Sunday Adeyemo Igboho

Known for an ideologue and a Yoruba separatist, the arrest of Mr. Sunday IGBOHO is already provoking reactions within the international scientific community. The first to date is that of the lawyer Malick O. FALOLA. Professor of law at the University of Abomey Calavi and lawyer at the Court of Appeal of Paris, he expresses reservations on this supposed extradition from Nigeria and invites the government to be careful with regard to the international and regional Conventions which frame the extradition and of which Benin is a party.

Real name Sunday Adéyémo, Igboho is a popular Nigerian entrepreneur, politician and human rights activist. He was born in OKE Ogoun, in the State of Oyo in Nigeria on October 10, 1972. Separatist for some, terrorist for others - especially those close to power - he is a hero of the safeguard of democratic gains, of respect fundamental freedoms, and it usually struggles against regionalism and ethnocentrism within the Nigerian nation.

Considered an ideologue and the champion of the creation of a Yoruba republic in Nigeria, Igboho had escaped a raid by the Nigerian police at his home in Soka (Ibadan) on July 1. Two of his men were reportedly killed and 13 others arrested. Since then he has gone into hiding.

The Beninese republican police put an end to his run on Monday July 19, 2021 by arresting him at Cardinal Bernadin Gantin International Airport while he was traveling to Germany in possession of a Benin passport. The man who has taken the bush since the beginning of July is preparing to fly to Germany, the country in which his family is located.

It appears that he is accused in the exercise of his civil and political rights of having organized several ideological movements to destabilize the country. Note that the activist is the spearhead of the separatist agitation for the advent of the Yoruba state.

In this circumstance would Mr. Sunday IGBOHO be extradited from Cotonou to the city of Abuja to be tried by the Nigerian State which cannot seriously guarantee him human rights guarantees because of his opposition to this regime?

The answer to this question remains to be assessed in the light of international, regional and even bilateral agreements signed between the Republic of Benin and the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

The ECOWAS extradition convention should apply as a priority, but the possibility of subjecting him to degrading and inhuman treatment because of his ethnicity, his tribe etc ..., by the political authorities in his country of origin becomes an obstacle to his extradition to Nigeria under Article 3 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights.

The ECOWAS Extradition Convention states that “Certain offenses cannot give rise to extradition. This is the case for political offenses and military offenses. The requested State is not obliged to extradite if the offense for which extradition is requested is considered to be a political offense or as a related offense ”.

The ECOWAS Extradition Convention places on the requested State the obligation not to extradite when the individual whose extradition is requested has not benefited or is likely not to benefit during the proceedings. minimum guarantees provided for in Article 7 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights.

The right to bring before the competent national courts any act violating the fundamental rights which are recognized and guaranteed by the conventions, laws, regulations and customs in force; the right to the presumption of innocence, until his guilt is established by a competent court; the right to defense, including the right to be assisted by a lawyer of one's choice; the right to be tried within a reasonable time by an impartial court.

The right of the individual whose extradition is requested to have his case heard has been taken into account in the ECOWAS extradition convention, in particular in its articles 8 and 14. It is left to article 8 of the convention the possibility for the requested State to refuse to extradite if the individual whose extradition is requested has been tried or runs the risk of being tried or convicted in the requesting State by an exceptional court.

The State of Benin cannot ignore the indisputable role that the respondent played in favor of the disadvantaged Yoruba populations by a government policy advocating ethnocentrism within the Nigerian nation. Mr. Sunday IGBOHO recently criticized the closure of the borders of southwestern Nigeria connecting his country and Benin. Our country cannot seriously discuss the refusal to extradite the victim to Nigeria without having investigated and gathered evidence justifying the benefit of international protection as a political refugee. Benin is not obliged to respect the will of its country of origin because it is accused of a political offense.

From all of the above, the Beninese State is called upon to ensure, by virtue of the principle of respect for a sovereign State, the effectiveness of the primacy of respect for human rights on its territory arising from international and regional conventions to oppose at the request for the extradition of Mr. Sunday IGBOHO to the Nigerian authorities.

By Dr. Malick Oluchegoun FALOLA

Lecturer at the Faculty of Law and Political Science of the University of Abomey-Calavi

Lawyer at the Paris Court of Appeal

Oya, revolutionary winds of change, September 2rd 2021 festival

In 'modern' scientific terms, Orishas can be defined as representing specific cyclical spiritual and philosophical electromagnetic essences emitted by various ways, most important of which are planetary bodies. Yoruba Cosmos science encoded in Orishas is so deeply fascinating especially when you realize the interrelationships between Orishas philosophical essences.

For example those of the opposites, Yemoja being the mother of Obaluaye, explaining the fact that water receded to give birth to land. Another is the power interrelationships between Oya, Ogun and Shango.

Oya was named after the great River now called River Niger, the one river all humans had to cross out of the true Eden, the origin of humanity, and forever change humanity as her winds of change blew peoples across the world. As Ogun was labelled the Orisha of action and metallurgy that enabled human migration, before the full understanding of Oya, her spiritual and philosophical essences were believed to be that of Ogun. However Oya (revolutionary change) is an applied Ogun (force) towards social justice (Shango her husband). Shango blows hot air over injustice but it is Oya that makes it happen by structuring (Obaluaye) it into revolutionary change.

Oya essences are tied to the planet Pluto, the boundary of the Solar system and tied to the astrological house, Scorpio. Though the labelling of planets are now in Greco-Roman names, these are originally African denoted spiritual scientific essences that had been observed and conceptualized over 80,000yrs, long before Whites evolved about 7,000yrs ago, and can only be fully understood if converted back to their Original African meanings.

Oya is both a personal and global phenomenon of deep philosophical implications, whose 250yr cyclical essences spans more than any human life, and can be only be fully accounted for by collectives - states, empires and even civilizations. Humans with Oya influences when positively applied are regarded as revolutionary in nature like Nnamdi Azikwe with an Oya/Scorpio Sun, or those with Oya moons like Ooni Aderemi regarded as a pain in the backside of the British Empire, and the present day Ooni Ogunwusi capable of revolutionizing Yoruba and Original African civilization. But, if the Oya influence is misconstrued or misused they could be regarded as greedy and corrupt like President Jonathan despite his industrial revolutionary intentions. However Oya cyclical orbit of 250yrs is more visible with the rise and fall of empires and civilizations.

To fully understand how she works, Oya is tied to Whirlwinds that slowly builds in a dusty marketplace, like rumors swirling around until it becomes an agitating force that sweeps revolutionary change in a society. Sweeping the coasts of West Africa, it ultimately heads across the Atlantic Ocean for 7 weeks, angrily tearing up the plantations and lands her children were carted away into slavery, from the Caribbean up the East coast towards New York, the empire state built on Oyas children. Often weak by the time the winds get to New York, only to retry another day. However, one day Oya will be one day.

Oya is known to sweep nations into and out of existence every 250 years. Her full strength is experienced once in 250yrs, so her effects are felt and obvious on empire, states and civilizations. Like all orbits are divided into 12 sectors of different essences, she is known to shake and bring changes to wherever she visits. Oya most visible effect is shaking global political structures to their foundations every 250 yrs when she is in Obaluaye house of Structure, and entire civilizations and global consciousness every 2000 years, eight 250yr cycles.

She has been in Capricorn, Obaluaye house, since 2008 and will make complete her first full cycle in USA in 2022 before she moves to Shangos house of Justice from 2023 to 2041. The last time she was in Shangos house of Justice between 1778 and 1798, we witnessed global struggles for Justice which included American, French and most importantly the Haiti Revolution, inspired by sacrifices to Ogun and Oya, the first and only slave rebellion to ever become a nationstate.

Before moving to Capricorn (Obaluaye house) in 2008 she was in Obatala house of organized knowledge from 1995 to 2008, where she made revolutionary changes to knowledge, Apocalyptic in nature (revelation of hidden knowledge, like the DNA evidence that revealed Yoruba as the oldest full sized human group and enabling order to the evolution of the Original African civilization.

250yrs ago when she was in Obaluaye/Capricorn house, Oya swept up USA in 1770 while started the process which French, English, Oyo and others began to decline. The previous 250yrs was in 1520, when the 1500yr Roman Catholic Empire was challenged and crashed by the English and French for a role in transatlantic slavery, while Oyo and Benin departed from the Original African civilization, based on cultural linkages, to one based on Ogun arms for slavery empire building. 250yrs earlier in 1270 was the development of Guns, the reversal of Muslim domination in Europe.

2000yrs ago, at the change of global consciousness and civilizations, Roman Republic broke up in 23AD but in 27AD reunited into Roman Empire that developed Cathocism and the foundations of global White supremacy doctrines. Now, we are set for another 2000yr battering of Oya winds, first at global structures starting since 2008 with global economic meltdown into 2020s global pandemic before finally torching the flame of global Justice from 2023 to change global consciousness and civilization.

Nigeria is at the center of the wind as the Black Race must break free of the restrictions of the last two civilizations to gain global racial parity. However, the universe provides the conditions by sending the cyclical electromagnetic pulses but we must be in tune with the universe, be receptive and act, otherwise it could be used negatively by others against us.

Like Oya, the winds of change must start as a small whirlwind in our market and other public places, where we educate, educate then agitate towards desired and universe intended consciousness. 

On September 2 2021, there would be an Oya festival in her ancestral home, like none before. May Oya bring favorable winds of change to energize her children towards a higher level of consciousness and existence. Ase

Source: ASHEFoundation

The Oba Debacle- a thumb at society

So for the last few days, we have been regaled by an almost obscene and vulgar outpouring of wealth in Oba a sleepy hamlet in Anambra State.

One if its sons in burying his mother opened the doors of opulence daring carpet baggers all over the country to fly in and show their might.

They have answered with all eagerness. His pull is phenomenal as the barely literate army of new wealth has stormed his mothers burial determined to out class each other in a disgraceful but exciting display of naked wealth.

The event has thrown Oba into our consciousness. The little town has made Cannes the billionaire paradise in the South of France green with envy.

They all appeared. In their ill fitting clothes, loud and naked jewelry and their women who all look like porcelain dummies regaling themselves with the sweet songs that make me love the Igbo culture.

The kidnappers and other men of the underworld have called a truce for the period. They have either joined the hordes of poor people who line the roads to see the spectacle or join the party as friends and colleagues in this macabre dance of the absurd.

Hordes of currency from all parts of the world except maybe  the Zimbabwean Dollar were being hurled at over painted mistresses, beautiful songs serenading them as they do this and the sweet and lovely igbo culture that i so much love in full display.

Even the marauding Fulani Herdsmen took a break as they sold out cattle used for huge barbecues. They called on their brothers in faraway Futa Jallon to beef up supply as the Chief Priest of Cubana and his friends eroded local supply.

I loved especially the hailings. As handsome actor Akex Ekubo serandes legendary Actor Kanayo Kanayo calling him 'something sacrifice'.  I loved it.

Then the one they call E- Money stands up to greet the celebrant and the beautiful staff of office goes up in the air in a wonderful salute to the Igbo culture.

Three times they hit themselves in the air and one time the back hand hit themselves and the songs continue and i am loving this.

What is Oba to me. Oba for me is a bullshit to a snobbish mainstream society that didn't give these ones a chance.

They were not educated by the taxes their parents paid. They were not given the opportunities mainstream could give their own children.

They were not born with any silver spoon and didn't even see any kind of spoon in their youth.

These are laggards, the ones society left to die. They didn't die.

Untamed by education and civilized mannerisms, they unleash a salvo of wanton debauchery on society in a humiliating blow to their arrogant nostrils.

After all you didn't send me to school, after all you thought cholera will kill me, after all you watched me slave at the Ariaria market expecting poverty to decimate me.

Look at what i have become today. I am Cubana, i am E- Money, I am K-Ce, I am Eze Ego and to hell with your civilization. I will buy you and your wife. Sleep with her and give her a pension for the rest of your lives.

This is what I have seen in Oba. A rich rebellion against the orderliness that sane society predicts.

A madness by a tribe of journey men who pretend to play the Robin Hood script doling out a pittance of their wealth and reserving a huge pile for their continued search for hedonistic pleasure.

Assuming all these wealth we have seen remains legitimately sourced and up till the time of writing, there has been nothing to prove otherwise, this can be termed as a loud, obnoxious rebellion by a tribe of savages who refuse to be tamed by the sophistication of educated mores but would rather show off in a bid to achieve what will forever elude them - acceptance by mainstream elitist  society.

Well done Cubana in your nakedness, you have proven a point- Education is still the king.

Duke of Shomolu

Arrest/ Kidnap of Sunday Igboho: Eagle killed Eagle

Day Godwin Odiye a member of the then Nigeria Green Eagles which was later rechristened as Super Eagles of Nigeria scored a killer own goal, the goal that stopped Nigeria from what would have been her first world cup appearance words failed the radio commentator. All that the ace commentator, Ernest Okonkwo now late could muster for his announcement of the goal was a three words statement; " Eagle killed Eagle" Rather than saying the familiar "It's a goal" Ernest was repeatedly saying "Eagle killed Eagle". It was one the saddest day in history of soccer for Nigeria.

Eagle killed Eagle...a Nigerian defender scored against his own goalkeeper and hope of the country to debute in the world cup was dashed.

Yoruba killed Yoruba.

Sunday Igboho now arrested/ kidnapped probably a toddler at that time Odiye scored the lone historical goal against his country had been Judased by his own kinsman. Yes, Igboho, according to reports was on his way to Germany en route Cotonou but in a manner reminisce to the  story of Jesus and Judas in the Bible one of his kinsmen, a Yoruba like him and one those Igboho was fighting for gave him up to security agents at the airport.

Yoruba...., according to Late Gbenga Adeboye is; oruko nla ti roni.

Gbenga went further to sing in one of his albums.....

"Ab'e o roju aye?

Abi e roju ile?

E o reni a gboju okun le?

Abi e r'apani ma yo ida..

Yorubaaaa naa ni o......

By Akin Adeyi

Akoni Oodua Ayeniromo

20/7/2021

When you don't know your history, you can't know many things about yourself

Yoruba lost their history when they threw away Ifá, therefore losing a very vital part of themselves through Jesus Christ our Lord and by the grace of Almighty Allah.

This is why they are a nation with so great potential but very unproductive. 

They are not connected to their source so they act anyhow moving around in a Brownian motion. 

Such social disorganization is what opens it up for the thief coming from the outside to bribe a few corrupt and greedy desperate individuals. 

It is those who don't know themselves (their worth) that can be bought with money. 

Those who don't know their history, don't know themselves. 

When Africa is connected to its source, and relies on its own divine source, it will be nauseating for him to consider the idea of the funding from America tagged "Foreign Aid", it is usually fundings coming from the thief to bribe the greedy ones that were mentioned above in order to use those greedy ones to keep the  general population derailed from knowing themselves.

One of the institutions in Nigeria that receive this "Foreign Aid" is religion (churches and mosques) this is the secret of the wealth of those mega pastors.

They are meant to derail the people from their source of salvation while they use the government to effect the economic policies where they will recoup the investments that they have made in these "Foreign aids"

Understandest thou what thou readest?

By Ayobami Ogedengbe

South-West governors and constitutional amendment

According to reports I read on Cable News, an online publication superintended by seasoned journalist and influential columnist, Simon Kolawole, the governors of the South-West states of Lagos, Ogun, Oyo, Osun, Ekiti, and Ondo have made representations regarding on-going efforts by the National Assembly to review the 1999 Nigerian Constitution (as amended). Note that the groundswell of opinion is that the sickness of the 1999 Constitution is such that cannot be cured by any amendment, however sweeping. Another generally-aired opinion is that the vested interests served by the present skewed and patently-flawed Constitution will not allow any meaningful amendment that will usher in the equity, justice, and fairness that has been the battle cry of vast sections of the country. If debates and voting patterns on the controversial Petroleum Industry Bill is anything to go by, the North will always pull and bind together to maintain their advantages over the South. With most of them in the North, there are no radicals or progressives, no conservatives or ultra-conservatives once what they perceive as core Northern interests are concerned. The day the South begins to think and act like the North is the day we shall begin to move closer to unraveling the Nigerian jig-saw puzzle.

Like I have said before, it would appear as if the South is beginning to stir. Necessity, they say, is the mother of invention. The impunity of the North has become unbecoming, so to say, so also has its excesses become an existential issue for the South. If the South does not square up to the North, and do so quickly, its fate may not be any different from that of Turkey or Lebanon in the not-too-distant future. Little wonder, then, that radicalization of the South has begun in earnest. Every disappointment has its blessings. The radicalization – and huddling together – of the South must be some of the most critical blessings of the disaster called Muhammadu Buhari. The North may, for now, enjoy its roller-coaster over the South for now, but in the final analysis Northerners will be the losers when the sleeping giant that is the South eventually wakes up and stands on its feet.

That the Southern states could meet at Asaba, Delta State to speak with one voice against open grazing, among other issues, was ground-breaking. Despite the attempts by the North to rubbish that very bold step, the import of the Southern move could not have been lost on Northern power brokers and cabals of all hues and cry. That the same Southern governors could follow up with their Lagos meeting where they demanded that the presidency rotate to the South in 2023, among other very poignant decisions, must also have sent the signal that Asaba was not a fluke. Let the North say what it may or pretend as much as it likes, the stirring of the South is certainly a cause for worry to the North, even as it is a cause for cheers to the South.

The South-west Governors Forum, which met and proposed amendments to the 1999 Constitution, is also a right step in the right direction. We may not agree with all their propositions but that they met at all – and spoke with one voice – is commendable. If they continue this way, they will grow in confidence and their binding together will become a source of strength that will soon reveal the weakness as well as expose the underbelly of their opponents.  According to Cable News, the South-west governors proposed the conversion of the six geopolitical zones into federating units.

The governors were said to have made the proposal in a document presented to members of the national assembly from the South-west, as part of the review of the 1999 constitution. The document, dated July 5, 2021, and titled, Proposals for the Review of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (As Amended): Presentation by South-West Governors’ Forum’, proposed an amendment to section 3(1) and (3) of the constitution.

“Section 3(1) of the 1999 constitutions states that there shall be 36 states in Nigeria but the Governors proposed that the section be amended as a federation consisting of six geopolitical zones constituted from the states. At independence in 1960, Nigeria had three regions — northern, western, and eastern. However, states were created out of the regions and the six geopolitical zones were delineated during the regime of Sani Abacha, late head of state, in 1993.

“We propose that Section 3(1) be amended as a federation consisting of six geopolitical zones constituted from the states. The federating units or regions are divided into the following geopolitical zones: North-West Zone, North-Eastern Zone, Middle – Belt Zone, South-East Zone, South-South Zone, South-West Zone and the Federal Capital Territory.

“Section 3(6) (shall) be amended to provide for a number of local governments or such autonomous administrative units to be created by the respective federating units or states, the criteria of which shall include population, taxable capacity, ethno-religious or other cultural and social affinities.”

“Section 7 of the constitution be amended to include an additional sub-section prohibiting the dissolution of elected local government councils.

“This will be in compliance with the Supreme Court decisions in ALGON v. Oyo State Government; AG Plateau State & Others v. Goyol & Others; Governor, Ekiti State v. Olubunmo & Others.”

The South-west Governors also proposed that section 8 (5) and (6) be removed so that local government creation will be the exclusive duty of state governors. “Section 8(5) and (6) should be expunged. Section 8 (1) and (2) provides for the procedures for creation of state while Section 8(3), (4), (5) and (6) provides for the procedure for creation of local governments. However, Section 8(5) and (6) should be expunged to make local government creation the exclusive duty of the state government.”

The Governors also sought the removal of section 29(4)(b), which confers adulthood status on a married under-18 woman. “Section 29(4)(a) and (b) contradict each other. While (a) says ‘full age means the age of 18 years and above’, (b) says ‘any woman who is married shall be deemed to be full of age’. This reinforces child marriage which negates the Convention on the Rights of the Child 1989 and the Child’s Rights Act 2003, which outlaws child marriage.”

The governors also want the states to be in charge of mineral resources within their territories.

Commendable as the step taken by the South-west governors is, some of their proposals have been overtaken by events. On-going agitations are no longer for Abacha’s six geo-political zones but for nationalities within the United States of Nigeria or whatever it may be called. A more acceptable solution will be one formulated like the United Kingdom’s, where Scotland, Ireland, Wales, England operate as nations within a nation. Let the Oodua, Biafra, Ijaw, Arewa and other nationalities operate as such, having their own flag, constitution, security forces, foreign outposts, and control over their resources and affairs. 

Local Governments created by fiat by the Federal Government are anachronistic and antithetical to the principles of Federalism. The Nigerian local government structure has been a device of deceit by which the North siphons the South’s resources. The Local Government structure must be scrapped totally. Each Nationality will decide its own structure and create whatever number of Councils it deems necessary. The government at the Centre should not be the one determining the LG structure all over the federation.

As for the controversy over adulthood status, I will advise the South-west governors not to dabble in that. It is not an issue for the South but for the North and I do not see how the North will accede to it. Pray, how many Northern leaders are not guilty of marriage to the girl-child? At what age, for instance, did Buhari marry Aisha? From top to bottom, it is a practice or custom that is prevalent there. And the leaders of the North are guilty. Despite the prevalence of VVF as a result of this practice, they have not seen the need to discontinue with it. It is not a problem in the South. So, let the North drink its own cup of tea!

The South-West governors propose that States be in charge of their mineral resources. Buhari, too, said so recently. That is the very essence of fiscal federalism. But it is easier said than done! How many of the governors have set up committees in their respective states in this regard? They have to take action rather than allow individuals to pillage the mineral resources of the various states without any commensurate benefit to the States.

FEEDBACK

Yes, the tide will turn! Each time I hear the cabal North saying all those, I am like, how on earth did our forefathers fight for Independence from our colonial masters only to still end up being locally colonized by  the North? Is this country normal? The point is that the cabals have tested us as a race that does not like violence and, as such, leverage on that weakness to intimidate and bully the South. Of course, it becomes strange to them when the likes of Chief Sunday Igboho stand up to confront their agents – the bandits, herdsmen and what-have-you. It is now time to call a spade a spade! They now want the South to forgo the presidency shifting to the South. To me, the evil day is just being postponed. Peaceful resolution may never be discussed because they are prepared to continue holding down the South to the North's advantage. Confrontation may become inevitable. Those that make peaceful change impossible make violent change inevitable. The South has been made slaves to the North in spite of our knowledge and exposure. Each time the North takes control of Government, they ensure everything, including but not limited to the economy, is in total ruins. But one thing is certain, a champion never lasts forever and the time is now for our governors to take the bull by the horns. No retreat, no surrender! - Badru Afolabi-Shittu.

Nnoli's position (North/South master-servant relationship) has been mine position since 1978. We were the first set of JAMB. l attended Federal Govt. College, Odogbolu; we had just dropped our pen after the last WAEC paper when our school compound was flooded with brand new 404 cars sent by Military Governors we later learnt were from the North. They gathered their students, saluting them “rankadede”. They took them away and we later learnt that now being educated, some were made Commissioners in their various States of origin. One of them was still Commissioner for Local Govt. Affairs & the Supervisory Commissioner in-charge of NYSC in Kano State by the time l graduated from Great lfe, then Law School and was posted to serve in Kano State. l and my fellow Youth Corps members would have to undergo the parade and salute the inspection by this my 1978 FGC, Odogbolu classmate! This, to me, was painful and l resolved not to; so I did not report to camp in Kano but changed to Lagos State. - Chris Abugo

By Bolanle Bolawole

Being Nigerian Outside Nigeria: An Extra Burden

Visiting Austria for the first time and realizing that the police officers are particularly interested in the same set of people: The Nigerians. I’ve been in and out of South Africa for the last five years. On my first arrival in Johannesburg, January 2014, I was welcomed at the airport by Fr. Terry Nash. He was smiling, I was smiling, too. I was in the company of six other guys who introduced themselves – from Delta State, Akwa-Ibom, Benue, Anambra, etc.

It got to my turn and I said IMO. Fr. Nash’s smile ripened into a giggle, “I have heard about Imo, I met many people from Imo State because I’ve been in prison ministry. Nigerians generally make up a high population in the prison here. And the Imo guys make the church in prison so vibrant, those guys are great”, he said, still smiling. My own smile had left me. Years later I would find myself suffering what seems like a stigma that comes with being Nigerian. Every time I found myself in the airport, my identity as a Nigerian is a source of worry: being asked to step aside for extra questions, being delayed by extra protocol because I’m Nigerian. Three years ago I was returning to Nigeria on holiday. There was small chaos at the airport: the noise of police whistles and the barking of police dogs filled the air, “get that man”, a chubby white policeman was screaming. “Somebody has been caught with drugs again”, an unknown Black man quickly hinted me, “it is these Nigerians”. I quickly became furious.

“You can’t be sure it’s a Nigerian”, I retorted. Well, the guy was caught. Behold, he had a strong Nigerian accent while he was begging the policemen, and had the angled shape of my head: Igbo, with a rosary on his neck. I gave up on defending Nigerians’ reputation.

I gave up because shortly after a Nigerian family volunteered to do clean up in a certain Catholic parish in Johannesburg, the police stormed into the church one day and found drugs hiding behind the terbanacle. I gave up when a Nigerian asked by an immigration officer to step aside, was scolding the officer for delaying him and raining legal threats, “I know my rights, you can’t keep me this long”, only for the immigration officer to find that his documents had all been forged.

Once, on returning to South Africa from Nigeria I was with an old Yoruba woman who couldn’t speak or read English, her son in Pretoria had a newborn baby. She had been invited, they somehow succeeded in making her a passport and got her a visa. She couldn’t read anything or understand any information at the airport, so I helped her because my Yoruba is fluent. When finally we reached Johannesburg the immigration officers had questions about some “strange” things in her bag. I told them those were cooking ingredients, I was the translator between her and the officers. Soon she became worried and whispered into my ear, “Eyi n di isoro. Fun won ni five hundred naira” (this is becoming a problem, give them five hundred).

“Won o kiin gba five hundred (they don’t accept N500”, I replied.

“Oya fun won ni one thousand” (then give them one thousand). She squeezed a wrinkled one thousand naira note into my hand. I told her they do not use naira here. “haaaaaah” her mouth opened. I expected that, I smiled.

Bribe is a Nigerian culture, even our old people believe it works, and that there is no other way of moving past an obstacle aside from bribe, there is no other means of progress asides bribe. Bribe is a Nigerian salvation.

Weeks later I had a Nigerian friend who was in dire need. He lived with me, he talked about his two million naira which he was expecting from Nigeria, with many proves of the availability of the money. So he borrowed six thousand rand from me. My friend, it’s now more than two years, he never paid. He fled to someplace else and never returned my calls. I learned later he had borrowed also from a Kenyan who was our neighbor, and this neighbor kept asking where my ‘brother’ was. Until today he never paid, and it doesn’t prick his conscience.

It’s important for we Nigerians to ask ourselves serious questions. What is the most important thing to a Nigerian? What kind of factors in our childhood makes us desperate and dangerously competitive? Sometimes we are under the pressure of our parents and peers to “prove ourselves”.

When the average Nigerian travels abroad he doesn’t travel to merely make a livelihood. His plan is to outshine his peers. I do not find this common among South Africans. They’re usually satisfied, they just want to have what they need, they don’t kill themselves over what is beyond them.

The first time I had a drive to Durban with a senior brother from Mariannhill we saw a Nigerian suspiciously passing a tightly-folded bag from under the counter, then they made signs to each other, then he sneaked out. Another man entered and sneakily collected it.

The Zambian brother tapped my back, “drugs, they are your brothers”. The saddest thing is that those who choose to talk about this are attacked and bullied on social media, they are regarded as unpatriotic citizens. Because Nigerian morality ends with sex and marriage. Finished. Talk about issues on human sexuality and you’ll see the bible-thumping Nigeria saying, “hellfire, Adam and Steve, weapons of the devil, it is not our culture”, but bribery is our culture. Everything else asides from sexual activity is survival, so it’s unofficially acceptable. Our mouths are sharp when HIV is mentioned, we often think we are very moral. What shall it profit a virgin who is a thief? Nigerian morality is faux.

“What is your brother doing in Malaysia?” “He is hustling”, that is all you can say. He’s just hustling. He comes back to Nigeria and does Thanksgiving and the priest blesses him with chasuble spread out. He pays his tithes and gives huge offerings, and his name is announced in church. But nobody notices that poor man at the corner of the church who is a gateman and gives his offering from the little he earned through honest work.

What is your brother doing in Dubai? You give random and vague answers: He’s trying to find something, we are praying he succeeds, please put him in prayer. You know that kind of prayer, right?

A South African Bishop once made a joke, “it is easier to trust a stone than to trust a Nigerian. You keep a stone on this table, you’ll still find the stone when you come back. Keep a Nigerian and come back later, the Nigerian is gone”. And yet we wonder why religious orders outside Africa are afraid of considering Nigerian applications. Our brothers who were admitted into American dioceses arrived at the airport and then ran away.

I visited a church in Johannesburg where I heard during the announcements that the guy who teaches the altar servers had been shot dead. A Nigerian. Later the circumstances surrounding his death did not match with a person who would teach mass servers how to serve Holy Mass.

It should make us ask questions about what we value the most as Nigerians: religion or integrity? Perhaps something is wrong with how we have been evangelized.

Back home in Nigeria, Nigerians who are not corrupt are seen as fools by their fellow Nigerians. Their wives mock them. Those Nigerians who studied abroad and now see the world differently, hardly ever come close to political offices in Nigeria, they just won’t fit in. And yet we love Jesus the most, we are the bastion of faith in Africa.

Do you know why your visa has been rejected many times? It’s because your passport is a Nigerian passport. Ask your friend from Tanzania, he’ll tell you how easy it is for him to get a visa.

Do you know why your admission into that European University is taking long? It’s because they’re still investigating your documents to be sure that they’re not fake. Ask your South African friend, he already got an admission.

Now that a new word has been added into the Oxford Dictionary “Nigerian Scam” (please google it) we can be sure that our position in the world is in the first place. Think Nigerian, but let it be that your reputation is important.

Identify as Nigerian, but make sure those who come after you are not denied privileges because of you. Because of those who represent us positively around the globe, because of the many Nigerians who work to earn their living, I am proudly Nigerian. I am proudly Nigerian, because Pius Adesanmi was, Chinua Achebe was, because Anthony Cardinal Okogie is, because Chimamanda Adichie is, because Fela Kuti was, because of people such as Flora Nwapa, Ben Okri, Dora Akunyuli, Bishop Hassan Kukah, etc. There are many models you could choose from instead of adding to our dirty script. Save other Nigerians from stigma, be true.

Dare Babarinsa is a Renowned Journalist, Columnist, Historian, and Author.

Yoruba Evolutionary Science

The story of Ijimere, the Patas monkey, shows Yorubas believed in evolution long before Archaeological studies.

Ijimere Baba Obo, master of all monkeys is believed to have been at the same level of consciousness with humans and a close follower of Orunmila, who elevated human beings with wisdom.

However, Ijimere playfulness and not following Orunmila instructions made it fall out of line to become half human and half animal, while others advanced.

Ijimere which could translate to mean “my mirror image” is still revered in Yorubaland especially by Ogun and Egungun mythology.

It is believed to be the first Egungun and reputed to be able to communicate between both the material and spiritual world. It’s body parts are used for various spiritual purposes. It is used for medicine to disappear like Egbe.

Another Odu tells of the story that in the beginning there were 16 male spirits and Osun, a female spirit believe to be the source of all life from the meaning of her name. The Igbos also believe Ala, a female spirit was mother Earth. This goes to prove that Original African Information Retrieval Systems tallys with modern science which ties the beginning of humanity to a single woman.

Our Information Retrieval Systems Ifa/Afa also talk of our cultural linkages in the evolutionary story of how Obatala, the oldest of God’s spiritual family, was sent to solidify the Earth surface and transform his human spirit into the physical beings.

On getting to Earth, he drank Palm wine and slept off. God then turned to Obatala’s younger spiritual brother, Oduduwa and sent him to do the task, which he did to become the first human. Oduduwa is the progenitor of Yoruba, while Obatala is the progenitor of Igbos.

This closeness in their mythological evolutionary transformation is reflected in their genetic and cultural closeness as now proven with scientific evidence, which shows that the ancients never forgot their true history and were only confused by the Eurocentric scholars.

As always, you always find that Yoruba and other Original African groups have conceptualized practically every human study in their 16 sector binary system.

Just as Ifa is the foundation of the current Computer technology, Shangos was an example of the highest form of morality and justice, Oya is for revolution, Osanyin and Soponna explains medicine, we also have the evolutionary science in our intellectual body of works.

There is absolutely nothing new in the world. The Europeans just repackage elements of Ifa, the oldest knowledge bank.

Source: www.aumedia.info

The Post-Apartheid South-Africa: What Can We Do About It?

In the midst of the political confusion that has gripped our country, many people are wondering if we have come to the end of South Africa.

The answer is simple: The thing called an "end" does not exist, not in relation to a country. SA will be there long after Jacob Zuma is gone.

What Zuma has done, is to make us come to the realisation that ours is just another African country, not some exceptional country on the southern tip of the African continent.

During the presidency of Nelson Mandela and Thabo Mbeki, some among us used to believe that the black people of SA are better than those of other African countries.

We must all thank Zuma for revealing our true African character; that the idea of rule of law is not part of who we are, & that constitutionalism is a concept far ahead of us as a people.

How else are we to explain the thousands of people who flock to stadiums to clap hands for a president who has violated their country's constitution? Such people have no idea of constitutionalism.

Now that we have reclaimed our place as another African country, we must reflect on & come to terms with our real character, and imagine what our future portends.

In a typical African country, ordinary people don't expect much of politicians, because people get tired of repeated empty promises.

In a typical African country, people have no illusions about the unity of morality and governance. People know that those who have power, have it for themselves & their friends and families.

The idea that the state is an instrument for people's development, is a Western concept, and has been copied by pockets of Asian countries.

Africans & their leaders don't like to copy from the West. They are happy to remain African, & do things "the African way".

The African way, is rule by kings, chiefs & indunas, in a setting of unwritten rules. Is there anyone who has seen a book of African customary laws?

The idea that a commoner can raise questions about public money spent on the residence of a king, is not African. The ANC MPs who have been defending Zuma, are true Africans.

Asking a ruler to be accountable is a foreign - Western - idea. In a situation where there is conflict between a ruler and laws, Africans simply change the laws to protect the ruler. This is why no single white person has called for King Dalindyebo to be released from jail.

The problem with clever blacks, is that they think they live in Europe,where ideas of democracy have been refined over centuries.

What we need to do is to come back to reality, and accept that ours is a typical African country. Such a return to reality will give us a fairly good idea of what SA's future might look like.

This country will not look like Denmark. It might look like Nigeria, where anti-corruption crusaders are an oddity. Being an African country, ours will not look like Germany. SA might look like Kenya, where tribalism drives politics.

People must not entertain the illusion that a day is coming when SA will look like the USA. Our future is more on the side of Zimbabwe, where one ruler is more powerful than the rest of the population. Even if Julius Malema were to become president, it would still be the same.

African leaders don't like the idea of an educated populace, for clever people are difficult to govern. Mandela and Mbeki were themselves corrupted by Western education. (Admission: this columnist is also corrupted by such education.)

Zuma remains African. His mentality is in line with Boko Haram. He is suspicious of educated people; what he calls "clever blacks". Remember that Boko Haram means "Against Western Education".

The people who think we have come to the end of SA, don't realise that we have actually come to the beginning of a real African country, away from the Western illusions of exceptionalism. Those who are unsettled by this true African character need help. The best we can do for them is to ask them to look north of the Limpopo River, to learn more about governance in Africa.

What makes most people restless about the future of SA, is that they have Western models in mind, forgetting that ours is an African country.

The idea that a president can resign simply because a court of law has delivered an adverse judgment is Western. Only the Prime Minister of Iceland does that; African rulers will never do that.

Analysed carefully, the notion of SA coming to an "end" is an expression of a Western value system - of accountability, political morality, reason, and so on.

All these are lofty ideas of Socrates, Kant, Hegel, and so on. They are not African.

All of us must thank Jacob Zuma for introducing us to the real African Republic of South Africa, not some outpost of European values.

By Prince Machela of THE SOWETAN TIMES

Being Nigerian Outside Nigeria: An Extra Burden

Visiting Austria for the first time and realizing that the police officers are particularly interested in the same set of people: The Nigerians. I’ve been in and out of South Africa for the last five years. On my first arrival in Johannesburg, January 2014, I was welcomed at the airport by Fr. Terry Nash. He was smiling, I was smiling, too. I was in the company of six other guys who introduced themselves – from Delta State, Akwa-Ibom, Benue, Anambra, etc.

It got to my turn and I said IMO. Fr. Nash’s smile ripened into a giggle, “I have heard about Imo, I met many people from Imo State because I’ve been in prison ministry. Nigerians generally make up a high population in the prison here. And the Imo guys make the church in prison so vibrant, those guys are great”, he said, still smiling. My own smile had left me. Years later I would find myself suffering what seems like a stigma that comes with being Nigerian. Every time I found myself in the airport, my identity as a Nigerian is a source of worry: being asked to step aside for extra questions, being delayed by extra protocol because I’m Nigerian. Three years ago I was returning to Nigeria on holiday. There was small chaos at the airport: the noise of police whistles and the barking of police dogs filled the air, “get that man”, a chubby white policeman was screaming. “Somebody has been caught with drugs again”, an unknown Black man quickly hinted me, “it is these Nigerians”. I quickly became furious.

“You can’t be sure it’s a Nigerian”, I retorted. Well, the guy was caught. Behold, he had a strong Nigerian accent while he was begging the policemen, and had the angled shape of my head: Igbo, with a rosary on his neck. I gave up on defending Nigerians’ reputation.

I gave up because shortly after a Nigerian family volunteered to do clean up in a certain Catholic parish in Johannesburg, the police stormed into the church one day and found drugs hiding behind the terbanacle. I gave up when a Nigerian asked by an immigration officer to step aside, was scolding the officer for delaying him and raining legal threats, “I know my rights, you can’t keep me this long”, only for the immigration officer to find that his documents had all been forged.

Once, on returning to South Africa from Nigeria I was with an old Yoruba woman who couldn’t speak or read English, her son in Pretoria had a newborn baby. She had been invited, they somehow succeeded in making her a passport and got her a visa. She couldn’t read anything or understand any information at the airport, so I helped her because my Yoruba is fluent. When finally we reached Johannesburg the immigration officers had questions about some “strange” things in her bag. I told them those were cooking ingredients, I was the translator between her and the officers. Soon she became worried and whispered into my ear, “Eyi n di isoro. Fun won ni five hundred naira” (this is becoming a problem, give them five hundred).

“Won o kiin gba five hundred (they don’t accept N500”, I replied.

“Oya fun won ni one thousand” (then give them one thousand). She squeezed a wrinkled one thousand naira note into my hand. I told her they do not use naira here. “haaaaaah” her mouth opened. I expected that, I smiled.

Bribe is a Nigerian culture, even our old people believe it works, and that there is no other way of moving past an obstacle aside from bribe, there is no other means of progress asides bribe. Bribe is a Nigerian salvation.

Weeks later I had a Nigerian friend who was in dire need. He lived with me, he talked about his two million naira which he was expecting from Nigeria, with many proves of the availability of the money. So he borrowed six thousand rand from me. My friend, it’s now more than two years, he never paid. He fled to someplace else and never returned my calls. I learned later he had borrowed also from a Kenyan who was our neighbor, and this neighbor kept asking where my ‘brother’ was. Until today he never paid, and it doesn’t prick his conscience.

It’s important for we Nigerians to ask ourselves serious questions. What is the most important thing to a Nigerian? What kind of factors in our childhood makes us desperate and dangerously competitive? Sometimes we are under the pressure of our parents and peers to “prove ourselves”.

When the average Nigerian travels abroad he doesn’t travel to merely make a livelihood. His plan is to outshine his peers. I do not find this common among South Africans. They’re usually satisfied, they just want to have what they need, they don’t kill themselves over what is beyond them.

The first time I had a drive to Durban with a senior brother from Mariannhill we saw a Nigerian suspiciously passing a tightly-folded bag from under the counter, then they made signs to each other, then he sneaked out. Another man entered and sneakily collected it.

The Zambian brother tapped my back, “drugs, they are your brothers”. The saddest thing is that those who choose to talk about this are attacked and bullied on social media, they are regarded as unpatriotic citizens. Because Nigerian morality ends with sex and marriage. Finished. Talk about issues on human sexuality and you’ll see the bible-thumping Nigeria saying, “hellfire, Adam and Steve, weapons of the devil, it is not our culture”, but bribery is our culture. Everything else asides from sexual activity is survival, so it’s unofficially acceptable. Our mouths are sharp when HIV is mentioned, we often think we are very moral. What shall it profit a virgin who is a thief? Nigerian morality is faux.

“What is your brother doing in Malaysia?” “He is hustling”, that is all you can say. He’s just hustling. He comes back to Nigeria and does Thanksgiving and the priest blesses him with chasuble spread out. He pays his tithes and gives huge offerings, and his name is announced in church. But nobody notices that poor man at the corner of the church who is a gateman and gives his offering from the little he earned through honest work.

What is your brother doing in Dubai? You give random and vague answers: He’s trying to find something, we are praying he succeeds, please put him in prayer. You know that kind of prayer, right?

A South African Bishop once made a joke, “it is easier to trust a stone than to trust a Nigerian. You keep a stone on this table, you’ll still find the stone when you come back. Keep a Nigerian and come back later, the Nigerian is gone”. And yet we wonder why religious orders outside Africa are afraid of considering Nigerian applications. Our brothers who were admitted into American dioceses arrived at the airport and then ran away.

I visited a church in Johannesburg where I heard during the announcements that the guy who teaches the altar servers had been shot dead. A Nigerian. Later the circumstances surrounding his death did not match with a person who would teach mass servers how to serve Holy Mass.

It should make us ask questions about what we value the most as Nigerians: religion or integrity? Perhaps something is wrong with how we have been evangelized.

Back home in Nigeria, Nigerians who are not corrupt are seen as fools by their fellow Nigerians. Their wives mock them. Those Nigerians who studied abroad and now see the world differently, hardly ever come close to political offices in Nigeria, they just won’t fit in. And yet we love Jesus the most, we are the bastion of faith in Africa.

Do you know why your visa has been rejected many times? It’s because your passport is a Nigerian passport. Ask your friend from Tanzania, he’ll tell you how easy it is for him to get a visa.

Do you know why your admission into that European University is taking long? It’s because they’re still investigating your documents to be sure that they’re not fake. Ask your South African friend, he already got an admission.

Now that a new word has been added into the Oxford Dictionary “Nigerian Scam” (please google it) we can be sure that our position in the world is in the first place. Think Nigerian, but let it be that your reputation is important.

Identify as Nigerian, but make sure those who come after you are not denied privileges because of you. Because of those who represent us positively around the globe, because of the many Nigerians who work to earn their living, I am proudly Nigerian. I am proudly Nigerian, because Pius Adesanmi was, Chinua Achebe was, because Anthony Cardinal Okogie is, because Chimamanda Adichie is, because Fela Kuti was, because of people such as Flora Nwapa, Ben Okri, Dora Akunyuli, Bishop Hassan Kukah, etc. There are many models you could choose from instead of adding to our dirty script. Save other Nigerians from stigma, be true.

Dare Babarinsa is a Renowned Journalist, Columnist, Historian, and Author.

Ifa Olokun asorodayo is time specific!

We are at the end of the 2000yr Olokun/Pisces era of maritime trade, religious and political dogma, and moving into the new 2000yr Shango/Aquarius era of Justice, internet-based economy, and other electromagnetic innovations.

During the last 2000yrs, Ifa our knowledge bank was converted into religious dogma, just like Eurasians that copied it during the Axial Age between 700 and 200BC converted it into Abrahamic religious dogma. Humanity is now moving into a different and higher global consciousness that will strip away the dogma and selective Justice, aided by the internet and digital economy.

Far away from Ifa arts, which is currently prevalent, Ifa started as a science, the observation of natural laws and phenomenon, at least from when Yoruba and San Pygmies separated around 87,000 years ago according to DNA evidence (S.Mallick 2016 Harvard). This was when humans observed and utilized the fact that Yam, the evolutionary staple food, grew on its own when the tip was discarded, and we began settling down, switching from being hunter gatherers.

In the Kyoto University study by H.Yasuoka (2013), the Wild Yam Question was adequately addressed to prove that Yam was the evolutionary food, which hunter gatherers picked wild. Normally spending about 90 days in makeshift camps to exhaust the wild Yams in area before moving to the next spot, at a point Yorubas realized that the patch where the Yam tips were discarded regenerates Yams for 35yrs for at least 100 people. Those now known as Yorubas and Igbos, the two largest and Oldest full sized human groups, have Yams at the roots of their culture.

Though the domestication of Yams, which Yorubas interpreted as Gba Eni lowo Egbere for lifetime prosperity, might be the first application of the observation of natural laws, aka Science, it didn't stop there. Over tens of thousands of years, we observed natural laws that were spiritually and philosophically represented as Orishas and encoded into our knowledge bank, the Original African Information Retrieval system aka Ifa-Afa-Iha-Eha-Fa.

Our Aworawo, stargazers, observed and understood what is now termed African spiritual science in which planetary bodies emit electromagnetic pulses that make us react in a specific philosophical or spiritual essence. Though we identified over 400 natural phenomenon and their attendant philosophical essences, we gave prominence to those philosophical essences that were cyclical in nature and tied to the various orbits of planetary bodies.

It is certain that these essences and their electromagnetic pulses had been identified by Black Africans overtime thousands of years before the evolution of the White Race, which is just about 7,000yrs ago. Just as the Ancients understood the essence of the Moon and its 28 day evolution now called months, the 13 moons Orbit of the Sun called years, we knew the orbit of the universe was 26,000yrs which was divided into 12 like a clock or calendar to form a Great Year of approximately 2000yrs, each representing a global consciousness tied to Orishas. However to read Great Years, you read the current calendar format backward since it was based on the Moon and not the Sun.

History puts the start of human civilization at about 10,000BC, which is long after our 87,000BC evolution, but before Europe evolution 7,000yrs ago from the Andronovo mountain cave complex. The 10,000BC start is the Age of Orunmila/Leo based on the Sun and its essences of creation, creativity, wisdom etc. Orunmila is the progenitor of Ifa. When this 2000yr Orunmila era ended we moved into the Age of Yemoja/Cancer based on the observation of the Moon and its essences which was physically observed to have a pull on all waters, from the oceans high tides linked to the full moon, the menstrual cycles of women, and behavioral patterns as blood rushed into our heads. This was the birth of the lunar calendar of which Yoruba calendar is 10,600 plus years.

The Yemoja Age (8000-6000BC) was followed by the Age of Esu/Gemini based on the observation of planet Mercury, the next to Sun through which all must pass to get to Orun (Sun)/Orun (heaven)/Orunmila(Ifa), therefore with the essence of Information, prophets and information systems. Jesus was the Son of the Virgin, Virgo, the month tied to Esu influences. Esu essences are reflected in two zodiac signs/months, Virgo and Gemini, and those born with Virgo essence have their work with Shango (Justice) and those born with Gemini essences have their work cut out in Oya (revolutionary change). During the Age of Esu, 6000BC to 4000BC, Ifa became a full systematic knowledge bank that emitted 256 electromagnetic pulses, which recently became the origin of computers.

The next 2000yr age was that of Osun/Taurus whose essences was based on the planet Venus, the next to Mercury. Osun essences were fertility, beauty and financial systems between outposts that spread out of Africa through Ethiopia land bridge into Mesopotamia/Arab along Southern Asia to South China. It was this period that the White Race evolved.

The following 2000yr era was that of Ogun/Aries based on the planet Mars and its essence of positive action and war. This era brought the White Races bows, arrows and horse chariots to overwhelm Yoruba/Black civilizations of Southern Asia - Elam, Indus Valley Civilization, Southern China Shang civilization, and eventually ancient Black Egypt.

As recounted in the Bible, Revelations chapters 4 to 6, the first Apocalyptic Horseman was given bow and arrows to take crowns. Ajagungbade. We know our oldest crown is Ade Aare given to Oonirisa by Ogun. One of oldest Iron smelting mines can be found in Lejja Nsukka dated 1900BC and its surrounding blacksmiths economy of Nri.

As Whites moved from the Central Asian mountain cave complex to overrun ancient Black civilizations based on Ifa in Indus Valley civilization and Europe, attracted by the food and gold surpluses of Original African frontier empires, the Greeks eventually overran Black Egypt, and the Roman's overwhelmed Black Carthage and the rest of Black North Africa.

The First Axial Age theory shows that between 800BC and 200BC Eurasians that had overwhelmed the Black civilizations all adopted the exisiting natural laws encoded in Ifa. In Indus Valley, it was recorded in the Rig Veda which later became Hinduism, Buddhism, Taoism and others in Eurasia. Jews adopted the existing global knowledge bank of Original Africans when they wrote their first 5 books while enslaved in Mesoptamia/Babylon/modern day Iraq.

As we approached the new 2000yr era of Olokun/Pisces, the Greeks ruling Egypt commissioned the Jews to write the first books of the Bible covering the evolution of humanity and civilization in Greek at Alexandria library in Egypt. This narrative was spread to Ethiopia successfully as its ruling class switched from Erecha/Orisha institutions to Abrahamic institutions.

When the Roman's took over as the leading empire at the beginning of the new and now outgoing 2000yr Age of Olokun, understood from the observation of planet Neptune and its essences of maritime trade, religious and political dogma, drugs, movies and other mind altering devices, Romans were inspired to adopt the Jewish adopted narrative of African Origins as White and spread across the empire to get rid of Black cultural origins and provide a unifying narrative of White supremacy.

Their Christianity was that of Olokun/Pisces as we still see the symbolism of two fishes on Churches and Christian paraphernalia. This was the Age of the Biblical Apocalyptic horseman with a great sword which when inverted became the cross but used as a sword to clear out Original Africans as the Roman Sparta and Islamic Scimitar, which the Bible say take the peace away from Earth. The Romams restarted the calendar to obscure the tens of thousands of years of Black history and accumulation of knowledge based on our observation of natural laws.

To justify their departure from natural laws in order to exploit man and his environment, they propounded racist religious dogma, philosophical theories and selective justice.. The injustice of wars, colonization and neocolonization specifically against Original Africans that had the population, knowledge and resources, resulted in what is now the 2nd Axial Age, as Blacks pushed the concept of Justice from the 1500s transatlantic slave trade and Abrahamic cultural imperialism.

The USA, the self acclaimed bastion of democracy and justice, is as a result of African Americans quest for Justice right from the beginning of USA, but deprived in the 1787 Three Fifths Compromise and still fought for till today as we saw with the Floyd riots last year.

Back home at the heartland of the Black Race, South and Middlebelt Nigeria, Ifa became a religion and we switched from a knowledge-based systems not only as Ifa Olokun asorodayo but also ruled by an Olokun dynasty. As we move towards the new 2000yr era of Shango, which spiritually started in August 11th 1999, intellectually started in December 21st 2020, and will be ignited by Oya from 2023, Ile Ife that had been the source of all global consciousnesses is well placed to usher us into the new Age of Shango with the natural blessing Oonirisa Adeyeye Ogunwusi. The new Age of Shango recounted in the Bible as the Age of the Apocalyptic 3rd Horseman with scales that will restructure justly South oil from Northern Barley/Sorghum is spiritually represented with Oonirisa born in Libra/Osun house of scales with strong Oya and Shango influences.

However it is not enough to be blessed with natural spiritual essences, we Yorubas must know the time we are in and those gone past to gain the wisdom of the heart. We must know that we are entering an age of Justice, which wrongly interpreted by Abrahamists as Judgement Day, despite being a 2000yr era and taught that a day of God/universe is 2000yrs. We must know that we must be just in the coming years or be swept away in the dustbin of history. Apocalypse is about revealed knowledge and those who refuse to accept it being perished. We must identify and differentiate natural laws of retributive justice from the selective messianic Justice of Abrahamic dogma, as shown by the West and Fulani. We must understand that a fight for only Yoruba/Igbo Justice is not universally backed and we must fight for Justice for all by unifying all Original African groups especially those of the South and Middlebelt.

And regards to Ifa Olokun, we must embrace the Ifa being spread by digital economy of Shango in order to continue soro dayo, prosperity. 

Source: https://www.facebook.com/182103189127329/posts/793355968002045/?sfnsn=scwspmo

2021 OJUDE OBA FESTIVAL CANCELLED

AAFIN AWUJALE OF IJEBULAND

AWUJALE STREET, IJEBU ODE

PRESS RELEASE

THE Awujale and Paramount Ruler of Ijebuland, Oba (Dr.) Sikiru Kayode Adetona, has approved the cancellation of the 2021 edition of the Annual Ojude Oba Festival of Ijebu Ode. 

In a Press statement issued by the Coordinator of the Festival and Baagbimo of Ijebu, Chief (Dr.) Fassy Yusuf, the cancellation was attributed to the prevalence of the COVID-19 pandemic, its likely upsurge with the Delta variant and the negligible number of people that had taken the anti-COVID 19 vaccine.

Rather than expose peoples who will converge on Ijebu Ode from all over the world to participate in the ancient and unique socio-cultural and religious festival of the Ijebu nation, with its parade of traditional age groups and the spectacular durbar with unsurpassable equestrian display, to avoidable and preventable health hazards, the monarch directed that the 2021 edition be cancelled. 

This is the second time in its known history of more than one Century that the festival that unites Muslims, Christians, and adherents of other faiths will be cancelled. The Ojude Oba Festival is normally held two days after the Eid-el Kabir (Ileya)

In his message to the Ijebu nation on the occasion of the 2021 Eid-el Kabir (10th of Dhul-Hijja 1442 AH), the monarch thanked his subjects for the peace, progress, and tranquillity pervading Ijebuland. He prayed for additional economic and social prosperity within Ijebuland and charged his people to remain resolute and be optimistic that sooner than later, Ijebu State would become a reality.

Oba Adetona further charged his people and visitors to Ijebuland during and after the festival to ensure they wear their nose masks, wash their hands regularly with soap, keep social and physical distances at public places, get vaccinated against the pandemic, and adhere to other medical protocols as directed by the federal, state, and local government authorities. 

he Awujale thanked all the sponsors of the festival for the mutually beneficial partnerships that have ensured the unparalleled success of the annual festival in the past, while also hoping that the 2022 edition would be a reality. 8

He further thanked his subjects for their unflinching love, affection, loyalty, and solidarity in his sixty-one years on the throne as Awujale and Paramount Ruler of Ijebuland.

Chief Yusuf disclosed that whilst the monarch regrets that COVID-19 would not allow him to host his usual guests and visitors, he assures all that he is in high spirit and will be celebrating the Eid-el Kabir with his family and very few others as dictated by medical protocols. Oba Adetona prayed for the return of peace and prosperity to all troubled areas of our great and beloved country, Nigeria.

(Signed)

CHIEF (DR.) FASSY ADETOKUNBOH YUSUF

Baagbimo of Ijebu and Coordinator, OJUDE OBA FESTIVAL

Mobile: 08033154488, 08056158530, 08096158530

E-mail: drcfassyaoyusuf@gmail.com

Friday, July 15, 2021

IFÁ SAYS: IF YOU ARE ON A JOURNEY TO SPIRITUAL MATURITY YOU MUST BE CAREFUL WITH THE WAY YOU HANDLE SITUATIONS, ELSE, YOUR JOURNEY WILL BE INTERRUPTED

Let's learn from the story of ODIDERE in ÒTÚRÁ ÒSÁ(209 chapter of IFÁ). In this chapter, IFÁ told a story of four birds named: Igun, Akala, Agbe and Odidere. These four birds went to an elderly priest called "Alapanshiki" to master IFÁ.  Alapanshiki initiated Odidere, Agbe, Akala except Igun, but he was already making preparations on initiating Igun.  Because Igun has not been fully initiated, their master "Alapanshiki" couldn't ask him(Igun) to join them on spiritual missions. If they were to go for spiritual works, the priest would take Odidere, Agbe and Akala to go with him, he would ask Igun to stay back and watch the house. This happened for few times and Igun couldn't exercise patience.

One day, Alapanshiki, Agbe, Akala and Odidere went on spiritual journey and they left Igun at home. Igun started searching the house, he wanted to steal his master's most effective charm. The name of the charm was "Do as I say", he has seen his master used it on several occasions and he had seen how effective it was. So he found the charm and flew away with it, he went to another village for settlement. He established himself with the help of the charm, he made himself a priest and people started patronizing him. He was loved by many because of his accurate prophecies, as a result of this, he gained large followers. All of this were the works of the charm.

Now, his master "Alapanshiki" and the rest ọmọ Awo returned from their spiritual journey, and they met the house opened, nobody was in there, they realized Igun left.  Their master started looking for his powerful charm and realized that Igun had stolen it. He was really bittered! He asked the rest ọmọ awo to go search for him and bring him forth. Akala was the first to go, he searched and saw Igun, he saw that igun was already living large, he was wealthy and he had large followers. Akala became angry because he knew the stories of igun, he knew that igun didn't undergo full IFÁ initiation, he knew that igun had no Indepth knowledge of IFÁ, he knew that igun was living on charms. So he started insulting Igun, he exposed him, he told igun's followers not to listen to him. Igun got angry and used the charm to curse Akala, he cursed Akala to fly farrrr to the forest and never return, and it happened exactly the way he said it. That was how Akala's journey to spiritual maturity was interrupted.

The next was Agbe! Agbe went to search for Igun, he saw Igun and his large followers. He became angry too, he insulted igun, he told igun to stop deceiving his followers, he tried to open the eyes of the followers so that they could see that Igun was fake! But the followers never listened! 

Igun became angry and cursed Agbe, he cursed Agbe to fly farrrr to the bush and never return. That was how Agbe's journey to spiritual maturity too was interrupted.

The next was Odidere. Odidere went to ask IFÁ for guidance before embarking on the journey. IFÁ advised him not to insult Igun, he should be gentle with Igun. Odidere complied and went to search for Igun, he found Igun and  he saw how Igun was living a fake life, deceiving followers with his charms. He called Igun and greeted him, he was very gentle with Igun. He told Igun that their master asked him to return the charm, but he said all of these in a calm manner. So Igun was pleased with the way Odidere addressed him, as a result of this, he blessed Odidere, he used the charm to pray for him and that was how Odidere too became wealthy and his journey wasn't interrupted like that of Akala and Agbe.

Question: Why didn't Odidere experience what others experienced? 

Answer: Everything played out well for Odidere because he had a clear sense of direction! he didn't lean on his own understandings, he allowed IFÁ to guide his steps!  The wisdom of IFÁ preserved him. 

This is exactly what is happening in the lives of many today! We have many IGUN amongst us, and we have many who are like Akala and Agbe, but how many Odidere do we have?

By EFE MENA ALETOR

(Ifá Psychology)

International Criminal Court Acknowledges Akintoye, Igboho, 49 Yoruba Groups' Petition Against Buhari, Malami, Buratai, Idris, Adamu, Alli, others

Wants Accused Investigated, Prosecuted, Jailed for Genocide, Crimes Against Humanity.

The International Criminal Court (ICC), on Tuesday July 13th, formally acknowledged receipt of the 27-page petition filed by the Leader of Ilana Omo Oodua, Emeritus Professor Banji Akintoye, Yoruba Activist, Sunday Adeyemo, fondly called Sunday Igboho and other 49 Yoruba Self-Determination Groups Against President Muhammad Buhari, the Minister of Justice and Antoney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, SAN, former Chief of Army Staff, Tukur Buratai and former Inspectors General of Police, Ibrahim Idris and Muhammed Adamu.

In the petition, signed by several leaders of Yoruba Self-Determination Groups and submitted at the ICC on their behalf by an International Lawyer, Aderemilekun Omojola, Esq, the Nigerian Leaders were accused of Genocide and Crimes Against Humanity against the Yoruba People of Ekiti, Oyo, Osun, Ondo, Ogun, Okun Land in Kogi, and Kwara States respectively.

According to a statement made available to Newsmen on Wednesday by the Communications Manager to Akintoye, Mr. Maxwell Adeleye, ANIPR, others who signed the petition with Akintoye and Ighoho are Chief Imam of Yoruba in Ilorin, Kwara State, Shielk Raheem Aduranigba, Leader of Obinrin Oodua Agbaye, Chief Simisade Kuku, Leader of Yoruba Strategy Alliance, Babatunde Omololu, General Secretary of Ilana Omo Oodua, Arc. George Akinola, and 44 others.

Other Nigerian Government Leaders petitioned are Comptroller General of Customs, Hammid Alli, Inspector General of Police, Alkali Baba, Chief of Army Staff, Farouk Yahaya, former Chief of Airforce, Sadiq Abubakar, former Commandant-General of NSCDC, Ahmed Abubakar Audi, Comptroller-General of the Nigerian Immigration Services, Mohammed Babandede and the Current Commandant-General of NSCDC, Abdulahi Gana Muhammadu.

In a letter to the petitioners' Lawyer, the ICC's Head of Information and Evidence Unit of the Office of the Prosecutor, Mr. Mark P. Dilon, wrote that "as soon as a decision is reached to formally commence investigation into this petition, we will inform you, in writing, and provide you, with reasons for this decision.

"This communication has been duly entered in the Communications Register of the Office. We 

will give consideration to this communication, as appropriate, in accordance with the provisions of 

the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court", the letter, reads.

The 27-page petition accused Buhari, Malami, Buratai and others of Genocide offences such as killing members of the petitioners group; causing serious bodily or mental harm to members of the group; deliberately inflicting on the group conditions of life calculated to bring about physical destruction in whole or in part.

They were also accused of Crimes against Humanity, such as Murder, Deportation or forcible transfer of population, Torture, Rape, Sexual Slavery and other forms of Sexual Violence of comparable gravity.

Wednesday July 14th, 2021

SOUTH AFRICA: RIOT, LOOTING & CIVIL UNREST

The greatest failure in Africa is that despite our education, our minds have not been liberated. Yes, if education is the liberation of the mind, our tethered affinity to norms and dogmas has shown that we are packing certificates but our minds remain lost in the past. From Nigeria to South Africa to Kenya, Africa has failed to rise.

When your kinsman steals, it is your tribe’s turn and he must not be prosecuted. So, criminality is looked at from the lens of tribalism making it difficult for objectivity. You can never get a cryolite until you crack the shells of the periwinkle. This world has many bad people!

What we are seeing in South Africa is very unfortunate. But before you think the Westerners are better, I want to remind you what happened under President Trump and how the supposedly civilized people became thugs on national TVs. The only difference was they had the “right” to cause problems as if they were Africans or Mexicans, blood would have filled the streets of Washington DC.

Then, football happened in London and three African Europeans missed penalties, denying England the rise to the ascension. Just like that, murals were defaced.

People, this world is the same and humans are really funny. But South Africa is redefining how low we can go! The protests MUST stop. 

By Professor Ndubuisi Ekekwe

JUST PONDER ON THIS

There is no culture in the world that can experience the denigration of its cultural institutions on its soil by an institution and still be as accommodating to such people as the Yoruba Traditionalists are to Christianity and Islam.

You can say on Yoruba land that "Èṣù pofo", that is, Èṣù fails. 

You can say on Yoruba land that Ifá tí kò ríran, that is, Ifá is Blind. 

You can even have a whole broadcasting station and company ensuring the sustenance of such narrative on Yoruba land and still do well in the business without any religious bigot coming at you with a knife or a gun threatening to kill you in the name of Ifá or Èṣù.

But could you guys please try a 3 months crusade in Saudi Arabia saying "Mohammed Pofo", that is "Mohammed fails", 

Just a trip to Saudi Arabia to start a two months seminar around the TV stations in Saudi Arabia evangelizing them on how stupid it is to stone the Kabbah and watch the rage that will be decended upon you.

Perhaps, we should attempt to institutionalize the teaching of the history of Roman brutality to Roman children and showing movies of a Jesus as a leader of a rebellious gang, one who always drank and never orderly. He was later mercilessly killed after he had declared that he will rise on the third day. Then we should paint the story of the greatest fraud in history as Christianity, let's broadcast that in the UK, USA and Rome...

Let's just assume the result. 

Ordinary financial regulation in Nigeria, somebody wanted to open the gates of hell.

Do you know how many Pastors and Alfas and Alhajis come to meet Babaláwos that the Babaláwo doesn't advertise? 

Do you know how many solutions Babaláwos produce without giving anyone microphone to go and share the testimony, It will be boring if such should start! Melo melo nise Ifá lagbaye?

The one who has the substance doesn't go around demarketing other items.

Let's respect Ìṣẹ̀ṣe, clearly, Ìṣẹ̀ṣe Làgbà.

By Ayobami Ogedengbe 

Copyright: © 2021

OONI Commissions IFE GRAND RESORT on Friday, unveils 3000 Seater MICE Centre, OSTRICH HUB, INDUSTRIAL Park

The Arole Oduduwa & Ooni of Ife, Ooni Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi Ojaja II, would on Friday 16 July , 2021  lead top dignitaries including the Governor, State of Osun, Alhaji Gboyega Oyetola, to officially launch Ife Grand Resort & Industrial Park in Ile-Ife.

1. In a statement signed by his Director of Media and Public Affairs, Comrade Moses Olafare, the Grand Resort, located beside the tollgate on the Ife-Ibadan expressway is a brand new city of hubs driven by urban renewal initiatives of the Ooni Ogunwusi to serve as the hub for sustainable development,  fountain of employment generation, radar of  empowerment and satellite for branding and showcasing the cultural heritage and value of Ile-Ife the source and natural headquarters of  the Oduduwa race globally.

According to the press release, the huge investment is a legacy project embarked upon by Ooni Ogunwusi for urban renewal and redevelopment into the current smart city global requirements in the selfless spirit of 'Charity Begins At Home'.

The Ife Grand Resort and Leisure which is planted on over 1000 acres of land will aside from offering facilities for exquisite lodging/accommodation, harbour multiple industrial parks with pockets of industries currently producing many  industrial and agricultural products as well as rendering essential  services to the resort, the  Ife community and Nigeria.

Sitting comfortably within the Ife Grand Resort which is a focal attraction on Friday is the 3000 seating capacity Meeting Incentives Conference and Event(MICE) Centre branded 'Ojaja Arena', a complex of architectural wonder planted by Ooni  Ogunwusi to add value of relevance to urban renewal in Ile - Ife.

Ooni Ogunwusi disclosed that he deliberately brought the 3000 seating capacity event centre to make Ile-Ife the epicentre of MICE in Africa, saying that the 'Ojaja Arena' has been configured and positioned with all facilities to satisfy demands of Meetings , Incentives, Conference and Event adding that it would also shore up intellectual and congregational activities in Ile Ife, the ancient source of mankind.

"We are building a brand new city driven by  urban renewal initiative. The Ojaja Arena is basically not built for social activities but a centre for training and manpower development for youths in this country, considering Ile-Ife to have over 500 thousand students of  about 20 tertiary institutions; Universities, Polytechnics, Colleges of Education and Schools of Nursing within 100km radius surrounding Obafemi Awolowo University built at the nucleus Centre in Ife over 60 years ago.

The question in my lips has been, what will these young vibrant youths will be doing after tertiary institutions, the best bet is to set up a hub that is technology friendly to boost and drive small and medium scale industries within our country Nigeria by creating a smart city for them to display whatever they can do to become employers of labour after graduation. It is a sad truth that no industries to employ them all. We can only encourage them to create industries for and by themselves because that is the reality on ground". Ooni said.

The natural traditional head of the House Oduduwa worldwide also revealed that "One of the industrial parks within the Ife Grand Resort Colony, the  Adire hub has engaged 50 people, empowered over 150 others and  started producing adire in bales  which are being exported  to foreign countries.

He also disclosed that one of the agricultural parks  which specializes in rearing of Ostriches  has also employed another set of 40 staff who have started rearing Ostriches in an unprecedented manner with the vision to produce ostrich hides and skin in high commercial quantity for export purposes.

The Co-chairman, National Council of Traditional Rulers of Nigeria(NCTRN) revealed that the various industrial parks have started receiving collaboration and acknowledgement from Africas in diaspora who are willing and ready to train and empower interested individuals in various segments of the park.

"We have received pledges for training and exchange programs between the Brazilian, Cuban and other governments in the carribeans towards the empowerment of Nigerian youths both the male and female folks for post- COVID -19 empowerment action plan".

"We are occupying over 1,000 acres, we are building a brand new city that Urban renewal and it is going to be a itech environment, it is a smart city that will have a hub, industrial hub, Ostrich farming hub, Adire Hub, Green farming, Sport Academy, film and entertainment village. The resort it is a culture and tourism destination that is close to nature. You don't even have to move around the country."

"What we're doing is to replicate this, we have already commenced in Ondo, Oyo and Lagos states and we shall be launching these projects concurrently. It is a means of creating an avenue for our young minds to see Nigeria from a positive perspective, so we're creating a country from a country.

"A country in the sense that is a localized environment, for them to be there and be successful and reach out to the world like the typical Adire hub that we have done we are exporting to 25 countries now. We are shipping to everywhere in the world and we have agents all over.

"We started that one just three months ago and it is fast gaining global recognition, the same we are going to start organic remedies (Our herbal medicinal products recently launched strategically with YEMKEM). We'll soon have a factory here from where we'll send it to the world.

"So it is an industrial park that is fintech driven and it is through fintech that we're even selling what we are selling at the hub. They place orders from anywhere globally and we ship to them, life is easy for everybody.

"There is equally the African village that reminds us of our ancient ways of living and yet bring it to the modern world, everything that has to do with pan African is there. Then the sporting arena is another industry that is huge, we would have a mini camp for training and development in the sporting world. We are going to have an 18 hole  Golf Course." Ooni said.

The resort is scheduled to  host the Grand reception aspect of the installation activities for the Iyalaje of Oduduwa Race worldwide to be conferred on the Lagos business magnate cum philanthropist  Princess (Dr.) Toyin Kolade by the Arole Oduduwa, Ooni Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi Ojaja II, the Ooni of Ife on Saturday.

Ataoja announces dates for 2021 Osun Osogbo Festival activities as grand finale holds August 13

Ataoja of Osogbo, Oba Jimoh Oyetunji

The Ataoja of Osogboland, His Royal Majesty, Oba Jimoh, Oyetunji (Olaonipekun Larooye II) has announced dates for the activities lined up to mark the 2021 edition of the Osun Osogbo Festival; an over 600 year old international heritage cultural tourism event celebrated as the annual sacrifice to the Osun River Goddess.

A statement released by the Managing Consultant to the Osun Osogbo Festival, Toye Arulogun, on Monday said that the Ataoja of Osogboland has announced that the two week long festival will commence on Monday the 2nd of August 2021 with the traditional cleansing of the town called ‘Iwopopo’, which is followed in three days by the lighting of the 500-year-old sixteen-point lamp called ‘Ina Olojumerindinlogun’.

The statement further disclosed that Monday 9th August 2021 is scheduled for ‘Iboriade’, a unique assemblage and display of the crowns of the past Ataojas of Osogbo, for blessings, explaining that this event would be led by the sitting Ataoja of Osogbo, the Arugba, Yeye Osun and a committee of priestesses.

According to the statement, “Friday 13th August will witness the grand finale which is the sacrificial offering by “Arugba” at the Osun Osogbo Sacred Grove inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2005.

“Other activities of the festival which are of immense benefit to the tourism sector of Nigeria include Ifa Arugba, Orun Odo, Ajigun, Ifa Agbalu and Ifa Dida.

“The Osun Osogbo Festival is the biggest annual religious festival among the Yoruba people and serves as a strong unifying factor for indigenes of Osogboland, during which irrespective of the different social, economic, religious and political convictions of the people, they all come together annually to celebrate the festival.

Adesina sends message to Nigeria’s leaders on stopping breakup agitations

AFDB President Akinwumi Adesina gave an impassioned speech at the graduation ceremony of American University of Nigeria on Saturday, advising Nigeria’s leaders on how the country’s diversity can best be managed to stop the agitations for secession.

He used the example of Singapore, a multi-ethnic, multi-religious nation like Nigeria, to drive home his point.

He urged the young graduates to turn the page in order to forge a new Nigeria, without the old prejudices.

Adesina argued that diversity should not be Nigeria’s problem, it should rather be its strength.

He thus urged leaders at the helm of affairs to address the fundamental reasons for agitations, by listening, understanding, removing prejudices, and allowing for open, national dialogues, without preconditions, but with one goal: build one cohesive, united, fair, just and equitable nation for all, not for a few or for any section of the nation or religion.

Excerpts from the convocation lecture:

Nigeria is blessed with incredibly rich diversity: of people, of cultures, of religions, of mineral resources, oil, and gas, an amazingly rich biodiversity, that should make us the envy of the world. We are blessed with abundantly diverse agro-ecologies, that should also make us a land of bountiful harvests with capacity to feed Africa.

We are a religious nation, so we should understand that God loves diversity. The diversity of rich and brilliant colours that we see in our forests, oceans, seas, and in flora and fauna, reflect the beauty of the Creator.

Therefore, our diversity is not our problem. Diversity is our strength.

But when mismanaged, diversity becomes divergence. Rather than unite, we become splintered, with each entity believing that, somehow, it is better without the other.

We must manage diversity for collective good.

Take Singapore as a case in point.

It is a very diverse, multi-ethnic, multi-cultural, multi-religious society, made up of Chinese, Malay, Indian and Eurasians. Singapore is a nation of diverse people and national origins.

Yet, this nation was able to forge a unified identity that has powered its extraordinary economic progress and development.

Think of it: Chinese represent 74%, Malay, 13.4%, Indian, 9.0%, and others, 3.2%.

Think of their religious diversity: Buddhism ((33%), Taoism and folk religion (10%), Christianity (18%), Catholicism (6.7%), Protestants and non-Catholics (12%), Not religious (18.5%), Muslims (14%), and Hinduism (5%).

There is religious harmony, not religious supremacy, or polarization.

The people see themselves first as Singaporeans!

At its independence in 1965, Singapore’s per capita income was just $517 compared to $1,400 for Nigeria at its independence in 1960.

Today, the story is different. The per capita income of Singapore is now $60,000. Today, the per capita income for Nigeria is $2,250.

This highly diverse nation now ranks 4th in the world in terms of GDP per capita, with massive wealth and prosperity for its people.

The evidence is clear.

Singapore managed its diversity to create wealth — shared wealth.

By better managing its diversity, Singapore has been able to forge an incredible economic growth, which benefits all in the country.

They have 100% access to electricity and 98% access to water and sanitation. Their schools rank among the best in the world.

Today, Singapore is a AAA-rated economy by the global credit rating agencies.

But Singapore did not have it easy either.

They faced challenges, just like we are facing in Nigeria today. They had very divisive ethnic and race riots in the 1960s that almost pulled the nation apart. But they overcame this by getting some things right.

They focused on fusion of national purpose and identity.

They put in place cultural policies that ensured no one ethnic group or the other dominates or assimilates others, but rather, promotes multiculturalism.

They put in place a constitution that reinforced national fusion. Article 12 of the constitution forbids discrimination based on race, descent or place of birth. It reads, “We the citizens of Singapore, pledge ourselves as one united people, regardless of race, language and religion, to build a democratic society based on justice and equality”.

It goes on to say, “there shall be no discrimination against citizens of Singapore on the grounds only of religion, race, descent or place of birth in any law or in the appointment to any office or employment under a public authority or in the administration of any law relating to the acquisition, holding or disposition of property or the establishing or carrying on of any trade, business, profession, vocation or employment”.

What is the lesson here?

The Singaporean society is based on meritocracy, not aristocracy or ethnocracy or religiocracy.

Any society where meritocracy is subjugated to aristocracy, ethnocracy or religiocracy eventually tends towards mediocrity.

Nigeria must learn from this experience and forge a new way of engaging among its diverse ethnic groups and religions.

Nigeria must start managing its diversity for prosperity.

We must drive for national cohesion, not ethnic nationalities.

We must address the fundamental reasons for agitations, by listening, understanding, removing prejudices, and allowing for open, national dialogues, without preconditions, but with one goal: build one cohesive, united, fair, just and equitable nation for all, not for a few or for any section of the nation or religion.

A nation, unified by a sense of common wealth, not a collage of ethnic nationalism. A nation driven my meritocracy, not ethnocracy, religiocracy or aristocracy.

One of the things that Singapore did well was to have four national languages: English, Malay, Mandarin and Tamil. Nigeria needs to put in place the compulsory teaching of its major languages in schools, from primary through universities, to ensure multilingualism, cross-cultural understanding, and to build a strong socio-cultural capital that unifies.

The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) was a very good idea: it allowed graduates from tertiary institutions to have one year of national service, largely (ideally) outside of their places of origin.

The real test, however, of “national service” is that it often revealed the lack of diversity. After one year of service the NYSC graduates are often not able to gain employment in governments where they served, simply because they are not indigenes of those States.

That in itself, is an irony!

The young graduates are strangers in their own country. A country they pledged to serve. opportunity is denied just because they were not born in those states! Even if they were born in those states, they are told to return to the States of their origin.

Yet, their origin is Nigeria, not their States!

In Nigeria, regardless of how long you have resided in any place, you cannot run for political offices in those states or locations, just because you were not born there. State governments, therefore, largely reflect nativism not residency, which further sends a message to non-indigenes that they do not belong.

Over time, this has created greater insularism, splintering, a lack of inclusiveness, the promotion of ethnic and religious chauvinism, instead of promoting national cohesion, trust and inclusiveness.

This needs to change.

Governments must be open to representation based on nationality not on ethnicity, to build a society of mutual trust, where diversity is well managed.

Unless someone can live in any part of the nation, work within the laws and not be discriminated against, based on religion, race or culture, or place of birth, they will always be strangers in the nation.

I love the Nigerian National Anthem. My favourite stanza is the one that says, “to build a nation, where peace and justice shall reign”.

I get emotional whenever I sing it. I remember when I was a Federal Minister, each time we gathered at the Federal Executive Council and had to sing, or at any other function strong emotions would well up within me, for a nation I love, serve, and will always serve, selflessly.

I know that we can be better than we are. We have everything and every reason to be.

For Nigeria to be all that it can be, the youth of Nigeria must be all they can be.

By PM News