he or she is, ONLY IFA knows your Odu, Ori, and your Orisas. ONLY IFA knows all and who sees all. No one and nothing else.

Ifa encourages us to seek out knowledge and wisdom, seek out different babalawos, in different places till your Ori, your egbes, Orisa and Eguns lead you to the right person(s) in the right place.

The skills, knowledge and experience of babalawos will be different from one Yoruba town to the next, so expecting any Babalawo or Olorisa to be your saviour, you will be grossly disappointed. Orunmila travelled to many Yoruba towns, met many other Babalawos and expanded his knowledge and experiences. No Babalawo has any power over or in anyone’s life.

Success is a journey and not a destination, if you do not come across, lying, cheating, deceiving, clueless and incompetent babalawos and Olorisas, how can you tell the difference, how can you learn, how can you grow in knowledge and wisdom? Only through experience, trials, errors, cheating, pain and disappointments.

A journey of knowledge, wisdom, peace and protection and prosperity with Orunmila isn’t a bed of roses nor for the faint hearted either. 

Ire gbogbo

Ase!!!

Friday 24 September 2021

Just Ponder On This

You can't neglect your source and flourish. You need the right connection to your roots in order not to be tossed aimlessly about in the journey of life.

Neglecting your roots in Àkókó to connect with the root of Mesopotamia or Nazareth or Saudi Arabia is not going to give you the needed support structure to establish you in the earth.

If Olódùmarè/Orí wanted you to be connected to Abraham or Ibrahim, it will not cause you to be born in a family of Ogedengbe, Fatokimi or Osundahunsi. And certainly, a creed of "I believe in the son of God or in the messenger of Allah" doesn't automatically translate you from your Ifá, Ògún, Ọ̀ṣun or Ọ̀jẹ̀ roots into Joshua, Caleb or Abraham roots. In the end, you will discover it is only a waste of time.

If you will allow yourself to think critically, you will know that what I just presented is logical. The evidence is clear. More than 6 decades after the colonizers have left, look at all the countries that were colonized in Africa, ALL of the countries still rely on their colonizers for viability. It is simply because the colonizers have succeeded in removing these countries from their authentic identities. All day long, they try to find their true meanings from the colonizers lens. How can they become the best of themselves that way?

You will always be second class in a foreign system.

Why trade your originality for an artificial copy?

How do you suppose that your life will progress when you take on the identity of the one who came to exploit you?

Ọmọ Adúláwọ̀, it is time to return home. Do not mind the crudeness of your own system, come back home and fix what needs to be fixed, quit chasing shadows and return to your roots. Tẹni n tẹni, t'àkísà ń t'àtàn, ọmọ ẹni kò ní ṣ'èdí bẹ̀bẹ̀rẹ̀ ká f'ìlẹ̀kẹ̀ sí ìdí ọmọ ẹlòmíràn.

Ẹ padà sí ọ̀nà òwúrọ. Return to the early path that your forefathers laid, walk it with pride and take your rightful place in the universal scheme of things. Your Ẹlẹ́dàá did not make a mistake to make you Adúláwọ̀.

Ire o.

By Ayobami Ogedengbe.

Thursday 23 September 2021

How Yoruba kingship Originated from Benin kingdom

Elders and historians in the house, I found this somewhere and I want to know the truth about it.

The original people and founders of the Benin Kingdom, the Edo people, were initially ruled by the Ogiso (Kings of the Sky) who called their land Igodomigodo. The first Ogiso (Ogiso Igodo), wielded much influence and gained popularity as a good ruler. He died after a long reign and was succeeded by Ere, his eldest son.

Nearly 36 known Ogiso are accounted for as rulers of this initial incarnation of the state. In the 12th century, a great palace intrigue erupted and crown prince Ekaladerhan, the only son of the last Ogiso, was sentenced to death as a result of the first queen (who was barren) deliberately changing an oracle's message to the Ogiso. In carrying out the royal order that he be killed, the palace messengers had mercy and set the prince free at Ughoton near Benin. When his father the Ogiso died, the Ogiso dynasty officially ended. The people and royal kingmakers preferred their late king's son as the next to rule.

The exiled Prince Ekaladerhan had by this time changed his name to Izoduwa (meaning 'I have chosen the path of prosperity') and found his way to Ile-Ife. It was during this period of confusion in Benin that the elders, led by Chief Oliha, mounted a search for the banished Prince Ekaladerhan - whom the Ife people now called Oduduwa. Oduduwa, who could not return due to his advanced age, granted them Oranmiyan, his son, to rule over them. Oranmiyan was resisted by Ogiamien Irebor, one of the palace chiefs, and took up his abode in the palace built for him at Usama by the elders (now a coronation shrine). Soon after his arrival, he married a beautiful lady, Erinmwinde, daughter of Ogie-Egor, the ninth Enogie of Egor, by whom he had a son.

After residing there for some years he called a meeting of the people and renounced his office, remarking in vexation. This was out of frustration as he often expressed that "only a child born, trained and educated in the arts and mysteries of the land could reign over the people". He arranged for his son born to him by Erinmwinde, Eweka, to be made king in his place, and returned to Ife thereafter.  

son the new king was soon found to be deaf and dumb, and so the elders appealed to Oranmiyan. He gave them charmed seeds known as "omo yo" to play with, saying that to do so will make him talk. The little Eweka played with the seeds with his peers at Egor, his mother's hometown. While playing with the seeds, he announced "Owmika" as his royal name. Thus, he gave rise to the tradition of the subsequent Obas of Benin spending seven days and nights at Usama before proceeding to announce their royal names at Egor.

Eweka thus started a dynasty that now bears his name. Oranmiyan went on to serve as the founder of the Oyo Empire, where he ruled as the first Alaafin of Oyo. His descendants now rule in Ile Ife, Oyo and Benin.

Note: Benin had been known as Ubini since the Ogiso period, Ubini means land of heavenly peasantry in Edo language, the Urhobo the Benin siblings had always called Benin Ubini right from when they left Benin City, Its was the Ijaw that told the Purtuguess in the 15 / 16 century of the great King of Ubini which the Portuguese mispronounce "Bini" in their book, just as the Yoruba mispronounce Ubini to Ibinu,  same way they mispronounce Edo to Ado also to all the Edo names in lagos like Idumota, Idumagbo all mispronounce etc.

There has been an age long debate between the Benin and Yoruba monarchs who is head, history perfectly explains that, Historians ascertain that the Benin kingdom was founded in 1180 while the Oyo empire was founded 1300s, this perfectly clears that debate. The Benin's are not from Yoruba nor the Yoruba's from Benin but the Yoruba monarch carries the bloodline of the Benin ancestry, same in the north for instance the Emir of Sokoto Sultan Muhammadu Sa'ad Abubakar is fulani in the midst of Hausa Majority his ancestors weren't from there, the Emir of Kano is a fulani in the midst of Hausas.

In the olden days Kingdoms Conquer kingdoms and the most powerful installed rulership. Oduduwa by the Yorubas was said to have come from the east, with many siting Saudi Arabia (Mecca) some Bhagdad, some Isreal, and recently Egypt. But all this countries are north to Nigeria and the whole of west Africa, since the exact eastern location is not certain or rather the actual eastern location is not accepted.

Benin is directly east to Oyo without dispute or much compass work.

Why would a Prince of Saudi Arabia leave his glorious kingdom passes through the hot Sahara desert through the dense forests of western Africa coming in to deep in the jungle to the western part of Nigeria to establish a kingdom for himself with an invitation or envoy. Truth being told the Yorubas reject Benin kingship because is a minority group not as large as they, but that doesn't change history over night even the British knew how powerful the Ancient Benin kingdom was, how dominate and elegant Portuguese and Dutch explorers spoke of the Africa city with walls around it (The great walls of Benin, largest earthwork in the world) and a king sitting on a throne. The Oba palace is a UNESCO world heritage site.

In the 1440s Benin dominated trade along the entire coastline from the Western Niger Delta, through Lagos to the kingdom of Great Accra (modern-day Ghana) It was for this reason that this coastline was named the Bight of Benin. The present-day Republic of Benin, formerly Dahomey, decided to choose the name of this bight as the name of its country.

Onitcha town was founded by Benin royal house who migrated during Oba Esigie reign.

Deaguma kingdom in Rivers State has since declared their ancestry to the Benin kingdom.

Olu Atuwatse (Dom Domingo) Son of Crown Prince Ginuwa and grand Son of Oba Olua who was sent to Portugal in 1601 for advanced studies by his Grandfather, the reigning Oba. He graduated from the University of Coimbra in 1611. He is the first person to obtain a European university degree in present day Nigeria. He later married the daughter of a Portuguese noble, Dona Feirs. Their son Antonio Domingo referred to in Benin History as the Golden Skinned king, succeeded him to the throne in 1643.

The first Known Embassy Established in Nigeria was in Benin during the reign of Oba Esigie in the 16th century.

The Oldest known letter written in Nigeria was by Duarte Pires instructed by Oba Esigie which was addressed to King John II, on the 20th October, 1516AD. The second oldest letter was written by Anthonio Domingo (Great-grand Son of Oba Olua) to the Pope to seek for missionary assistance in other to spread Christianity in Benin Empire in 1652AD.

The First Storey Building in Nigeria was built at Ughoton by the Dutch in the year 1718, and it was called “The Factory”. The said building was destroyed by the British during the war against the Benins in 1897. The site of the building is still intact.

The Oldest Church in West-Africa was established in Great Benin Empire by the Earliest Portuguese missionaries in the 16th Century which is today known as the Holy Aruosa (Benin National Church). Pope Pius XII visited Benin and handed the church to the Oba of Benin, Oba Oreoghene in 1692AD.

Oldest ever recorded market in Africa is Ogiso (Agbado) Market dated 60BCE.

 The first ever recorded bank (Owigho) in present day West-Africa was built in Benin kingdom by Oba Eresoyen, construction started in the year 1740AD and was completed in the year 1743AD.

Short lesson, Oduduwa or rather Izoduwa was destined to rule no matter how much men tried to change his fate, destiny prevailed.

Oduduwa never came from the sky with chains as being said by the Yoruba of today for it was not possible for someone to come from the sky in 11/12 century when some nation in Europe was already having under ground train. It is no doubt Oduduwa was a Benin man as his name Oodua is Benin.

#AfricanPride #beninkingdom #Oba  #benincity

BRIEF HISTORY OF INTERNATIONAL DAY OF PEACE

In 1981, the United Nations General Assembly declared the third Tuesday of September as International Day of Peace. This day coincided with the opening day of the annual sessions of the General Assembly. 

The purpose of the day was and still remains, to strengthen the ideals of peace around the world.

Two decades after establishing this day of observance, in 2001, the assembly moved the date to be observed annually on September 21. So, beginning in 2002, September 21 marks not only a time to discuss how to promote and maintain peace among all peoples but also a 24-hour period of global ceasefire and non-violence for groups in active combat.

Peace is possible. Throughout history, most societies have lived in peace most of the time. Today, we are much less likely to die in war than our parents or grandparents. Since the establishment of the United Nations and the creation of the Charter of the United Nations, governments are obligated not to use force against others unless they are acting in self-defense or have been authorized by the UN Security Council to proceed.

Life is better in a world where peace exists and, today, we look to those who have been peacemakers and peacekeepers to learn what we can each do individually to make the world a more peaceful place.

SOURCE: WWW.GBARAMATUVOICENEWS.COM

Tuesday 21 September 2021

Obedience (Ìgbọràn) is better than sacrifice (Ebo Rírú)

Obedience of one's Òrìsà within is the most important, that is the part in one, that is interested in awakening and tells one to be present and remember oneself. 

Your intellect feeds on every trash you always take in, stop taking thing's that doesn't benefits your Òrìsà within in again.

Your intellect will either be not interested or actively obstructing efforts to remember the Òrìsà within. For this reason, one has to be very firm and not allow any thoughts to take one away from this effort.

Do not do the ritual/sacrifice if you know you won't obey the messages, warnings therein for every ritual materials have their own messages to pass to you on that particular situation. Embrace their messages. It is their own Ifá messages to you. 

Ẹbọ Rírú is very basic and symbolic, it never release you from the shackles of your situations. Your adherence to the messages that comes with it is the most important. The ẹbọ is just an extra. Focus on the work you need to do not the ritual as such. If you can't do the work, leave the ritual alone.

To obey the messages and do the ritual is the best far from better but what we see nowadays is the fast track to spiritual souls CLEANSING. It can't work.

Fi eti sílẹ, be very attentive and take every words serious before the ritual. Your freedom lies therein. 

Peace & Enlightenment.

Baba Olusegun Daramola

@Order Of Ifa

INTERNATIONAL DAY OF PEACE By UNESCO

The International Day of Peace celebrates the power of global solidarity for building a peaceful and sustainable world.

This has never been so important at a time of unprecedented challenges. New forces of division have emerged, spreading hatred and intolerance. Terrorism is fuelling violence, while violent extremism seek to poison the minds of the vulnerable and young. In the poorest and least-developed parts of the world, climate-related natural disasters are compounding existing fragility, increasing forced migration and heightening the risk of violence.

The barriers to peace are complex and steep -- no one country can solve them alone. Doing so requires new forms of solidarity and joint action, starting as early as possible.

Establishing a culture of peace and sustainable development are at the heart of UNESCO’s mandate. Training and research in sustainable development are among the priorities, as well as human rights education, skills for peaceful relations, good governance, Holocaust remembrance, the prevention of conflict and peace building.

“Now more than ever, solidarity and cooperation are essential to building peaceful societies and fighting against discrimination, particularly the kinds of discrimination to which the world’s most vulnerable populations are subjected... On the occasion of this International Day, our Organization calls on everyone to engage in dialogue and to share ideas about the future with due respect for diversity of opinion and of perspective. This is a challenge we must face together in order to achieve lasting peace worldwide.”

By Audrey Azoulay, Director-General Of UNESCO

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