Yoruba-Herders Saga: What Does Oluwo Want?

By Alli Ibraheem

As a student of literature, as critical and complex the diction of William Shakespeare is, he remains one of my favourite author. I enjoy his literary appreciation and artistic angle of stories. Only critical thinkers will give appropriate meaning to his texts at first reading. Many will have to read severally and crack 🧠 before giving appropriate meaning.

The same could be said of Oluwo, the paramount ruler of Iwoland, HIM Oba Abdulrosheed Adewale Akanbi. Watch him, his approaches are peculiar. He trust his ways and provide convincible excuse to defend his actions. He opines the products of the old ways of addressing societal and traditional issues have not been productive, calling for holistic approach blend with modern obtainable. For this, many have called him names while others, supposedly the enlightened conceive his message and clap for the importance.

I may not be close to all but I read about many stakeholders who are proponents of Yorubba nation. Accept or reject it, Oluwo is an unrepentant promoter of Yoruba agendum and beliefs. I will single him out along a well known Yoruba entrepreneur who has many investments and named them after the founding father of Yoruba nation, Oduduwa, whom we all clamour to establish a nation in his cognomen today. Oluwo will never tell an history without referencing Oduduwa. He went far and named his child Oduduwa. How many of those clamouring for Oduduwa nation ever named, at least, a unit of their investment or even child Oduduwa? How many of them could tell about Oduduwa? How many could effectively and efficiently lead like Oduduwa? I want to challenge them to instead call for virile leadership has done by Oduduwa and stop beating the drum of war.

Recently, the Oluwo has issued many press statements on the frequent Yoruba-Herders clashes most especially in the South West. At the rear of the crisis in Igangan in Oyo State, Oluwo kept his silence except his commiseration with the family of the deceased most especially the Yorubas. He called for holistic probe of the incidence.

At a later day, Oluwo sensed the direction of the aggravating tension promoted by certain people that could amount to inter ethnic war. It is then Oluwo rose . He never rose to subjectively defend the Fulanis but rather to call for peace. He called for peace not as a coward but sustain the sacrifices of our forefathers who were innocently consumed by the agitation for the creation of one Nigeria. To interest the graves of competent leaders innocently killed in the coup. And to challenge failed minds who think separation is an action of the mouth.

Nigeria may wish to break but this is an inappropriate time. We can but breaking apart without an established template is a failure. You condemned leaders but our approach to take over is a dislocated failure. I put this to secessionists agitators as their assignment, recall your House of Representatives and Senators in your individual constituency and Senatorial District who go to the Federal Capital Territory first and your Governor who recieved monthly allocation from Abuja. The outcome will interest majority to join you.

Let’s consider the nature and destruction of civil wars. At a war, you have no children, no wife, no food, no shelter, no cloth, no car, no peace, no rest, no sleep. What you have his upheaval, destruction, maiming, killing and worst, parents killing their children to fry as food, children killing parents as food. War knows no one. It is an enemy of human and humanity. No assert in war. Everything will be razed down. It is a total solitary life for the survivals. Oluwo fears no war. But of what justification is tearing our cloth apart at a ripe moment to take charge and make a difference?

A good leader and father will discuss solution not drumming war. Oluwo harps on proffering lasting solution to the Yoruba-Herders clash, advising government to promote ranching development. He suggested selected Fulanis can be sponsored for training on ranching in developed countries. He hope doing this and making education compulsory for all children of herders will decimate the crisis. These are the brilliant ideas of Oluwo.

There are stages of crisis management. A good manager will never confront anger with anger. The delicacy of the moment must be properly monitored. Nigeria is too fragile at the moment to declare war. War against who? Is it against the outsiders or against ourselves, Nigerians?

The Nigerians in diaspora promoting war should come home. Have they forgotten in haste Nigeria is their fathers’ land? They should join the train of war and see who laughs last.

Rather, we should all be critical on government to demand quality governance. The failure of our leaders is metamorphosing into the sorry state we are. We should all try to get involved in the affairs of the nation through active political participation. Many of the so called leaders can’t do more. We’ve seen the best they can do. We should stop blaming Oluwo for calling for peace. We should rather face the elected leaders by demanding quality governance.

A government that fails to provide conducive economic environment and quality education will unavoidably spend on procuring arms to killed those it has failed. We should employ critical approach in appraising opinions of Oluwo just as students of Williams Shakespeare do.

Hold your councilors, your local government chairmen, state honourables, commissioners, governors, House of Representatives, Senators, President etc responsible. Hang in their neck and ensure quality governance are delivered. The solution is not inn having a new nation but in given quality leadership.

Those who make positive changes are always in the good book of history. They may be criticized but history is always right their position.