Stats: 3,165,965 members, 7,863,434 topics. Date: Monday, 17 June 2024 at 05:43 PM |
Nairaland Forum / Nairaland / General / Politics / No Individual Is Yoruba Leader —obasanjo (631 Views)
Quit Notice: I Have Been In Bosso For 45 Years, Where Do I Go? – Yoruba Leader / Jonathan Is A Great Leader - Obasanjo / Goodluck Jonathan Was A Brilliant And Examplary Leader - Obasanjo (2) (3) (4)
No Individual Is Yoruba Leader —obasanjo by Nobody: 5:22am On Aug 03, 2015 |
Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has said
that no individual can be regarded as the leader
of the Yoruba.
Obasanjo stated this in his book, titled, “My
Watch: Political and Public Affairs,” where he
addressed what he called his “Nigerianness and
Yorubanness.”
In chapter 31, titled, “Campaigns and Elections,”
Obasanjo said Nigeria did not need tribal barons
as leaders.
He added that there was nothing like Yoruba
leadership in Yoruba land.
The former President said, “Just as there was no
single oba having sovereignty over the whole of
Yorubaland, there was no individual as leader of
the Yorubas in Yorubaland. As it was then, it
remains till now.”
He noted that even among the Yoruba obas
“there is equality, but mutual respect.”
Backing his claim with a saying, “no crown is
subordinate to another,” the former President said
cities and areas were normally of different sizes.
He recalled that in the past, obas never saw one
another, but sent messages through emissaries.
According to him, it was the colonialists that
made the obas to see one another face-to-face.
The colonialists, he said, went further to rank
Yoruba traditional rulers.
Obasanjo noted that in the North, the majority of
emirs accepted the Sultan of Sokoto as the direct
descendant of Usman Dan Fodio.
He said the Sultan was accepted as the leader
among Hausa/Fulani traditional rulers.
“The Yorubas did not have such a clear-cut and
accepted hierarchy. Every oba maintains
sovereignty over his domain,” he added.
Obasanjo explained that ‘baales’ (chiefs) were
appointed by obas within their domains.
The former president said the supporters of the
first Premier of the Western Region, the late Chief
Obafemi Awolowo, “fixed” the title of Yoruba
leader on the late sage during the Civil War.
He recalled that during the war, different ethnic
groups met separately to consider positions and
issues for the future of Nigeria.
According to him, Awolowo presided over the
meeting of the Yorubas in Ibadan.
“In the course (of the meeting), Chief Awolowo
presided. His supporters then fixed the title of
Yoruba leader upon him,” he stated.
Obasanjo said that some people, including Chief
Adisa Akinloye, did not accept Awolowo as the
leader of the Yoruba.
Obasanjo said that after he successfully ended
the Civil War, some people began to extol his
“Yorubanness.”
“I did not encourage this. ‘My Yorubaness’ and
‘my Nigerianness’ must go pari passu, and one
must not stand in the way of the other,” he
stated.
Explaining the relationship between the two,
Obasanjo stated that his parents were from Owu
in Abeokuta.
He stated, “I bear Owu tribal marks. And better or
worse still, I speak English with my Owu dialect. I
have always maintained and felt proud of my
‘Owunness’, ‘Yorubannes’ and ‘Nigerianness’ in
that order.
“They are all parts of my cherished identity. But I
have always refused and I will always refuse to
be constrained, diminished or reduced to the level
of Yoruba leadership.
“Without being immodest, I am a national leader,
an African leader and a world leader in my own
way.”
The former President said that Nigeria needed
nationalists, not tribal leaders.
He stated, “I strongly believe that Nigeria needs
nationalists to propel it forward. Myopic tribal
barons and tendencies will not take us too far.”
Obasanjo said that Nigeria was inadvertently
deprived of nationalists as leaders at
independence.
“Other countries like Tanzania, Kenya, Zambia,
Ghana, Cote d’Ivoire, Mali, Senegal, Cameroon, to
mention a few, were not so deprived,” he noted.
He expressed the hope that Nigeria could still
regain what it lost at independence.
Obasanjo further said, “If a person is born in the
Yoruba, Igbo, Nupe tribes, it is important that he
tries and grows up as a Nigerian with total
commitment to Nigeria.”
This, he explained, was a sure way “to make
Nigeria stable, secure, developed and great.”
He said that the misapplication of personal and
tribal interests was the bane of political stability
and rectitude in most African countries.
“I have always believed that the interest of any
Nigerian tribe can best be met and served when
the national interests are served and not outside
it,” he added.
The Nigerian leader said that where the need
arose, in the interest of justice and fairness, he
had spoken and acted on behalf of the Yoruba.
He stated, “I have done so, but not against the
overall Nigerian interests or against the interest
of any other groups for that matter.” http://www.punchng.com/news/no-individual-is-yoruba-leader-obasanjo/ |
Re: No Individual Is Yoruba Leader —obasanjo by oluwafemi113(m): 5:24am On Aug 03, 2015 |
. Baba you are so much on point . |
Re: No Individual Is Yoruba Leader —obasanjo by hismerhill(m): 5:40am On Aug 03, 2015 |
The guy above me ehn ehn, anyways tnk God i am STC..... back to d topic yorubas have lleaders but we dont listen to dem weda dey are corrupt or cud be lured to any side is a topic for anoder day, yorubas all of us get sense d same way, no book d same way, beleive say we acquire wealth nd fame almost d same way so who are u to say i am eida right or wrong let alone take orders from u... until we leave pride and embrace our culture we might nneva av a leader... rada pple vesting dere interest is all we shall be seeing.. |
Re: No Individual Is Yoruba Leader —obasanjo by countsection: 5:51am On Aug 03, 2015 |
because ur people rejected u as there leader that's why u ar saying dis trash. obj is suffering from hangover. he missed opportunity to not only be a Yoruba leader bt the undisputed Nigeria leader |
Re: No Individual Is Yoruba Leader —obasanjo by Nobody: 5:53am On Aug 03, 2015 |
Rightly said |
Re: No Individual Is Yoruba Leader —obasanjo by fashoo2010(m): 6:21am On Aug 03, 2015 |
OBJ has just uttered d truth, no individual can boast of being d overall leader of yoruba tribe 1 Like |
Re: No Individual Is Yoruba Leader —obasanjo by kennyman2000(m): 6:35am On Aug 03, 2015 |
Hmmmm.... |
Re: No Individual Is Yoruba Leader —obasanjo by wakaman: 7:12am On Aug 03, 2015 |
Every omoluabi is a leader in Yoruba Land. Note - OMOLUABI. |
(1) (Reply)
Dubai Police In Search Of The Alleged Human Traffic Maddam / The Rare Privileges Of Being A Youth Corper / Interesting!! General Buhari Visits His Cows In The Farm (see Photos)
(Go Up)
Sections: politics (1) business autos (1) jobs (1) career education (1) romance computers phones travel sports fashion health religion celebs tv-movies music-radio literature webmasters programming techmarket Links: (1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6) (7) (8) (9) (10) Nairaland - Copyright © 2005 - 2024 Oluwaseun Osewa. All rights reserved. See How To Advertise. 19 |