Akande abiodun

Ya Allah! We know we cannot escape our return to You. Make our deeds acceptable and sins forgiveable. Let our last day be the best day of our lives and admit us, our families, friends and loved ones into Jannatul Firdaus. Ameen

JUMA’AT MUBARAK

*B'OLU BADAN BAKU, TA NI O JOYE?*

Except people in my age bracket and above, many here may not connect with this. But read all the same!

One of the most astounding works of Art from Africa is the Yoruba talking drum. It is an hourglass- shaped wood with an inner cavity, covered on both ends by goat skin, and beaten by a curved stick called gongo. The fact that its pitch can be regulated makes it exceptional as messages to be passed by the drummer to the listeners. There is the Iya Ilu, Omele and gangan with danceable rhythms apart from their messages.

One of the greatest drummers of all times was Oba John Adetoyese Laoye, the late Timi of Ede who reigned from 1946 – 1975. He was not just an Oba but also a drummer with jaw-dropping dexterity which brought him a global fame. He learnt drumming from his maternal home.

In 1955, Obafemi Awolowo’s government popularised Radio system by introducing rediffussion boxes to the Western Region. The boxes attracted people like light does moth, especially during the news hours. The popular tune that heralded the news was a creation of Oba Laoye’s drum in 1956.

MI MI DO DO MI MI, RE MI MI RE DO!

This was given so many interpretations which included:

BOLU BADAN BAKU, TA NI O JOYE? –

Who will ascend the throne when Olubadan passes on.

OJOGEDE DUDU, INU N TA BOUN –

He eats unripe plantain and suffers stomach disturbance

NINU IKOKO DUDU LATI N S'EBE

Soup is prepared from the black pot

KO SO NIGBESE NIBI, LO SILE KEJI -

There is no debtor here, go to the next house.

BELO GBADAMOSI, OLORI OLE –

Belo Gbadamosi - the head robber.

EKO JEBADAN LOWO, THIRTEEN POUNDS –

Lagos owes Ibadan thirteen pounds.

BABA MUKOKO T**I, GBOGBO EYIN JERA

Baba smoked pipe for too long, his teeth got decayed

*AT ANY RATE, WHAT OBA LAOYE FACTUALLY SAID WITH HIS DRUM WAS*–

*"THIS IS WESTERN NIGERIA BROADCASTING SERVICE!"*

Waww! Yoruba l'ewa pupo. O dun gbo, O si dun ka pelu.

Yoruba language portrays beauty, sweet song to the hearing and easy to read.

History of Aare Ona Kakanfo

According to history, the creation of the title of Aare Ona Kakanfo was the direct consequence of the ideas of a former ruler of Old Oyo Empire, Alaafin Ajagbo, who reigned in the 1600s. His predecessors, from Ajaka, who succeeded Sango (the god of thunder), to Aganju, Kori, Oluaso, Onigbogi, Eguguojo, and Orompoto to Abipa and Obalokun, all suffered incessant attacks by neighbouring states.

Aare-Ona-Kakanfo Ajagbo we gathered had a twin brother, Ajampati, and like the Biblical Jacob and Esau, Ajagbo was an outdoorsman, while Ajampati preferred the comforts of the royal court. As a result, Ajagbo, as a prince was part of many military expeditions to fend off invaders, and grew up a warrior, all the while nurturing ideas on how best to deal with military aggression against his kingdom-state. One of the direct results of his ideas when he became Alaafin was the creation of the office and title of Aare Ona Kakanfo, meaning Field Marshal, or Generalissimo of the Yoruba armies.

After creating the Kakanfo title, he invested the holder the command of all his forces, outside Oyo town. For the defence of the Alaafin and Yoruba land, Ajagbo is said to have created a metropolitan force which he placed under the command of the Bashorun.

The installation rites of the Aare Ona Kakanfo are tedious and frightening. The procedures and conventions instituted by Ajagbo and nurtured by succeeding Alaafins were said to be partly responsible for the mystiques surrounding the office and title.

We learnt that during installation, the major rite that must be performed is the administering of two hundred and one (201) incisions on the Kakanfo-designate. The incision is called gbere, in Yoruba, chiefly tiny cuts made with a razor, from the forehead backwards to the waist. Each of the 201 incisions is rubbed with 201 different herbal preparations expected to take the courage and bravery of the Kakanfo to super-human levels. After the incisions, the Kakanfo is “crowned” with a specially-made head-dress, that only him wears as a King of Worriors. It is, in Yoruba, called the Ojijiko. After installation, the Kakanfo leaves Oyo, the Alaafin’s city for his own domain; it is forbidden that the Kakanfo and the Alaafin live together in the same town. It's a taboo for Aare Ona Kakanfo to prostrate for any obas.

A check list of the past holders of the title are- 1. Kokoro Gangan of Iwoye 2. Oyapote of Iwoye 3. Oyabi of Ajase 4. Adeta of Jabata 5. Oku of Jabata 6. Afonja of Ilorin 7. Toyeje of Ogbomoso 8. Edun of Gbogun 9. Amepo of Abemo 10. Kurunmi of Ijaye 11.Ojo Aburumaku of Ogbomoso 12. Obadoke Latoosa of Ibadan 13.Ladoke Akintola of Ogbomoso 14. Moshood Abiola of Abeokuta.

The Myth About Are Kakanfo
Indeed, the title of the Aare Kakanfo has been engulfed in the age long Myth that holders end up being consumed by the office most times in mysterious ways. Of the 14 holders of the title previously before Gani Adams, the first 12, from Kokoro Gangan of Iwoye to Momodu Obadoke Latoosa of Ibadan, were reportedly military commanders. Of these, three had waged wars in the interest of the Yoruba people . These were Kurunmi of Ijaye, Afonja of Ilorin, and Obadoke Latoosa of Ibadan. The succeeding two, Samuel Ladoke Akintola and Moshood Kasimawo Olawale Abiola were civilians.

Whereas the 12 died during war, Akintola was assassinated in a coup in 1966, while Abiola died in mysterious circumstance in the course of his June 12 mandate struggle.

However, with the installation of Adams as the 15th Aare Ona Kakanfo, the people are already setting agenda for him. Archbishop Emeritus Ayo Ladigbolu wants Adams to tackle the issues of peaceful co-existence among diverse etnic nationalities, religious tolerance, national re-orientation, South-West re-orientation and the re-invigoration of the pride of place of Yoruba language and culture.

He stressed that the modern day Kakanfo does not need bows and arrows, guns and daggers, but requires courage, boldness, bravery, focus, application of native intelligence to national and international issues and the brilliance and adaptability to respond to the myriad challenges facing the nation and the world currently.

Let's respect our tradition. Aare Ona Kakanfo is not a chief but King on his own. His crown name called Ojijiko with Staff of office

Ya Allah! On this blessed day, forgive us and bless us with your endless mercy. Enrich us with goodness. Grant us our prayers and forgive our shortcomings. Pardon those who have gone before us. Teach us to always care for one another and protect us from evil.
Ameen

JUMA’AT MUBARAK

My grandfather's house in Esure.

When this house was commissioned in 1955 it was a master piece of art, landmark and status symbol of the owner.

It announced the owner as a very wealthy man in the community.

It is a 12-room affair sitting on about 4plots of land.

When my grandfather moved into the house, he took two rooms above as his parlour and bedroom, gave a room to each of his three wives and ensured that they all lived downstairs. The balance of the four rooms upstairs were taken by his children whom he ensured didn't cohabit with their mothers.

He gave the balance of the three rooms downstairs to relatives whose children lived upstairs with his own children.

By ensuring the children lived with him upstairs he minimized the influence of their mothers on them and engendered childhood bonding amongst all of them.

It was very common to discover that amongst the sibblings there was much greater unity between children of different mothers than those of same mothers.

Our fathers grew up with that love amongst themselves and their cousins with whom they all lived.

The house was totally filled up. Everybody lived in and around Esure.

That is the way it was and I met a great deal of that arrangement.

Today, there is just a SOLE OCCUPANT in this house, my 86-year old uncle. He lives there all by himself!

All the children are scattered all over the cities taking their mother with them,leaving the poor old man with a visiting house help.

I was talking with him just this morning.

I told him: " Baba, do you know that your own Grandfather, Pa Sunmola Babaegbe didn't live this way?. When he was about in his late 70s the man took a young wife to make his number 6. By the time he died at age 94, he had children who were just toddlers. At every point in his life he had a wife and children all hovering around him!"

That was SENSE!

I went on to remind him: " Your own father, Imam Yoonus Adetayo, though he had three wives, in his old age he was practically alone. One of the wives died before him, the other, my own grandmother was almost permanently living with her children and the last wives as just about doing the same thing."

My grandfather lived till 90years of age but he himself was almost always alone in this house save for one of his daughters who on account of some circumstances lived in the house with him.

That daughter was his saving grace otherwise he could jolly well have died a lonely man!

What kind of rubbish is that?

You can then imagine what will happen to men of my generation, today's born-again lovers of monogamy.

I began to recall memories of my childhood in this house.

Very nostalgic!!!

Didn't we have great fun here as children in those days???

The Muslim festival of Eid-el-kabir was something every man, woman and child looked forward to in those days for the people of Esure who were then predominantly Muslims.

In those days, the Eid-El-Kabir [ ILÉYÉ ] was the signal for all family members from far and near to gather with fellow kinsmen in Esure gather.

People came home from as far away as Europe and America. Those four or five days were days you didn't want to miss.

Even Christian members of the family gathered. You were sure to meet as many people as you had wanted to meet.

It was basically the same for Christmas too especially in those quarters with predominant christian population.

It was the opportunity of BONDING for family members. It was the opportunity for family members to seek one form of HELP or the other from their kinsmen.

My grandfather's house could have on a good more than 100 souls camped in it. People slept where they found space. Men go to other houses less occupied to find spaces to sleep.

It was such discomfort that was fun that you joyously lived through and you never thought of it as a discomfort

FOOD was the least of the problem. It was NEVER in consideration. We ate excessively, every single person.

1. Our MOTHERS, aunties and older sisters did ALL THE COOKING for that mass of population coming into and going out of this house. They COOKED ROUND THE CLOCK. Men brought their FIANCEES to this gathering and together the FIANCEES BONDED with the women of the family. In the course of these activities the incoming wives were already under the microscope long before they became itwives. The family got to know them and they do got to know the family!!!

We have stopped all that.

TODAY, we engage women from outside to do the catering for us. The women, girls, fiancees and everyone stayed in-doors waiting to be served.

BONDING LOST.

2. The MEN of the family, our fathers, uncles and older brothers, took care of the Ileya rams. My grandfather particularly liked the rams to be skinned. It was such an Herculean task but who dared to complain? The skins he used as praying mats.

The men did the job efficient while they began to discuss many history stories. Those were the opportunities for us children to hear many of the stories that I talk about today.

We have stopped all that.

TODAY, we engage butchers from outside to do the rams for us. The men and boy are too busy with the WhatsApp and Instagram to have time to waste on rams. These days they even come along smart TV so they hook with the internet. Everyone stayed in-doors to watch TV while waiting to be served meat.

BONDING LOST.

3. CHILDREN were just children in those days. Our chief duty was to PLAY. We joined children from everywhere and at every opportunity to PLAY!!!

On the sallah day when the rams have been slaughtered we lined to get the trophies. It was the horns of the rams. We had to get it for use in another segment of PLAY!

We dressed up and began a tour of visit of houses. We went in entourage visiting uncle's and daddies. We ate ams drank whereever we went, got Ileya meat and when you announced that " sir, we are leaving" you were sure to get parting gift of "Owó Odún"

When you gathered that money at the end of two days it was usually substantial for the level of children. We shared it and each child goes to submit to his mother for "safekeeping"

All that has CHANGED. We have since shot it down.

We don't encourage CHILDHOOD BONDING any more; what with a the CLASS arrogance, you don't want you children associating with those of.less fortunate people.

4. Since yesterday I have been taking mental note of the number of houses LOCKED DOWN in Esure.

Even in the season of Christmas, at least HALF OF THE HOUSES in this town are under LOCK AND KEYS.

These days, even during the Ileya festival, many houses are LOCKED DOWN.

Yes, although the original patriarchs/matriarch of the house has since departed but where are his descendants?

They are in the cities of Lagos, Ibadan, Abuja, London, New York and all the world.

Majority of the ones in the cities of Nigeria have become Born-again Christians or Muslims.

The Pastorpreneurs of the Pentecostal doctrines of Christian and the emergency Uztaz of the Wahhabism doctrnes of Islam have tuned their minds away from their families and homeland.

Do you know that as we speak, Pastor WF Kumuyi practically LOCKS DOWN his congregation between 24th and 26th December of EVERY YEAR? He does same during EASTER. He locks them up at his Deeperlife camp grounds for Prayers.

As we speak there are countless Muslim camps on that Lagos-Ibadan doing exactly the same thing as Pastor Kumuyi.

In their thinking, they are SHIELDING THE "FAITHFULS" away from the temptations connected with the season of Christmas.

You can imagine!!!

The few days of opportunity for men and women to reach out to friends, neighbours and families to do catch up, fraternize and get to know yourselves and probably seek and get help, they will be ROBBED OF IT!!!

The Pastorpreneurs and Uztaz, the churches particularly, have arranged series of event throughout the month of DECEMBER to arrest their attention and drain as much TIME AND MONEY as they possibly can.

The result is that we keep getting more empty towns in our homelands, families and friends drifting apart, men becoming less caring and the society generally suffering a degeneration.

In my mother's rural village of Òdónóko houses are actually collapsing out of long abandonment. My maternal grandmother's 4-room house practically VANISHED from the spot where we used to see it. I still don't understand what happened!!!!

Ayodele Oyewole Adabale summarized it for me when he wrote:

"Wisdom is an open hidden truth,that can only be known by the gifted.
Our inability to relate the past with the present,is making us to be scared of tomorrow.
We are people living another people’s life.
There our confusion started.
We need to rediscover who we really are,if not we will just be merely existing but not living.
I used to be optimistic in the past we will get it right one day,but no more" .

.

© Adedamola Adetayo
26 December 2022

There was a French city where, during the Middle Ages, the women had an odd habit. In the morning, married women would put a small dose of poison in the breakfast they had prepared for their husbands. Later on, when their men returned home during the evening, they would be given the antidote. In this way, the poison would not become harmful and affect them. There was a strict reason for this practice. Should the husbands remain elsewhere for too long, as the administration of the antidote got delayed, the men would end up experiencing symptoms like nausea, headaches, depression, vomiting, pain or shortness of breath. The longer the man delayed to return home to his wife, the sicker he would get. And, ultimately, when he finally returned home, his wife unknowingly gave him the antidote. In this way, within a few minutes, he quickly started feeling better. All of this worked as a trick, giving men the impression that being away from home would lead to pain and depression. Therefore, the husbands would become more attached to their homes and their wives.

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CEO of Google
CEO of Microsoft
CEO of Adobe
CEO of Twitter
CEO of Mastercard
CEO of Pepsi
CEO of IBM
CEO of Albertsons
CEO of Netapp
CEO of Nokia
CEO of Palo Alto
CEO of Arista
CEO of Novartis
CEO of Deloitte
and now the UK Prime Minister are all Indians.

This is the end result of human capital development.

India as a country and Indians as people have prioritized investment in human capital and as a result of this her citizens are excelling in various areas of human endeavor all over the world.
Copied from destiny young
Their human capital development is not limited to intellectual pursuits but they also have amazing work ethics and high levels of integrity which makes them invaluable to prospective employers.

As a people, what lessons can we learn from this as we strive to develop our country at the micro and macro levels?

About three years ago, I was in this tensed interview in search of a job I was convinced would make me absolutely happy.

It was in a different country than the one I lived in. So, I asked if I could appear for the interview remotely.

“You must appear in person,” was the final answer.

So I packed a suitcase and bought a return ticket.

On the day of the interview, I saw 19 others.

“We had 600+ applications, and you guys are the ones shortlisted, so whether you make it or not, you must consider yourself an outstanding candidate,” the Caucasian lady said, as a smile breaks from the side of her lips.

My heart starts to race. Surely, I didn’t fly all the way here to be an “outstanding candidate.”

Still, no one forced me to make that bet. To stake my scarce resources on the odds. It was a 50/50 chance; no more, no less.

Still, I had chosen to bet on myself, or live the rest of my life not knowing if I would have gotten the job or not.

After we are served tea and coffee, depending on each person’s preference, we were told there’d be an aptitude test, and from that test, two final candidates would be selected. Afterwards, the final candidate will emerge.

And it begins. One after the other, we are led into the examination room, and the aptitude exercise commences. Since the position was a diplomatic one, the exercises were series of situational analyses.

The anxiety is heightened when we discovered that the person that leads you into the room and watches your demeanour or body language is the current holder of the position we’re seeking to occupy. You march into the exam chamber as solemn as a monk, and pray that your chi aligns with you.

In any case, after the last person finishes his test, we are ushered into a banquet hall where we are asked to unwind with a meal.

An hour later we are asked to reconvene for the announcement on who the two shortlisted candidates are.

I found it quite interested, the labour and choreography this organisation designed to relax us and take some sting away from the bad news they were about to break for some of us.

And then the lady shows up again, with a white paper in hand.

The first name she called was a middle age lady sitting three paces away from me.

My heart sank.

“So this is how it ends. All my preparations and expenses to get here and I don’t even make the shortlist?” The thoughts that shuffle through my head.

And then my name rings out, but it echoes so differently that for a second, it doesn’t feel like mine. It is intesting what anxiety does to the mind.

We stand aside, the interview finalists. And then we watch everyone else with their head down, filing to the exit.

But something interesting happened, which, to date, is one of my most remarkable experiences. And the only reason why I write this.

The man sitting next to me, tall, dark and looked in his late 40s stood and held my hand.

“Well done for making the shortlist,” he said, “I wish you the very best.”

And then he walks out.

Of course, I did not have the mental energy to think about that gesture, as I only looked forward to the rest of the selection process.

But I have never forgotten that act of remarkable exhibition of humanity. In what must have been one of his lowest moments, this man had the mental energy to extend a gesture of kindness and support to a stranger, a competitor who made the cut ahead of him.

Some days, especially moments when I’m at my lowest, I still see the man’s dark and shiny face in the void. And I remind myself, that even on days when things don’t go my way, that even in moments when the doors I knock on do not open, that I must strive to still be capable of kindness to a random stranger or those around me.

Because in doing so, just like that man, three years ago, I might be leaving another human with an experience of a lifetime.

Written by Dr. Mitterand Okorie

Drink where the horses drink, the horse will never drink bad water.

Put your bed where the cat sleeps, it loves calm.

Whatever fruit the worm has touched but not penetrated, it is always looking for the ripe fruit.

And plant your tree where the mole digs, for that is fertile land.

Build your house where the snake sits to warm itself, for that is the stable ground that does not collapse.

Dig to find the water where the birds hide from the heat. Wherever the birds stand, the water hides.

And go to sleep and wake up at the same time with the birds - that's the quest for success.

Eat more vegetables - You will have strong legs and a resistant heart like jungle animals.

Swim whenever you find time and you will feel like you are on land like fish in water.

Look at the sky as much as possible and your thoughts will become bright and clear.

Be calm and silent, and peace will come to your heart, and your soul will be at peace.

Copied from Hammed Hammed Babatunde Babatunde’s wall

I remember a divorce case I handled some years ago.

The Respondent, the wife, blatantly refused to show up in court or engage a lawyer; and the judge wasn’t ready to proceed without her.

One day in court, the judge, again, refused to proceed with the matter without the woman. That we must meet with her and hold the statutory conference before she will hear the matter. I told the judge we have served her the petition and the hearing notice for today’s sitting and clearly she is not interested in defending the petition, so, we should proceed in the interest of justice.

The judge come vex for me o. That I should do more than that. I should get her number, call her and try to see her and hold a meeting with both of them and try to settle them. E come be like say na me wan scatter their marriage.

The judge asked the petitioner, my client, if he doesn’t want settlement, he said no. He was visibly angry, talking about how he just want a divorce immediately and nothing else. That they are still living together and that he is just waiting for the divorce to leave the house or kick the woman out.

Judge says I should still meet with both of them. Everybody knows that this is the point you must shout “As the Court pleases” to avoid wahala.

After court I collected the Respondent’s phone number from my client and called her immediately. I requested to meet with her and invited her to come to my office. Madam said she is not coming anywhere, that if I want to meet with her, my client should bring me to their house.

I went back to the office after agreeing with my client that I will come over to his house after the close of work that same day.

I went to their house by 5pm. We sat down and starting talking about the issue. Then I got a bombshell.

She: Did your client tell you that he is serious about that divorce?

Me: Yes. We are in court already. He even told the judge so this morning in court. He is here now, he can tell you himself.

She: Serious about which divorce? Is it not that court he came back from this afternoon and came and collect one doggy?

I was totally flabbergasted. I didn’t expect that kind of raw bluntness from her. I turned to my client, he was silent and avoiding my eyes.

Doggy? I carried my file quietly, entered my car and left.

Like doggy? After all that heat I faced in court, you even stood there, forming anger, then you came back and collect hot doggy in the afternoon?

What do you take lawyers for in this country? Doggy? You couldn’t even do missionary in appreciation of the lashing that judge gave me because of your divorce case, you went and did doggy. Doggy that use to sweet like wetin. 😭

Mr *Evaritus Gregory. Sir, though it is 4 years now, but I still remember. I know you will read this. I know you will laugh... from the bottom of heart, sir, thunder fire you. 😭

*Not real name

By First Baba Isa (FBI)
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