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Yoruba Commonwealth and Politics - Politics (148) - Nairaland

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Re: Yoruba Commonwealth and Politics by Nobody: 8:45am On Nov 07, 2015
ProfShymex:
The only reason why I'm bringing this up is cos you can dream all you want about building all kinds of infrastructures, but without monitoring the population - it's basically just a waste of time. To execute good governance - you have to be able to monitor the population so as to ascertain who and what to cater to. The light rail would be overwhelmed within three years with that crazy population that's forever growing at an alarming rate.

Let's do a comparative analysis of the population growth of Lagos vis-a-vis London and New York City in the last 30 years.

Lagos
Year Population
1985 - 5.8 million
1990 - 7.7 million
1995 - 10.28 million
2000 - 13.42 million
2006 - 17.55 million
2015 - 21 million



New York City
Year Population
1980 - 7.07 million
1990 - 7.32 million
2010 - 8.19 million
2015 - 8.49 million


London
The population of London in 2015 is 8.63 million
(Graph of London's population growth)
Wow these figures are scary, lagos has gone x4 in the same period that New York has added less than 2 million people
Re: Yoruba Commonwealth and Politics by Nobody: 9:18am On Nov 07, 2015
sukkot:
nah i aint trolling you fam. i am ijebu for real for real. you know i am trying to get interested in the nba but my passion for it is dying a slow death. like i was the BIGGEST nba fan during the days of rasheed wallace, ben wallace, chauncey billups and rip hamilton in detroit. thats when my passion for the game was at its maximum. also when jordan was kicking ass in chicago, i was in chicago during the last 2 years of his career when he returned from playing baseball. plus hakeem the dream was the business. but lately i have lost interest cuz the referees ruin the game now. like you cant even breath on a nigga without the referees calling foul. every little thing is foul and the foul calls are biased. so yeah i am slowly checking out of the NBA. which leaves me with nothing cuz i dont like soccer that much. so i guess am just going to be one of these dudes who dont like sports lol

Nice. So the number of Lagos Ijebus the I know on here has increased by one. You, nisai, pc1cero, psyl1sh, and there used to be a next guy who's supremely knowledgeable about international politics from Germany. He's from the Lekki/Ajah axis. I never knew Ijebu folks were that many till someone showed me certain names that are quintessentially Ijebu. Bwoi, we are everywhere lol.

I saw ya Ijebu folks repping for Yoruba and naij at the carnival two years ago. I think I created a thread for it but I will attach the pics to this post.

Lol. I never liked the Pistons back then. They were too blue collared for me - just high defensive energy and proper execution - with no fun. Utter boring team lol. I just developed a little bit of interest in the team when Chris Webber went there to retire. I'm a big Chris Webber groupie (big Jalen Rose groupie as well). The Fab 5 can't do no wrong with me. Anyway, I have been bleeding purple and gold since I started watching the NBA and will forever ride with the Lakers Nation, regardless of how terrible the team is right now.

The NBA is more competitive and fun to watch right now, unlike, say, 2-5 years ago. There are so many great talents coming through. You need to watch Steph Curry - the NBA has never seen a sharp shooter like him. And he can do it all apart from shooting.
Re: Yoruba Commonwealth and Politics by Nobody: 9:30am On Nov 07, 2015
Firefire:


Eku aseku ayajo ojo ibi oooo tongue

Otito is Yoyo Bitter - Modath cheesy

God bless the Yoruba Nation.

Quit gloating!!! The difference between both of us is that, first an truthful to myself and second I am for development.

Nigbati egbon re, Goodluck Jonathan, ti o ko owo ara ilu je, ti o se ilu bashubashu, owo yi naa ni o ni ka dibo fun. Abi waa ni oo mo wipe Jonathan ko awon ole tira?

Je ki n tu so ni eekan si, otito ati idagbasoke yoruba and Nigeria as a whole ni mo wa fun..

1 Like

Re: Yoruba Commonwealth and Politics by MayorofLagos(m): 10:00am On Nov 07, 2015
Shymm3x:


I concur.

The people in Lagos are just too many for the infrastructures there and no matter what they do, the pressure will always overwhelm whatever infrastructures they build there.

Lagos needs a rapid depopulation exercise/drive before they start adding more to what is now already a snarled-up gigantic ghetto.

They need to move a lot of things out the place and give it one identity. You don't even the crowd in the people to generate a lot of revenue - banking and servicing alone, if well managed, should be able to sustain Lagos. The meagre IGR the crowd contribute is not worth the pressure they put on the infrastructures there.

They might as well give the pikeys a functional seaport somewhere in the South South and start diverting all their goods. Lagos should only serve the SW. Then move a lot of industries, especially manufacturing, to Ogun and Oyo. Then move other things to other parts of the SW.

Edited

Yep yep!!

There is a wisdom in your proposal and it strecthes over many derivables and deliverables as well.

When we talk of Yoruba Commonwealth, Im not sure that many of you will not view me as deranged but in my mind Im looking at the continental land mass that cover from Volta region in Ghana to the Delta in Warri to the hills of Idanre on up to Lokoja and Westerly to Jebba and cut across on that latitude through the Savannah to Togo. All these people have SELF-IDENTIFIED as a Yoruba culture and they include the Ewe, Ajase, Egun, Egba, Owu, Ijebu, Awori, Ekiti, Ijesha, Igbira, Okun, Offa, Ilaje, Itsekiri, Oyo, Ife, and so on...

If we go beyond our continental Yoruba dominion we have indigeneous Yoruba in diaspora, places like Sierra Leone, Ivory Coast, and so on....

In our discourse here we have defined Yorubaland moderately to include just those in the politisphere of Nigeria. New challenges of national unity daily serve us reminders and provoke our conscience to define ourselves as an indivisible unit commonly bonded by the proprietary rights shared under the sacredness of our dynasties and Crowns and we label it Yoruba Commonwealth.

Time markers, supported by records, show that there was no town in Yorubaland that did not have a tarred road surface connecting to next towns upstream and downstream, forming a web of road networks that facilitated transportation and interlink between communities....all done under the leadership of Awolowo. He covered entire Yorubaland all the way to Jebba and Lokoja, and back then Kwara State included Lokoja and was called West Central. He even extended this development to Asaba and parts of Delta, back then Western Region ended on the bank of River Niger at Asaba.

Some of the roads built by Awo in the 50s and 60s are still in good state and of better grade than roads built in modern times that wash away when water sit on them for too long. Awolowo was not joking when he told the colonialists that they were incompetent and inferior to him and what they could not accomplish in 100years he did it in 10.

Historically Awo was not the first Yoruba to view the foreigners as inferior race, Livingstone wrote and lamented on how the Oyos refused to carry him or his luggage as was customary for the other race of blacks he visited to serve as porters to whitemen. He shared his humiliation in public when he motioned to sit on a spread of rich fabric used to sit the Chiefs in Kabiyesi council and upon sighting the attempt a female Ilari yanked the spread from under him with contempt that he was unfit to sit on such a richly woven fabric. The miscalculation landed his butt in the dust. This was in the hintherland. On the coast an Awujale imposed tax and ordered the arrest of any colonialist that entered into his domain before his consent was obtained. In Lagos Beecroft's solicitation for partnership was rebuffed and told by the King his friendship was not needed.

We ought to take lessons from these history and raise our heads high. There is no race of people in Nigeria today that we can call peers. We regarded colonialists as inferior beings....those who the colonialists liberated from the vagaries of darkness and primitive subsistence are no peers with us. So our leaders need to take cue from our history and uplift this land.

We have savannah, we have forests, swamplands, riverines, hills, valleys, Lakes, Springs, ocean, salt water rivers, fresh water rivers, falls....we are blessed! Which other region in this country can boast of such variety of ecology on its land? None!

Our Governors must act to diversify and , as you correctly say Duke, ....depopulate Lagos. They must act and redistribute our economies based on the comparative advantage offered by eco class.

If you locate a car assembly plant in Idanre instead of Lagos, there are many vertical economies that will also relocate or perharps as a startup. Of course the supply chain will need now to go extra miles from the ports and to Idanre to drop off parts inventories but the extra cost to their shipment overheads is exponentially offset by the new economy in staffing, home construction, restaurants, hotels, hospitals, tax generation, schools, rebates and so on...

The frequent haulage of supply and distribution will put demand on the road. Therefore gives legitimacy to road upgrade and expansiin. ....this is more employment and growth for communities along the construction route.

When you redistribute development, you also redistribute income. The more people are employed the greater the flow of discretionary spending and the upliftment of society generally....all the way down to the akara seller by the road side, no one is left out of gainful income. On the flip side, when men in community earn income their eligibility to find partner and start a home improves....crime reduces and civility and sanity begins to take footing in the neighborhood.

I must stop here.

3 Likes 1 Share

Re: Yoruba Commonwealth and Politics by Firefire(m): 10:05am On Nov 07, 2015
tobimillar:


Quit gloating!!! The difference between both of us is that, first an truthful to myself and second I am for development.

Nigbati egbon re, Goodluck Jonathan, ti o ko owo ara ilu je, ti o se ilu bashubashu, owo yi naa ni o ni ka dibo fun. Abi waa ni oo mo wipe Jonathan ko awon ole tira?

Je ki n tu so ni eekan si, otito ati idagbasoke yoruba and Nigeria as a whole ni mo wa fun..

Idagbasoke Ile Karoo-Ojire, laifi igbakan bo ikan ninu jemi logun pupo.

Pelu otito inu, ati ife ara ilu.

Ki Oluwa ba wa ro awon Asiwaju wa lokan.

Ki Edumare te Ile Odua siwaju, ki awon alale jeki alafia joba.

Layoooooo.

1 Like

Re: Yoruba Commonwealth and Politics by Nobody: 10:20am On Nov 07, 2015
MayorofLagos that was a beautiful history lesson there.I'm thinking of signing up to take some history lessons with you.Give me your address, I already bought my Olympic 2B exercise book grin cheesy

Maybe we should dedicate a hour to you,Profshymex,9jacrip,musiwa419,superstar1 and other historians here to dicuss Yoruba history.

and also don't forget the Governors rating you promised us.I told you about the one Tolu Ogunlesi did,It was like a football league

1 Like

Re: Yoruba Commonwealth and Politics by MayorofLagos(m): 10:20am On Nov 07, 2015
IyaIode:

Wow these figures are scary, lagos has gone x4 in the same period that New York has added less than 2 million people

There is zero population control mechanism. For a city striving to be in the class of Rio, Johannesburg...its a shame that a simple social challenge is left to continously overwhelm and overburden the government. Lagos is in crisis!

1 Like

Re: Yoruba Commonwealth and Politics by Nobody: 10:37am On Nov 07, 2015
Egbon zimoni.Abeg help us take down those worwor pictures you posted yesterday cheesy grin

1 Like

Re: Yoruba Commonwealth and Politics by Nobody: 10:51am On Nov 07, 2015
MayorofLagos:


There is zero population control mechanism. For a city striving to be in the class of Rio, Johannesburg...its a shame that a simple social challenge is left to continously overwhelm and overburden the government. Lagos is in crisis!

You are absolutely correct
Re: Yoruba Commonwealth and Politics by MayorofLagos(m): 10:59am On Nov 07, 2015
Aareonakakanfo:
MayorofLagos that was a beautiful history lesson there.I'm thinking of signing up to take some history lessons with you.Give me your address, I already bought my Olympic 2A exercise book grin cheesy

Maybe we should dedicate a hour to you,Profshymex,9jacrip,musiwa419,superstar1 and other historians here to dicuss Yoruba history.

and also don't forget the Governors rating you promised us.I told you about the one Tolu Ogunlesi did,It was like a football league

Lol. Thanks for your generous feedback. I am cautious about committing to a schedule, my plate is full at moment but im open when time permits to jump in. Im missing a lot here....and i hate that i cant dedicate a lot more. Inbetween my returns you guys have gone 10 pages. grin. Im also learning.

I already submitted on the rating template. I dont know what page but go in my profile and look in my posts, its not that too long ago.

Yoruba is bigger than us....its so much to cover. In Egba, the Alake imprisoned criminals without regard to color, white or black. It became embarassment in Europe where they viewed blacks as heathens. They put pressure on the colonial Governor to change the practise. This led to a treaty in which the Alake was appeased and persuaded to pass jurisdiction of white settlers of European ancestry to the Governor for prosecution. This stopped prosecution and imprisonment of criminals of European ancestry in Egba. Similarly, Leo Frobenius was credited, racist as he was anyway, with a changed mindset after the discovery of the bronze heads of Ife. He asked that the Yoruba race be reclassified in the annals of anthropology. He was not first in the line of Europeans to amaze at the civilization in the Yoruba hinterland. So its so much that has been uncovered but far more lay buried and yet to be unearthed.

Ifa is gradually being peeled open, layer by layer....pretty soon someone will drop another bombshell on the Yoruba civilization.

You started a good intiative, im just a contributor. You should take credit for the outcome. If you dont want it ill give to tpia. grin grin;

1 Like

Re: Yoruba Commonwealth and Politics by DeLaRue: 11:00am On Nov 07, 2015
I wonder when I see people on nairaland, presumably young and impressionable types, shouting mega city mega city, as if this is a super positive thing.


Fashola stood on his high horse, and talked about a mega city in which there would be tens of millions of people, and people yelled, yeaaaaah....!! you are the greatest thing since slice bread.


No one bothered to ask him how this hordes of mostly non - tax paying, economically disadvantaged millions flocking to the State would impact the already poor living, environmental, and infratructural condition of the city/state.


Interestingly, you don't hear the mayors of London, New York, Paris, Geneva etc ever mentioning buiding a megacity. It's a term reserved for other environmentally and infrastructurally discrepit monster cities like Bombay, Manilla, Kinshasa. After several centuries, the UK has recently realised the folly of concentrating everything in London. The government is now rebuilding and re-energising regional powerhouses including Manchester, Birmingham etc In our region, we should look to do the same for Ibadan, Abeokuta, Ijebuland, Akure, Ilesha, Ogbomosho etc

With the way things are, the population growth and infratructural needs of Lagos will almost always run ahead of State revenue. Crime is almost uncontrolable. The huge influx of people also have untold cultural and social impact, which will only come into light in a few decades, by which time it would be too late to reverse.


As some have mentioned, Lagos should actively encourage developments in other parts of the country to discourage mass migration into the State. Let other places have their own ports, industries, developments etc

1 Like

Re: Yoruba Commonwealth and Politics by Nobody: 11:08am On Nov 07, 2015
Any ijebu ode peep here? Or ogun water-side let's talk about the development of ijebu
Re: Yoruba Commonwealth and Politics by LaudateII: 11:12am On Nov 07, 2015
MayorofLagos:
Yep yep!!

There is a wisdom in your proposal and it strecthes over many derivables and deliverables as well.

When we talk of Yoruba Commonwealth, Im not sure that many of you will not view me as deranged but in my mind Im looking at the continental land mass that cover from Volta region in Ghana to the Delta in Warri to the hills of Idanre on up to Lokoja and Westerly to Jebba and cut across on that latitude through the Savannah to Togo. All these people have SELF-IDENTIFIED as a Yoruba culture and they include the Ewe, Ajase, Egun, Egba, Owu, Ijebu, Awori, Ekiti, Ijesha, Igbira, Okun, Offa, Ilaje, Itsekiri, Oyo, Ife, and so on...

Are there indigenous Yoruba people who originate from Lokoja?? I always thought it was a Gwari /Nupe / Igala town.... undecided
Re: Yoruba Commonwealth and Politics by Nobody: 11:13am On Nov 07, 2015
@mayoroflagos, that was an awesome write up...I was almost tempted to quote the entire post... let me follow you at once so I don't miss more of this

1 Like

Re: Yoruba Commonwealth and Politics by LaudateII: 11:23am On Nov 07, 2015
anonimi:
Your ASPIRATION level must be very low indeed.
No wonder you are on this empty "feel-good" thread. I hope it is not a reflection of how you are offline. embarassed
Have you heard of the Ebenezer effect?- Titi de ihin ni Oluwa ran wa l'owo de i.e. na up to here God helep us reach undecided

Guy, give it up! There is no need to trade sly insults here. Make your point quietly and clearly. Then move on. C'est fini. An 'Omoluabi' would not take the path you have embarked on, ever since you joined this thread. You and Firefire can speak Yoruba. But speaking a language is not the same as embracing the ethos of a culture and living out its' precepts. So show some respect.

1 Like

Re: Yoruba Commonwealth and Politics by Nobody: 11:26am On Nov 07, 2015
MayorofLagos:


Lol. Thanks for your generous feedback. I am cautious about committing to a schedule, my plate is full at moment but im open when time permits to jump in. Im missing a lot here....and i hate that i cant dedicate a lot more. Inbetween my returns you guys have gone 10 pages. grin. Im also learning.

I already submitted on the rating template. I dont know what page but go in my profile and look in my posts, its not that too long ago.

Yoruba is bigger than us....its so much to cover. In Egba, the Alake imprisoned criminals without regard to color, white or black. It became embarassment in Europe where they viewed blacks as heathens. They put pressure on the colonial Governor to change the practise. This led to a treaty in which the Alake was appeased and persuaded to pass jurisdiction of white settlers of European ancestry to the Governor for prosecution. This stopped prosecution and imprisonment of criminals of European ancestry in Egba. Similarly, Leo Frobenius was credited, racist as he was anyway, with a changed mindset after the discovery of the bronze heads of Ife. He asked that the Yoruba race be reclassified in the annals of anthropology. He was not first in the line of Europeans to amaze at the civilization in the Yoruba hinterland. So its so much that has been uncovered but far more lay buried and yet to be unearthed.

Ifa is gradually being peeled open, layer by layer....pretty soon someone will drop another bombshell on the Yoruba civilization.

You started a good intiative, im just a contributor. You should take credit for the outcome. If you dont want it ill give to tpia. grin grin;



Lol even the time you show up is weird.Its usually when I'm offline except for few occasions when you show up in the Midnight Nigerian time.I noticed people find it difficult to stick to time here so you can keep dropping the history lessons anytime you feel like.

As for the rating template, Yeah I saw it but no be me go anchor am na.Na you gats do am tongue

I also saw the history lesson you slyly dropped there .Eleko aka "Dudu Cicero" grin grin cheesy

As per the credit thing lol.The biggest credit has to go to shymm3x and Ilekehd.They are the reason why this thread is where it is today and the other characters who have contributed immensely to this thread including you

2 Likes

Re: Yoruba Commonwealth and Politics by LaudateII: 11:27am On Nov 07, 2015
tobimillar:
Asise nla ni awa yoruba ni eko se. Ambode o ki n se eyan. Eko ti n ba je lo. ni otito a mo wipe eko je igbese sugbon ti a ko ba pari nkan ti a bere, owo ti a ti wa na nko? Priority ni rail project yen je. Gbogbo sun fareke oko ni ilu eko a diwo. A si bu ola fun orile ede Naijiriya

Ni temi oo, asiko ti to lati tele otito. A o waye wa sin tinubu.. awa omo yoruba, paapaa julo awa ti a ngbe ni ilu eko, e je ki a soro so ita, ki a so otito, ki a si gbiyanju lati bu enu ate lu awon ijoba ti won ba sina bi otilejepe omo egbe oselu kan na ni wa

Erm....please can you kindly translate what you wrote up here?? shocked Sorry, am lost... cheesy
Re: Yoruba Commonwealth and Politics by GstringAngela(f): 11:28am On Nov 07, 2015
Aareonakakanfo:



The brain of the average romani has been programmed in such a way that he sees Lagos as a "holy site". They pronounce it as "citee". Even if the FG builds a seaport far better than the ones in Lagos in the South-East or South-South,they still won't make use of it
Lol

I remember those heebo films when emeka will come back from Lagos with a bag of rice and a couple of agege bread for his poverty stricken mama, and the old witch will dance around the village, loaf in hand, singing about how her ''industrious'' son has made it in Lagos. Meanwhile in the next hut, chinedu is seriously arguing with his Nnayi how they must allow him to go back to ''Ragos'' with emeka.

Even if a miracle happens today and you make heeboland have a close proximity to the Atlantic Ocean, Pacific Ocean, Mediterrnean Sea, Black Sea, Red Sea, Strait of Hormuz, Suez Canal etc; heeebos will still run away from heeeboland. Even if you build the world most sophisticated seaport in heeboland and heeeboland isnt landlocked anymore; Igbos will still run away from heeeboland.

We remeber how they huffed and puffed about the enugu airport. Threatning to leave the rest of Nigeria once the airport attains an international standard. Funny enough, namdi kanu, their new messiah doesnt even patronise the enugu airport. The mofo was arrested in Lagos after he arrived via the airport at Ikeja.

You yorubas just have to find a way of ridding your region of all these heeebo gnats. I really detest and disdain those gnats with every fibre of my being. There is something terrible and vile about their region that makes them keep running away from there. Before the creation of Nigeria, before Sir Fredrick Lord Lugards amalgamtion, heeebos were already running away from heeeboland. namdi azikure and ojucrook, of cursed memories were both given birth to at Zungeru, in present day Niger state, my state.

9 Likes 1 Share

Re: Yoruba Commonwealth and Politics by Nobody: 11:30am On Nov 07, 2015
IyaIode:

Wow these figures are scary, lagos has gone x4 in the same period that New York has added less than 2 million people

That is why we can't really critique whoever governs the state in terms of infrastructures. The population is crazy and it will be very difficult to cater to that population effectively.

2 Likes

Re: Yoruba Commonwealth and Politics by LaudateII: 11:32am On Nov 07, 2015
superstar1:
Another below par post from akpu filled cerebellum, typing gibberish and calling it communication.

I repeat which state is driving IGR and tax collection like Lagos? name just one. Is that too difficult for you to answer?

Bros, take it easy nah! Don't allow people provoke you to the extent of using cuss words. You are bigger than this... e ni suru, e jowo! undecided

1 Like

Re: Yoruba Commonwealth and Politics by Nobody: 11:33am On Nov 07, 2015
LaudateII:


Erm....please can you kindly translate what you wrote up here?? shocked Sorry, am lost... cheesy

Hey bro, I was made to understand you ain't yoruba, am sorry about the epistle and outburst, pls just ignore
Re: Yoruba Commonwealth and Politics by superstar1(m): 11:34am On Nov 07, 2015
MayorofLagos:


Yep yep!!

There is a wisdom in your proposal and it strecthes over many derivables and deliverables as well.

When we talk of Yoruba Commonwealth, Im not sure that many of you will not view me as deranged but in my mind Im looking at the continental land mass that cover from Volta region in Ghana to the Delta in Warri to the hills of Idanre on up to Lokoja and Westerly to Jebba and cut across on that latitude through the Savannah to Togo. All these people have SELF-IDENTIFIED as a Yoruba culture and they include the Ewe, Ajase, Egun, Egba, Owu, Ijebu, Awori, Ekiti, Ijesha, Igbira, Okun, Offa, Ilaje, Itsekiri, Oyo, Ife, and so on...

If we go beyond our continental Yoruba dominion we have indigeneous Yoruba in diaspora, places like Sierra Leone, Ivory Coast, and so on....

In our discourse here we have defined Yorubaland moderately to include just those in the politisphere of Nigeria. New challenges of national unity daily serve us reminders and provoke our conscience to define ourselves as an indivisible unit commonly bonded by the proprietary rights shared under the sacredness of our dynasties and Crowns and we label it Yoruba Commonwealth.

Time markers, supported by records, show that there was no town in Yorubaland that did not have a tarred road surface connecting to next towns upstream and downstream, forming a web of road networks that facilitated transportation and interlink between communities....all done under the leadership of Awolowo. He covered entire Yorubaland all the way to Jebba and Lokoja, and back then Kwara State included Lokoja and was called West Central. He even extended this development to Asaba and parts of Delta, back then Western Region ended on the bank of River Niger at Asaba.

Some of the roads built by Awo in the 50s and 60s are still in good state and of better grade than roads built in modern times that wash away when water sit on them for too long. Awolowo was not joking when he told the colonialists that they were incompetent and inferior to him and what they could not accomplish in 100years he did it in 10.

Historically Awo was not the first Yoruba to view the foreigners as inferior race, Livingstone wrote and lamented on how the Oyos refused to carry him or his luggage as was customary for the other race of blacks he visited to serve as porters to whitemen. He shared his humiliation in public when he motioned to sit on a spread of rich fabric used to sit the Chiefs in Kabiyesi council and upon sighting the attempt a female Ilari yanked the spread from under him with contempt that he was unfit to sit on such a richly woven fabric. The miscalculation landed his butt in the dust. This was in the hintherland. On the coast an Awujale imposed tax and ordered the arrest of any colonialist that entered into his domain before his consent was obtained. In Lagos Beecroft's solicitation for partnership was rebuffed and told by the King his friendship was not needed.

We ought to take lessons from these history and raise our heads high. There is no race of people in Nigeria today that we can call peers. We regarded colonialists as inferior beings....those who the colonialists liberated from the vagaries of darkness and primitive subsistence are no peers with us. So our leaders need to take cue from our history and uplift this land.

We have savannah, we have forests, swamplands, riverines, hills, valleys, Lakes, Springs, ocean, salt water rivers, fresh water rivers, falls....we are blessed! Which other region in this country can boast of such variety of ecology on its land? None!

Our Governors must act to diversify and , as you correctly say Duke, ....depopulate Lagos. They must act and redistribute our economies based on the comparative advantage offered by eco class.

If you locate a car assembly plant in Idanre instead of Lagos, there are many vertical economies that will also relocate or perharps as a startup. Of course the supply chain will need now to go extra miles from the ports and to Idanre to drop off parts inventories but the extra cost to their shipment overheads is exponentially offset by the new economy in staffing, home construction, restaurants, hotels, hospitals, tax generation, schools, rebates and so on...

The frequent haulage of supply and distribution will put demand on the road. Therefore gives legitimacy to road upgrade and expansiin. ....this is more employment and growth for communities along the construction route.

When you redistribute development, you also redistribute income. The more people are employed the greater the flow of discretionary spending and the upliftment of society generally....all the way down to the akara seller by the road side, no one is left out of gainful income. On the flip side, when men in community earn income their eligibility to find partner and start a home improves....crime reduces and civility and sanity begins to take footing in the neighborhood.

I must stop here.

Thumbs up for this.

There is an urgent need for re-awakening of our identity. In most homes, most kids are being more British than the British themselves. They know the history of America than their country of citizenship, talk less of the history of their ethnicity. The minds of the present generation seems to be shallow and fickle minded, where they celebrate being an air-head as being cool. The likes of Awolowo were highly cerebral and revolutionary deep thinkers. No wonder they could lead the whole yoruba nation at such a tender age. They were not all about looking cool, sagging of trouser or cutting some embarrassing hairstyles. If you want to do all that, at least have something upstairs.

Why will yoruba people not see themselves as being superior to colonialists? The yoruba culture is rich, the empire was awesome structurally and the people were orderly already. It is high time up-coming yoruba youths and kids know that they are blessed to belong to this ethnicity and they should be proud of it.

I watch a documentary where the Ifa-logist Supremo Yemi Elebuibon was addressing a UNESCO gathering, He spoke fluent yoruba and they had to interpret to others in different languages. That is being proud of who you are and knowing his worth. Do you know the volume consultancy he runs all over the world, just by being proud of his heritage.

I will forever be grateful to Seun for creating NL, it actually challenged me to read extensively on the nation and my ethnicity. For 2 years i was just reading without contributing a single line to politics section and those beasterners were always bashing yorubas. I was more active in the sports section. NL brought out a call for soul searching and for discovery of my identity, root and who we are and we can achieve as yorubas.

Aareonakakanfo thanks for creating this educative thread too.

4 Likes

Re: Yoruba Commonwealth and Politics by Nobody: 11:35am On Nov 07, 2015
I thought you are from kwara!!
GstringAngela:
Lol


namdi azikure and ojucrook, of cursed memories were both given birth to at Zungeru, in present day Niger state, my state.
Re: Yoruba Commonwealth and Politics by Nobody: 11:38am On Nov 07, 2015
GstringAngela:
Lol

I remember those heebo films when emeka will come back from Lagos with a bag of rice and a couple of agege bread for his poverty stricken mama, and the old witch will dance around the village, loaf in hand, singing about how her ''industrious'' son has made it in Lagos. Meanwhile in the next hut, chinedu is seriously arguing with his Nnayi how they must allow him to go back to ''Ragos'' with emeka.

Even if a miracle happens today and you make heeboland have a close proximity to the Atlantic Ocean, Pacific Ocean, Mediterrnean Sea, Black Sea, Red Sea, Strait of Hormuz, Suez Canal etc; heeebos will still run away from heeeboland. Even if you build the world most sophisticated seaport in heeboland and heeeboland isnt landlocked anymore; Igbos will still run away from heeeboland.

We remeber how they huffed and puffed about the enugu airport. Threatning to leave the rest of Nigeria once the airport attains an international standard. Funny enough, namdi kanu, their new messiah doesnt even patronise the enugu airport. The mofo was arrested in Lagos after he arrived via the airport at Ikeja.

You yorubas just have to find a way of ridding your region of all these heeebo gnats. I really detest and disdain those gnats with every fibre of my being. There is something terrible and vile about their region that makes them keep running away from there. Before the creation of Nigeria, before Sir Fredrick Lord Lugards amalgamtion, heeebos were already running away from heeeboland. namdi azikure and ojucrook, of cursed memories were both given birth to at Zungeru, in present day Niger state, my state.


Lmao grin cheesy sister you dey vex ooo.Maybe you should team up with our Iya Agba Ilekehd to do the damage on those threads.I love the way you spell the Igbo and I might be using that spelling from now on cheesy.The romanis are case studies and I've stopped wasting my time on them since one told me Obama listens to Radio biafra.Anyways make we pack their matter for one side

Welcome to the commonwealth

2 Likes

Re: Yoruba Commonwealth and Politics by GstringAngela(f): 11:48am On Nov 07, 2015
tobimillar:
I thought you are from kwara!!
I am Nupe. We are sandwiched between the Yoruba and Hausa in Kwara and Niger state respectively. Yoruba people use to refer to us as Tapa. If you go to Lagos or Ogun state there is a masqurade called Igunnuko. Our fathers were the one that gave the Yorubas that masqurade. We share cultural and historical ties.

3 Likes

Re: Yoruba Commonwealth and Politics by Nobody: 11:50am On Nov 07, 2015
MayorofLagos:


Yep yep!!

There is a wisdom in your proposal and it strecthes over many derivables and deliverables as well.

When we talk of Yoruba Commonwealth, Im not sure that many of you will not view me as deranged but in my mind Im looking at the continental land mass that cover from Volta region in Ghana to the Delta in Warri to the hills of Idanre on up to Lokoja and Westerly to Jebba and cut across on that latitude through the Savannah to Togo. All these people have SELF-IDENTIFIED as a Yoruba culture and they include the Ewe, Ajase, Egun, Egba, Owu, Ijebu, Awori, Ekiti, Ijesha, Igbira, Okun, Offa, Ilaje, Itsekiri, Oyo, Ife, and so on...

If we go beyond our continental Yoruba dominion we have indigeneous Yoruba in diaspora, places like Sierra Leone, Ivory Coast, and so on....

In our discourse here we have defined Yorubaland moderately to include just those in the politisphere of Nigeria. New challenges of national unity daily serve us reminders and provoke our conscience to define ourselves as an indivisible unit commonly bonded by the proprietary rights shared under the sacredness of our dynasties and Crowns and we label it Yoruba Commonwealth.

Time markers, supported by records, show that there was no town in Yorubaland that did not have a tarred road surface connecting to next towns upstream and downstream, forming a web of road networks that facilitated transportation and interlink between communities....all done under the leadership of Awolowo. He covered entire Yorubaland all the way to Jebba and Lokoja, and back then Kwara State included Lokoja and was called West Central. He even extended this development to Asaba and parts of Delta, back then Western Region ended on the bank of River Niger at Asaba.

Some of the roads built by Awo in the 50s and 60s are still in good state and of better grade than roads built in modern times that wash away when water sit on them for too long. Awolowo was not joking when he told the colonialists that they were incompetent and inferior to him and what they could not accomplish in 100years he did it in 10.

Historically Awo was not the first Yoruba to view the foreigners as inferior race, Livingstone wrote and lamented on how the Oyos refused to carry him or his luggage as was customary for the other race of blacks he visited to serve as porters to whitemen. He shared his humiliation in public when he motioned to sit on a spread of rich fabric used to sit the Chiefs in Kabiyesi council and upon sighting the attempt a female Ilari yanked the spread from under him with contempt that he was unfit to sit on such a richly woven fabric. The miscalculation landed his butt in the dust. This was in the hintherland. On the coast an Awujale imposed tax and ordered the arrest of any colonialist that entered into his domain before his consent was obtained. In Lagos Beecroft's solicitation for partnership was rebuffed and told by the King his friendship was not needed.

We ought to take lessons from these history and raise our heads high. There is no race of people in Nigeria today that we can call peers. We regarded colonialists as inferior beings....those who the colonialists liberated from the vagaries of darkness and primitive subsistence are no peers with us. So our leaders need to take cue from our history and uplift this land.

We have savannah, we have forests, swamplands, riverines, hills, valleys, Lakes, Springs, ocean, salt water rivers, fresh water rivers, falls....we are blessed! Which other region in this country can boast of such variety of ecology on its land? None!

Our Governors must act to diversify and , as you correctly say Duke, ....depopulate Lagos. They must act and redistribute our economies based on the comparative advantage offered by eco class.

If you locate a car assembly plant in Idanre instead of Lagos, there are many vertical economies that will also relocate or perharps as a startup. Of course the supply chain will need now to go extra miles from the ports and to Idanre to drop off parts inventories but the extra cost to their shipment overheads is exponentially offset by the new economy in staffing, home construction, restaurants, hotels, hospitals, tax generation, schools, rebates and so on...

The frequent haulage of supply and distribution will put demand on the road. Therefore gives legitimacy to road upgrade and expansiin. ....this is more employment and growth for communities along the construction route.

When you redistribute development, you also redistribute income. The more people are employed the greater the flow of discretionary spending and the upliftment of society generally....all the way down to the akara seller by the road side, no one is left out of gainful income. On the flip side, when men in community earn income their eligibility to find partner and start a home improves....crime reduces and civility and sanity begins to take footing in the neighborhood.

I must stop here.

Sir, I need to quote this. Your words are always like poetry - and inherently a reflection of the artistic nature of the Yorubas. I don't think anyone else can paint an amazing picture with words better than you on these sides. The picture you just painted will make Mona Lisa look like fake art. Even Picasso would give you a bow for the amazing art you painted with this post. That's why I like reading ya posts, regardless of the subject-matter.

You have said almost everything. I just need to one or two things.

When most of these pikeys taunt Yorubas and ask them why other states in the SW aren't as developed as Lagos...they don't know Lagos sucked the developments meant for other states. And it high time folks started clamouring for the depopulation of Lagos and spreading of developments to other states in the region. That is a win win for everyone - Lagos will become more habitable and easier to govern, while the rest would witness growth.

Also, I think once they finish the first phase of the light rail project - they need to put an hold on the second phase and focus on rail network for the SW.

London also used to be overpopulated at one point in history. Ditto New York City. I will see if I can get academic sources on how both cities were depopulated and post them here.

1 Like

Re: Yoruba Commonwealth and Politics by Nobody: 11:51am On Nov 07, 2015
The ministry is moving.

We give God all of the glory lool.

1 Like

Re: Yoruba Commonwealth and Politics by Nobody: 11:56am On Nov 07, 2015
ProfShymex:


I don't think anyone else can paint an amazing picture with words better than you on these sides.


Truer words never been said.Eleko is a beast "Dudu Cicero" cool

2 Likes

Re: Yoruba Commonwealth and Politics by superstar1(m): 11:56am On Nov 07, 2015
GstringAngela:
I am Nupe. We are sandwiched between the Yoruba and Hausa in Kwara and Niger state respectively. Yoruba people use to refer to us as Tapa. If you go to Lagos or Ogun state there is a masqurade called Igunnuko. Our fathers were the one that gave the Yorubas that masqurade. We share cultural and historical ties.

Shango Olukoso's(the god of thunder) mother was a Nupe woman. Infact, they had to send emissaries to him to bring him back from Nupeland for him to be made the new Alaafin.

5 Likes

Re: Yoruba Commonwealth and Politics by Cosbyrich: 11:59am On Nov 07, 2015
[b]HISTORY OF THE YORUBAS...EXCERPTS
THE COMMENCEMENT OF THE SIXTEEN YEARS* WAR 415


On the 25th of June, 1877, the Are declared at the meeting of the
Town Council that as the Egbas first shut their gates against
Ibadan since the 3rd of June they must now shut theirs against the
Egbas, and 17 days hence commence hostilities.

The chiefs one and all remonstrated with him against this
enterprise, but he was obdurate. Messengers were despatched
to their neighbours the Ijebus, Ilorins, the Ijesas, Ekitis and Ifes
telling them of the impending struggle and requesting their co-
operation. The casus belli were stated as follows : —

1. That they only performed an act of loyalty towards the King
by sending to Porto Novo to bring home ammunition he had bought
there, when the Egbas refused to sell to them.

2. They never trespassed on Egba territory, nor gave any cause
of offence to any, and yet the Egbas resented their action by closing
their roads against Oyos forbidding all trade and intercourse with
them.

3. Hundreds of their people who went to Abegkuta for trade
had been stolen and sold into slavery which alone gave them the
right to demand redress.

But before the return of the messengers the Egba chiefs sent
their ambassadors headed by one Leasu to negotiate peace and
on the I2th of July, 1877, a full meeting was convened to hear them.
But Leasu proved himself most unfit to play the part entrusted
to him ; he spoke disrespectfully and in an impertinent manner,
addressing the Are by name, but his own head chief by his title
Alatise. The chiefs were indignant at this and the Seriki lyapo
at once confronted him with " You ought rather be gone as you
are most unfit to discharge the duties of a messenger. Why did
you not call your own chief Ogudipe by name but by his title Alatise,
but our own chief you keep calling by name Latosisa ? That is
his name true, but he has a title and he is the ruler of this town.
If you cannot do him respect we will show you the gate."

Leasu had to leave the town the next day without a reply to
his message.

Whilst the chiefs were for negotiation, the Are was bent on
hostiUties. He found in this affair a plausible pretext for a thing he
had long premeditated to carry out, viz., the subjugation of Abeo-
kuta as the first step towards bringing the whole country again
under one head.

Seeing the storm brewing the native missionaries in a body
interviewed him and endeavoured to dissuade him from prosecuting
his mad project. They pointed out to him that the thing could not
be done, as the Egbas were well supphed with breach-loading guns
which are terrible weapons of precision, whilst he had none. He



4l6 THE HISTORY OF THE YORUBAS

laughingly replied " And with muzzle-loading ones will I break
them." They further remonstrated with him saying " Otg
aladugbo ko dara " (warfare between neighbours is a great evil).
He received them hitherto with his usual smiles and affabihty,
extenuating his actions, etc., but now, all of a sudden (probably
thinking they were moved thereto by the chiefs) he grew stern and
resolute, not to say fierce (his Kakanfo blood seemingly flying
into his head) and he said " I am going to perform a task which
God has allotted to me to do, and those who say they shall see that
I do not accomplish it will not live to see it done, as done it shall
be, and when I have finished there shall be no more wars for
ever in the Yoruba country." How truly prophetic his words
turned out to be, but how differently from what he intended
them to be.

Kidnapping Expedition to the Egba farms. — The Are was as
determined to commence hostilities as the chiefs were against
it. Hence at the meeting of the Town Council on the 31st July,
he said to the chiefs, " There is no subject for discussion to-day
but you should all go home and prepare for a kidnapping expedition
to the Egba farms to-morrow morning." The Balogun and the
other chiefs were against the proposal, they said they were not
prepared for such a big undertaking. But the Are coolly returned
this ironical answer, " Very well, as you are not prepared you can
have as much time at home as you wish, meantime I go, and perhaps
by the time I return you may then be ready." This sarcastic
reply was felt, and each one went home for a hasty preparation
for the morrow.

The Are led out the Ibadan host to the Egba farms on the
ist August, and captured Atadi, and Alagbara, and pushed on as
far as Arakanga behind the gates of Abeokuta, and captured a
young bride there. The Egbas were not prepared for this. At
the instance of Chief Ogundipe they were about to send another
ambassador to undo the mischief done by Leasu, but this attack
on their farms and villages put an end to their pacific intentions.

As it was now evident that war was inevitable, the Ijebus to
show on which side their sympathy lay, recalled their Agurin at
Ibadan, a sign of declaration of war.

The Are with reference to Abeokuta said " Too large for a close
siege but for that reason the more vulnerable to famine." His
plan was to swoop down on the farms now and again, cut off
supplies, prevent cultivation, and thus reduce the place by
famine. Hence in his expeditions, the main object was to destroy
foodstuffs, fire the barns, cut down standing corn, chop in pieces
yam and other tuberous foodstuffs.



THE COMMENCEMENT OF THE SIXTEEN YEARS* WAR 417

The second expedition was known as " Igbe Igbin " (the Igbin
expedition), because some of the Ibadan soldiers encountered
Igbin an Egba war chief. But the Ibadan war-chiefs had made a
compact among themselves not to fight, but leave the brunt of
everything to the Are alone ; therefore when they reached the
farms they located themselves at short distances from one another,
leaving Aturu the Balogun's head slave to lead the men in search
of prey. There was no chief with them when Igbin attacked
them vigorously and pursued them a great distance until they
reached the vicinity of the Seriki's location when he sent a body
of men to drive back the pursuers. Aturu also ralHed those within
his reach, and led them back safe.

This second expedition was less beneficial to them than the first.

§ 3. Insurrection Against the Are, and the Death
OF Seriki Iyapo

The aversion of the chiefs to this war grew stronger every day,
and so also did the obstinacy of the Are.

Being bound by a sense of duty to follow him wherever he went,
the plot they had made, viz : to take advantage of whatever
chance may bring within their reach, but to leave all the fighting
to be done by the Are and his slaves, did not prevent the latter
from prosecuting his mad resolve. So then the chiefs in order to
put an end to this undesirable war were determined to rise against
the Are, and make an end of him and with him of the war. For
this purpose they met at a given signal in the dead of night on the
ist October, 1877, in the Ogboni house at the Basorun's market.
There they took a solemn oath of secrecy and mutual confidence
and ratified the same by spUtting of kola nuts and the slaughter
of a ram, each of them taking his portion home. But they were
not all faithful to one another. Solalu the Osi Seriki a notorious
tale-bearer went that very night and divulged the whole secret
to the Are. Ilori the Osi also who but lately had incurred the Are's
displeasure had not the courage to go the whole length with them,
fearing the consequences to himself in case of failure ; he also
went secretly and exposed the plot. The majority of the rest of
them, knowing this, followed suit, each one to save himself, but the
Balogun and the Seriki considered it infra dig., so to betray them-
selves.

At a general meeting on the 2nd of October, the Are told them
what he had heard : they all denied it one after another. But
the Are told them that he trusted none of them not even those
who professed loyalty to him, he was sure that with a better
prospect they would all kick against him.



4l8 THE HISTORY OF THE YORUBAS

The matter was suppressed for the time being, but in less than a
month it broke out again. The insurrection was fixed for the ist
of November but the secret was divulged again by the notorious
Solalu.

The Arg was terribly ill at ease. Before the morning of the ist
November he had left home for his farm with his slaves armed.
Some surmised that it was his intention to escape from Ibadan,
but where to go to ? He had offended all their great neighbours.
Restless in the farm, he returned to town. He made little account
of all the chiefs except theBalogun and the Seriki each of whom was
a match for him. In his perplexity he resorted to Chief Mosaderin
the brother of the Balogun, with two slaves and valuable presents,
begging him to use his influence with the Balogun for good on
his behalf. He succeeded. Chief Mosaderin called his brother
and remonstrated with him, " What have you as compared
with the Are in slaves or wealth to satisfy the greedy appetite
of Ibadan chiefs ? If he is overthrown to-day it will devolve
upon you to-morrow to assume the reins of government, and
it will not be long before the same measure is meted out to you.
And the Seriki with whom you are in league, have you forgotten
that he was the one aspiring to your title when the Are threatened
lately to depose you ? Will you be able to manage him if you
become the Bale and he the Balogun ? Remember that his father
was a native of Ogbomgso and descended from an Esq. He will
soon aspire to become a Kakanfo as by right, and what is to become
of you then ? "

In this way Mosaderin won the Balogun over to the Are and
on the latter 's return from his farm the Balogun called on him in
the evening.

The Are, almost beside himself with joy, greeted him with " Aye
my brother and companion in arms, you have almost done for me ! "
Having won over the Balogun he was determined not to spare the
Seriki. The latter hearing that the Balogun called on the Ar§
called also himself the next day, but the Are refused to see him.
He returned home under a shower of stones from the Are's slaves.

Seeing that evil was determined against the Seriki the' other
chiefs tried to interpose on his behalf, 'but the Are was resolute.
He was determined to rid himself of one whose power and
influence had always made him uneasy.

On the 4th of November the Are declared that he pardoned him,
but this was a ruse to get him into his power, for he instructed
his slaves to shoot him down, when he least expected danger.
The Seriki who had friends amongst the Are's slaves heard of it
and never committed himself into his hands. The Are could not



THE COMMENCEMENT OF THE SIXTEEN YEARS' WAR 4I9

treat him, however, as he treated the late Aijenku, and all measures
adopted to get at him and kill him suddenly, failed. So he had
recourse to depriving him of his brave men. He deposed him
from his title conferring the same on Ajayi Osungbekun his Otun.
The notorious Solalu the Osi Seriki he made the Otun. Amowo
one of lyapo's brave men he made the Osi Seriki, lyapo's Bada
he made his own, and so of all his principal fighting men, thereby
weakening his hands if he meant to fight, and having done this
he sent to him to die.

Ajaja, however, was reluctant to supersede his chief, so the
Are sent to him to take with him One wife, one horse and one
groom and leave the town.

On lyapo hearing this he sent at once to Ajayi advising him
to accept the title. " I know that I afn a doomed man," said he
" and I must not involve you in my ruin ; as for me, my father
was an Eso and I was bom an Esg, and like an Eso I will die."
He summoned his brothers together, and gave them his last
charge, all being present excepting Akintola the next to him. He
distributed his property to his sons and daughters, left directions
about the family property (to which he added something) and how
to keep up the glory of the house and their father's name, etc.
In the meantime he ordered his grave and his coffin to be prepared,
and having inspected and approved of both, and having thus set
his house in order, on the evening of the 17th November, 1877,
this young and brave general entered his bedroom, and put an
end to his life I

When the news got abroad, the consternation and agitation
in the town were indescribable. All the young Mogajis lyapo's
comrades quaked and trembled. They combined and took a solemn
oath of mortal hatred of the Are for the death ,of lyapo
and a determination to avenge it. They agreed never to win for
him a battle, or conquer a hamlet until he was dead and gone.
Thus the Are by putting an end to the life of such brave men as
Aijenku and lyapo started the decadence of Ibadan military
power. His chief motive was a selfish one, to immortalize his own
name and exalt his family never taking into account what provi-
dence may have decreed for him.

The Succession of Akintola

After the death of lyapo, Akintola his brother succeeded him
as the head of the house but of course not to his title nor to any
public title at all, as the Arg was determined to diminish if not
extinguish the glory of Ibikunle's house. That quarter of the
town of which that house was the centre was broken up, all the



420 THE HISTORY OF THE YORUBAS

strong chiefs therein being assigned to several petty chiefs so that
Akintola was left with no following and had none to depend upon
but his father's slaves. But all the same he felt that none was equal
to him among all the chiefs in that quarter and that the prestige
of his father's house was in no way obliterated, he knew that the
" Lion of the Master of Camps" will one day arise and shake
up himself in all his former power ; but for the present he had to
bow to the inevitable.

§ 4. Further Raiding Expedition on Egba Farms.

On the 19th November, 1877, the Balogun was sent out to
raid the Egba farms and he ravaged those that lay near the Ijebus.
On the 28th December, he went northwards against those that lay
in the direction of Iberekodo and an attempt was even made to
capture a village called Ogatedo at the confluence of the Oyan
and Ofiki rivers. But the rivers were swollen and the Ibadans
having waded waist deep were compelled to retreat before the
steady fire of the men of the place, who posted themselves behind
the large trees growing along the side of the river, and prevented
their gaining the opposite bank. The Balogun being ill in the
camp they could not renew their efforts. The expedition returned
home on the 17th of January, 1878, the Balogun being borne on
a litter.
[/b]
Re: Yoruba Commonwealth and Politics by Nobody: 11:59am On Nov 07, 2015
GstringAngela:
I am Nupe. We are sandwiched between the Yoruba and Hausa in Kwara and Niger state respectively. Yoruba people use to refer to us as Tapa. If you go to Lagos or Ogun state there is a masqurade called Igunnuko. Our fathers were the one that gave the Yorubas that masqurade. We share cultural and historical ties.

Yaisa Ayani was the one brought Igunnuko to Lagos.He's from Pategi in Niger state.Cosbyrich abeg remove the bold from your post to make it legible,we wan jack am

2 Likes

Re: Yoruba Commonwealth and Politics by Cosbyrich: 12:02pm On Nov 07, 2015
[b]
A Nine Days' Raiding Expedition

On the Balogun 's recovery from his illness the Are proposed
another expedition and was determined to make a longer stay
in the Egba farms this time and thus draw them out to a fight.
Hitherto the raids lasted only three days each time and only the
Ibadan war-chiefs were concerned, but now he proposed inviting
outside help as well. For that purpose he sent the Otun to clear
the road leading to Arawo, that is a place midway between Ibadan
and Abeokuta on the caravan route. He also invited the war-
chiefs of Ife, Modakeke and other subject towns. He could not
count upon the complete loyalty of the Ibadan war-chiefs because
of their opposition to this enterprise, and because he knew how
deeply he had offended most of them ; bjit he knew the courage
and intrepidity of the Ifes and relied more on them. The expedi-
tion left Ibadan on the 24th of March, 1878 and encamped next
day at Alakisa a few miles beyond Arawo. Having this for their
base they ravaged the farms on the right as far as Iber§kodo, and
on the left as far as they could go. They lived on the spoils of
the farm and destroyed the rest, setting the barns on fire. The
Egbas however, did not show their faces, but contented themselves



THE COMMENCEMENT OF THE SIXTEEN YEARS' WAR 42I

with bravely manning their walls against any attack. The Ife
army arrived on the 28th and joined them in the field.

At the end of nine days the Are summoned a council and
announced that as the Egbas did not take up the challenge and
come out for a fight, they should take a roundabout course and
capture Osiele before they returned home. He was opposed by
the whole of the Ibadan war-chiefs without exception . They alleged :

1. That they were already exhausted by this 9 days useless
exposure.

2. That Osiele not being taken into account before they left
home, they had not first consulted the gods nor offered propitia-
tory sacrifices as they usually did before attacking a town.

3. That to go to Osiele from where they were was too risky and
inadvisable, because they would leave rear and base exposed
to attack by the Egbas should they undertake to attack them
by way of Atadi. If Osiele is to be taken why not go home first
and make a direct attack from home by a route shorter and safer ?
The Are repHed " You had better go and reconsider what you
intend to do, as for me, my mind is made up. I am decided,
and if there remain only my slaves and Ayikiti the Ife General and
the Modak§ke people with me, I shall take Osiele."

■ The chiefs retired, but to strengthen the plot against him. They
agreed to follow but only to witness how he and his slaves with the
Ife and Modakeke people would take Ogiele. In the meantime
private messages had gone to apprise the Egbas of the impending
assault on Osiele. The Ibadan war-chiefs also let their men
know that they were not obliged to stand by their masters, nor
to stay and fight in case of an attack, but as for themselves they
were bound by their office not to desert the Are. Before daybreak
on the 1st of April they had started for Osiele.

The Osiele army met them at a great distance from their home,
and without firing a shot those who led the van of the Ibadan
army melted away, bringing the Are himself and his principal
war-chiefs face to face with the enemy. Only their bodyguards
remained with the chiefs, their fighting men had all gone. The
Are and his slaves threw themselves into the attack vigorously,
and in the first attack, about 300 of them became hors de combat
in dead and wounded. Nothing daunted, a second onslaught was
made and about 200 became hors de combat. The Are's slaves
now perceived that the brunt of the fighting was left for them alone
to bear, and suspected it was a plot to annihilate them, therefore
they also gave way. The Ife and Modakeke people quickly took
in the situation and they themselves gave way, leaving only the
Are and his principal war-chiefs with their bodyguards. None



422 THE HISTORY OF THE YORUBAS

of the war-chiefs deserted the Are so that no one could be accused
of cowardice. The chiefs knew the risks they were running
by thus exposing themselves to be enveloped and taken but
they could not have done otherwise; that was the only way to
accompUsh their plot and bring the Are to reason.

It is now evident the day was lost, and as the Are began to
retreat the rush became general and the Egbas pressed hard in
pursuit. The camp was a long way off, nearly a day's journey,
and hundreds died of thirst. The Are and the veterans about him
retreated in good order, or let us rather say were allowed to retreat
in good order, for if Ogundipe and the Egba war-chiefs had deter-
mined to press hard in pursuit the Ibadan army would have been
annihilated, but the war-chiefs on either side knew secretly the
game they were playing. About 2 p.m. the Are expressed a desire
to say his afternoon prayers. " By all means," said the Balogun
" you can do so." The Balogun then dismounted and expanding
his arms in the direction of the pursuers he said to them " Fire all
your shots here." But Sanusi the Are's eldest son and Idagana
one of his principal slaves threw themselves forward and kept'
the Egba pursuers at bay until the Are had said his prayers ;
and once on the saddle again they retreated hastily. The
casualties on the whole were slight. Sanusi was wounded in the
lip, the Balogun lost a favourite servant in this campaign, and the
Mogaji of the late Chief Bioku was captured by the Egbas. The
wreck of the expedition returned home on the 2nd of April, 1878.

The Are was greatly disappointed, especially in his own slaves.
He said he had thought that come what might he could always count
upon a thousand at least to stand by him for weal or woe, but
alas he was deserted. However, he comforted himself with this
reflection : " There is no one who may not suffer a defeat, for
even the prophet of God (Mahomet) suffered a defeat."

After this all the interior war-chiefs returned to their homes but
Ayikiti and the Ife war-chiefs. Several offices had to be filled
among them. Also the office of the Owoni of Ife was vacant by
the death of Ayikiti's father, and he was desirous of succeeding
him. The Ifes, however, were for another prince and not Ayikiti,
but he so pressed his claims that the Are had to give in, and so on
the 8th April after titles had been arranged for all vacancies in
the Ife chieftaincies, messengers from the Ibadan chiefs followed
Ayikiti home to crown him the Owoni of Ife.

Another Raid. — The Are, however, was not dispirited by the
defeat and failure to capture Osiele, he sent the Otun out again to
clear the direct route via the Agangan hill. In the meantime
he was carrying on a private negotiation with the Ijebus for



THE COMMENCEMENT OF THE SIXTEEN YEARS' WAR 423

a treaty of friendship and commerce working chiefly through
the Ijebus resident at Ibadan and the Ij§bu Remos. But the
answer of the Awujale of the Ijebus was insolent, bidding the Ar§
first to be on friendly terms with the Egbas, the AlAfin, the Ijesas
and the Ifes, and when he saw the messengers of the heads of these
states he would reconsider his relations with Ibadan. The Ibadan
chiefs hearing this reply were so enraged at its insolence that they
were willing to yield to the Are's determination that the reply to
the Awujale should take a practical form by sending the Balogun
to ravage the Egba farms. Although they held a different view
from their chief in this matter of Abeokuta yet they could not
brook any insults to him from outside. They marched out on
the 2oth of May, 1878.
[/b]

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