Moral decadence soared in Africa when Africa came in contact with Europeans several centuries ago.
Yes, the same Europeans who funded the spread of Christian religion into Africa.
Today, Africa is advancing in corruption and moral decadence, but still trails behind its European teachers as far as corruption and moral decadence is concerned.
Africa wants to embrace the religion (spirituality) of the one who is morally bankrupt yet wonders why its society continues to go increasingly morally bankrupt.
Here is why Africa is lusting after the Europeans, it is because of Money. They started with Mirrors, imported gins and guns, today they have graduated to smartphones and other stuffs. Now, majority of Africans lust after these European stuffs and only a few pause to think, "why is Africa not producing these things or anything at all as a global product?", Some, majorly Christians and Islamic apologists would fallaciously blame such inability on what they refer to as an idolatrous past.
Some White Supremacy apologists will claim that the White race is somewhat better equipped in the brain with some levels of reasoning that is superior to that of an African (Black).
But on interacting with the philosophical foundations of Africans and Europeans, judging from what is documented in history, I can say that the past 2000 years has witnessed the dominance of a paradigm that is crazily driven by the love of money such that at the top of parameters for social relevance is MONEY, how much of it you have - this is the driving force behind capitalism.
Looking into the Wisdom of the ancient Africans as scribbled in the hearts of its philosophers (Babaláwos) by Ọ̀rúnmìlà, I see that a dictum has been set down by Ọ̀rúnmìlà on how humanity should relate with money. This dictum can be found in Ogbè-ṣẹ́ which Babaláwos call Ogbè-Olówó.
The Irunmoles heard that there is a city where money grows on a tree, the name of the city is "Ìlájé", Ògún, the divinity of Iron and technology was the first to go there. He went on a divination and was told to offer sacrifice so that he can go safely and return safely. Ògún, being a natural warrior couldn't fathom what could make him go and not return safely. "I make war with kingdoms and I overpower them, what will defeat me on a quest to go take money?", he blatantly refused the counsel of the Babaláwos to offer sacrifice and went on his way.
On getting to the bottom of the tree, he rushed the tree, shaking it with all his might for the money to fall in large quantity so that he can take as much as he desires, the money did fall down but it fell on him and he died under the large heap of money.
This was the case for other Irunmoles, as they all relied on their personal prowess to make money without heeding the instruction (wisdom) of Ifá.
Orunmila, who considers himself 'weak and frail' decided to follow Ifa's injunction.
He was asked to have a pigeon to offer to Ajé (Wealth divinity) , a ladder, stool and a mortar. He was also asked to give a he-goat to Èṣù (the divinity of the crossroads and the keeper of secrets), he complied.
As he got to the base of the tree, he wondered what to do as he saw the bodies of the other divinities. Èṣù, whom he had earlier propitiate had come to place the ladder with which he offered sacrifice somewhere close to the tree. Then Èṣù told Ọ̀rúnmìlà to take the ladder and climb the tree, he was told to take only as much as his hands could take and then come down to put it inside the mortar, Èṣù told him that he could repeat the process for as long as he wanted.
This was how Ọ̀rúnmìlà was able to access wealth and escaped the fate the other Irunmoles suffered.
The name of the Awos that made Ifá for Ọ̀rúnmìlà in those days are "Gbẹ̀dẹ̀rẹ̀ Gbẹdẹrẹ làá l'ọ́rọ̀" , which loosely translates, we have wealth gradually. This is speaking of the process of wealth creation and the posture that we need to take when dealing with money.
The quest for money is good but it can be destructive, just as we see manifesting in our society today.
The ladder in Ifá story is symbolic of the gradual process one has to employ when reaching out for wealth. One must respect the rites of process. This is a caution to our young ones in today's generation who are on the quest to get rich by all means within the shortest possible period.
It is also a clarion call to the entire continent of Africa, we need to reevaluate our values. The hold that money has on our leaders is one of the leading causes of the moral, economic and intellectual death that Africa is experiencing.
Ẹ̀là Ìbọrú.
Ẹ̀là Ìbọyè.
By Ayobami Ogedengbe
Copyright: © 2021
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