ALAAFIN charges world leaders to preserve Oyo Yoruba traditions as
international heritage of exceptional values
Yoruba history was re-written when about seventy Black Americans traced their
ancestral lineage to the ancient town of Oyo. At a civic reception organized
for the visitors, His Imperial Majesty the Alaafin of Oyo, Oba (Dr.) Lamidi
Olayiwola Adeyemi III, has urged the Federal, State Governments, as well as
well-meaning individuals to, as a matter of utmost concern, embark on
re-integrating Yorubas across the globe back to their ancestral roots, in order
to save their souls from continued trauma.
He also stressed urgent need for world leaders to conserve Oyo Yoruba
traditions as international heritage of exceptional value. According to him, “concerted
efforts must be intensified at increasing inspiration to become national or to
recognise nationhood. So with that, we see the Yoruba in the diaspora, as it is
popularly called, to be the Yoruba that will greatly guided and influence the
Yoruba in the ancient homeland, who for the most part are tending to move away
from a sense of preservation of their own culture and tradition, particularly
religion’’.
Said he, “as a people, our culture, politics and religious experience have been
extremely unfulfilled. The Yorubas are now falling in the same condition
through which the African Americans had allowed themselves to be seduced by
preachers of a foreign gospel. We know that the Universalist inspiration which
has come to the Yorubas through Christianity and Islam has reduced their
concern or allegiance to their own god and by extension to their own
nationality. The Yoruba will be very much reduced in their political, cultural
and spiritual development by these seduction into these alien religions.
He pointed out that today, the Alaafin is duty bound to stand for and in defense
of every Yoruba soul either on the continent of Africa or in the Diaspora in a
globalized world.
People, the monarch, noted, carry in their veins the rich, strong, virile
Yoruba blood that has refused to be polluted or diluted by many years of
contact with the outside world, adding that they are not only devoted,
courageous but devotional in preserving the sacred intellectual property and
the foundation of the Yoruba knowledge system, despite the orchestrated
condemnation of its relevance.
‘’Oyo Empire
was in possession of all the land. Oyo was very fast in expansion and became
one of the earliest states with a central authority system. This makes Oyo,
probably the greatest of the forest states in West Africa. At the highest of
its existence, having fully developed a sophisticated internal system of
government, Oyo dominated all other Yoruba kingdoms namely; Ife, Ekiti, Ijesa,
Egba, Ijebu, Ondo,Sabe and Owu. It stretched into Dahomey, Togo and parts of
the Ashanti in Ghana.
‘’This achievement marked a new phase in the history of the Yoruba; for it witnessed
the effective transfer of power from Ile-Ife to Oyo which became the Centre of
a new powerful empire with far flung cultural, political and linguistic
influences.. Oyo soon became the seat of government of the Yoruba people.
Interestingly, the new identity of Oyo was diffused to all parts of Yoruba land
with overwhelming adoption’’.
Lamenting on
how scores and scores of Africans, particularly the Yorubas are being
encouraged to disrespect, dishonour and abandon anything African by the Western
world, Oba Adeyemi said African religious beliefs are demonized and discarded
to the extent that some misguided Africans now abandon their family names in
preference to names without bearing to their backgrounds.
“This danger is imminent and it is already destroying the African personality
and confidence.” Oba Adeyemi took a swipe of European colonisation and their
hegemony, saying that the colonization of Africa was indeed a cultural project,
while the hegemonic cultures of Europe actually set out to destroy other
cultures and super-impose their own cultures and values on the people, in order
to perpetuate the relationship of inequality and inequity.
“In spite of the assaults, African culture has demonstrated its resilience and
beyond that relevance in a troubled and confused world. Yoruba culture is today
spreading and attracting many studies. It has been said that Yoruba is the best
studied African civilization and has attracted the attention of the largest
number of scholars, leading to the production of impressive number of
publications. He observed that it is time Yoruba at home and in Diaspora
start partnering for synergy.
“Without doubt, we can find strength in unity. This has become imperative so
that whenever our brothers and sisters in Diaspora come home, they won't be
complainers about how things are not working, but rather, they would see
themselves as partners and partakers in the overall development for a better
future of their home land.
Partnership is a voluntary collaborative agreement between two
or more parties in which all participants agree to work together to achieve a
common purpose. Partnerships, he explained, share interest, concerns and create
visions for the future’’.
In his address, the co-ordinator of the visit described as ‘ancestral homage,’ honourable Segun
Olaleye, said the Yorubas from the United States under the aegis of THE NIGERIA
BLACKOUT is a yearly trip where hundreds of Black Americans travel to Nigeria
to experience the Economic and Cultural Powerhouse of West Africa.
“The Nigeria Blackout Mission is to encourage Black Americans to
trace their roots, and to regularly visit and embrace the culture of West
Africa’’. According to him, ’’African
Americans attempting to find their own roots will be better served by adopting
the Yoruba tradition which for over 30 years, we have been able to introduce
into U.S. A. We see the African Americans have a profound desire to re-identify
with their ancestors and with an ancestral tradition. We know that among vast
numbers of African American intellectuals, there is a lack of fulfillment in
their development and advancement in the Yoruba-American economic world. They
found also that Christianity is unfulfilling and that Islam is misleading. So
in consequence, African Americans are better served by a knowledge of the
custom and tradition of their Yoruba ancestry.”
The convener of the programme and Founder of Arewa House of Culture, Princess
Folasade Adeyemi, who described the visit of the Black Americans as ‘’ historic
and identification with their roots’’, charged Younger Yoruba generation ‘’to
advance to the extent that they increase the knowledge or institution among
African Americans, who will serve the need for knowledge improvement through
television and resurrection and introduction of stories and background images
that established a sense of celebration of their African ancestry.”
However, glamour was added to the colourful event with Oba Adeyemi’s unique
dance steps, as the visitors were elated and could not hold back their
excitements. The event which coincided with the Children’s Day has in
attendance members of the Oyo Traditional Council [Oyo Mesi], Baales [village
heads], and selected secondary schools’ pupils. Highlight of the event were
cultural dances and display of Yoruba metaphysical powers.
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