₦airaland Forum

Story of Manneh , a Black Soldier Who lost both Legs and Arm in Afghanistan Battle

Lamin Manneh was among the Gambians in the British army who were deployed to Afganistan to fight the Taliban. Whilst on duty in 2010, he stepped on an improvised explosive device losing both his legs and his arm.

After surviving his injury, the former soldier said: “Getting injured was a shock. All I remember about being blown up is someone saying; “You’re going to be alright,” then I woke up in Birmingham.”

He continued: “I needed to be there for my family. If I sat moaning, what example would I be to my children? So I quickly got back to being determined.”

Did Lamin lose his legs and an arm for nothing?

Following the withdrawal of Western troops in Afganistan, the Taliban took over the country this week and they are now preparing to establish an Islamic government.

Some of Lamin’s colleagues who fought in Afganistan said it was heartbreaking when they saw in the news that Taliban fighters have taken control of the presidential palace in Kabul.

Lamin lost both legs and an arm while protecting Afghan farmers from the Taliban.

He told the BBC: “What happened to me was in 2010, New Year’s Eve. We went to provide security for Afghan farmers because they were having trouble with the Taliban.”

Lamin Manneh is a citizen of The Gambia.

The former soldier is yet to speak on the chaos and collapse in Afghanistan.

https://iyeyiexprex.com/black-soldier-who-lost-both-legs-and-arm-in-afghanistan-battle/

The phenomenal Ethiopian Empress Taytu Betul a main cog and master strategist behind the battle that humiliated the Italians in 1896

EmperessTaytu Betul, whose name means ‘sunshine’ continues to be hailed as “the Light of Ethiopia”.

With King Menelik’s ascent to imperial throne, Taytu became empress of Ethiopia in 1889, and in that capacity became a valuable advisor to him. He would consult her prior to making important decisions and due to her intelligence and loyalty for the throne and her country; he endorsed her views and proposals in administrative, political, military as well as foreign affairs.

Menelik who often prevaricated and postponed unpleasant decisions found it useful to have his wife be in a powerful enough position to say “absolutely not” to people and issues he just didn’t want to personally refuse. As the most powerful woman in the land, Taytu handled the role very well which earned her many haters and critics while Menelik kept enjoying the love of the people.

She bravely stood up and motivated men against retreat and mobilized thousands of women and encouraged them to take part in the fighting and care for the wounded soldiers.

All these women and the non-combatant men that she mobilized were armed with spears, shields and swords to participate in the actual fighting in time of need.

Taytu made a remarkable contribution to the war effort when she proposed to besiege the Italian fort at Makelle by controlling their water supply which was approved by the Emperor. Although it was not easy to convince the Ethiopian soldiers that controlling the water source would be a more effective tactic than attacking the fort, 900 men from the Empress’s contingent went on to execute her plan.

Taytu’s plan worked and the Italians suffered from shortage of water and surrendered their partially completed fort in a city which they had occupied since 1895, to Ethiopian forces.

Throughout the assault on the Italian troops, Taytu was on the frontline in the battlefield commanding her own contingent of about 5000 infantry and 600 mounted troops.

The Empress also received and analyzed intelligence information which has been characterized as of crucial importance to the Ethiopian victory at the battle. This information enabled Ethiopian soldiers to attack the Italians at Adwa instead of Adigrat where the Italians had a well-protected military base.

When the war ended with the Battle of Adwa, the Italians suffered a humiliating defeat at the hands of a united Ethiopia. There is no doubt that Empress Taytu’s intellectual and physical contribution led to this historical victory of an indigenous African army putting a definitive stop to a colonizing nation’s efforts.

https://iyeyiexprex.com/ethiopian-empress-taytu-betul-a-main-cog-and-master-strategist-behind-the-battle-that-humiliated-the-italians-in-1896/

It all started when he met the black queen, Sandra, a student of Sociology and a member of a movement in the United States of America known as Black Panther. To her eternal credit, she introduced him to African history, tradition, culture and ancestors.

In those dark days, she proved to him that Africa was rich in knowledge, thoughts, ideas, what have you, and any African who spends time to understand these things was assured of not losing his or her way.

Theirs was a noteworthy story which went beyond love, intimacy and sexual attraction. He was a student of his lover and he learned under the canopy of her sleek bosom, which he would freely slide in his fingers and click on whenever he was tired of undergoing that onerous task called learning. What a good way to be a student!

Prior to her teachings, he was a man who was in every way lost. He had no voice of his own and was just another being in the dichotomous planet called earth, which made him want to fit himself into the odd ways of the Western world. He called it cool and lost in thoughts (KOOLA LOBITOS), unknown to him that the continent from which he emerged was that rich garden where the tree of human civilization was first planted.

He was a blind man walking with a stick, but Sandra gave him his sight. That transformative miracle which she performed begot the man we know as Fela: a justified prophet, voice of the oppressed, and the one and only Black President.

Once, this man was asked: If you were voted in as the president of Nigeria, what would be your socio-political ideology? He responded in classic Fela: No Marxism, no Leninism, pure Africanism.

Pan-Africanist, Philosopher, Rebel and Artiste. An okunrin meta. As a strongman who engaged in a highly demanding business, his trade required that he spoke consciously, veraciously and aggressively, yet he didn't shy away from those bubbling and bouncing triplets.

Fela carried out his daily business transactions in double legal tender: timeliness and fearlessness through a distinguished form of art known as music. Adjudged crazy and sick by the powers that be, but those who vomited those words were the stinky mouths whose ears and skin could not bear that devilish tickle that accompanied his scathing lyrics. It left them frantic with worry.

When he mounted the stage, all the musical instruments jostled for his attention, but vintage Fela who had an insatiable penchant for exquisiteness derived from a peculiar thirst for excellence would prefer to take each one at a time in order to achieve a combination of accurate sound, flow and tempo for the message he wished to pass across.

His instruments were ready and willing tools to aid his relentless cause for speaking against tragic personalities that rode over Nigerians roughshod. They were his uncompromising apparatus for downing the downpressors (apologies to Peter Tosh).

His lyrics were the ballistic missiles that kept the dangerous class restless, sleepless and in endless check. He acted as the fifth estate of the realm as such, he sometimes threw them off their shameful thrones. A constant thorn in the flesh of the establishments. He was like the proverbial cat that has nine lives. Kill him, he won't die as he already had death in his mysterious pouch.

He did things in his own unique way. No notable school of thought, no ideology can be attributed to him as an African philosopher. Abami Eda cannot be added to the same sentence as national Philosophers such as Senghor, who preached Negritude; Osagyefo Nkrumah, whom he admired; Julius Nyerere, nor his friend, who was assassinated by reactionary elements that, thwarted the grand ideas of that crusader for a united, and a newly-emerging Africa. May the killer/s of that Africa voice christened Sankara by his forbears not know peace.

Yet, he was an African philosopher of a quintessential pedigree. His love for African Traditional Religion (ATR), and belief in the practices and all that it constitutes could be seen in his constant romance with gods and goddesses in the Afrika Shrine. It's also embedded in his songs and interview sessions.

For instance, Water No Get Enemy, having bracketed the lyrics of that song just as it is within the epoché of African hermeneutics. Viewed through the prism of Husserl's Phenomenology and transcendental idealism, I am obliged to say Fela was extolling the powers of the Yoruba water goddess, Osun and elevating the idea of animism. He saw water as an extent force (apologies to Tempels) that can be used for miraculous deeds as Osun worshippers have proved countless times over the years hence it has no enemy.

But Fela had enemies, loads and loads of them. His enemies were the principalities and powers that have turned, twisted and taken the shine off this contraption of ours. His foes were the demonic figures that emerged from Nations. His foes were the Beasts who created the bad bad society, "'egbe kegbe." They were the Beasts of No Nation.

A reminder: Long ago, he saw that Nigeria was a ticking time bomb waiting to explode, it's no coincidence that the ruler who's detonating that bomb is the man he tagged "craze man in human skin." He's a Justified Prophet.

15, October 1938 --- August 2, 1997

Originally Written By: Dickson Omobola


https://iyeyiexprex.com/fela-a-justified-prophet/

D’Tigers head coach, Mike Brown has announced his final 12 man roster for the 2021 FIBA Afrobasket holding in Kigali, Rwanda.

Daniel Utomi who plies his trade with Vichy Clermont in France will be joined by Ikenna Ndugba, Emmanuel Omogbo of Apoel BC of Cyprus and Benjamin Emegolu (Rouen Basket Metrople, France) after days of training in the United States of America

TK Edogi makes a return to the team after missing out of the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo alongside Stephen Domingo (Lake land Magic - G League, USA), Jordan Ogundiran and Jeremiah Mordi.

Players plying their trades in Nigeria will also play a major role in the team’s hunt for glory with the inclusion of Rivers Hoopers point guard, Ikechukwu Benjamin as well as Koko Victor Anthony. The duo of Nwafor Celestine Joseph (Kano Pillars) and Agu Ibe Aguchi (Gombe Bulls) completes the list of invited players from the Nigerian league.

The team is expected to arrive Kigali on the Sunday, 22nd of August ahead of their first game against Mali on Wednesday, 25th, August.

The number one ranked team in Africa will face Kenya and Côte d’Ivoire in group C in a quest to improve on the silver medal won at the 2017 edition in Tunisia.

Coach Ogoh Odaudu who led Rivers Hoopers to the inaugural edition of the Basketball Africa League has also joined the team as one of the assistant coaches.

https://iyeyiexprex.com/dtigers-fiba-afrobasket-final-roster-released/

“My Saudi Arabia employer forced me to smuggle drugs in my private parts.” Kenyan lady Narrates.


Tales of Kenyans suffering in Saudi Arabia at the hands of their employers are commonplace.


The story of Faith Murunga, however, beats most by mile.
Faith Murunga narrated her harrowing ordeal to Jklive on Wednesday, shedding light on inhuman treatment and abuse that some jobless Kenyans have to endure in the pursuit of the elusive coin.


Upon her arrival in Saudi Arabia, her lofty dream faded away, fast. Her passport was taken away, then, her dignity.


On her first day of work, her employers demanded that the smuggles a cache of drugs through her private parts.

“My journey to Saudi Arabia started with training in Syokimau here in Kenya on how to be a housemaid in Saudi Arabia. Upon arrival they took my passport,” she said on Wednesday

“ THE NEXT MORNING THINGS BECAME BAD. NILIANZA KUAMBIWA NIWAEKEE DAWA KWA PRIVATE PARTS(I WAS TOLD TO INSERT DRUGS ON MY PRIVATE PARTS)”

She was beaten frequently, and for no reason.

One day her boss asked her for a cup and she brought a spoon as she was yet to learn Arabic.

“I went through hell. One time I was beaten so bad after my boss asked me to bring a cup and I brought a spoon yet I didn’t understand the language. I used to have one meal in a day and that is strong tea,” she told JKlive

The situation would worsen as the days wore on. Her attempt to reach the Kenyan Embassy for help was futile.

“I got no support from any Kenyan official in Saudi Arabia. I called one Embassy guy and they used vulgar language akaniambia you are a girl enda ufanye ile kitu wenzako wanaeza fanya ndio ufanye kazi… lala na boss yako ndio ufanye kazi(go and sleep with your boss to get employed,” Ms Murunga said.

At some point, Ms Murunga says she thought all hope was lost.
Her boss doused her with boiling water, leaving her with serious burns to her arm. She still carries those scars to date.

“At some point I thought I would die. My boss in Saudi Arabia poured hot water on my arm and that’s why I have this burn,” she narrated.
Her employer would then force her to confess that she had burnt herself at gun point.

She maintained the same story even to police officers and doctors who attended to her.
Her moment of luck came when she was going back to the house with her employer.

“THEY TOLD ME TO TAKE OUT THE TRASH, AND I SEIZED THE OPPORTUNITY TO RUN ACROSS THE ROAD TO THE REDCROSS OFFICES WHERE I FINALLY GOT HELP,”

She did not have money to pay for her air ticket, her husband back at home had spent all the cash she would wire home.

Having experienced Saudi Arabia first hand, Ms Murunga says she would never go back despite the assurance.

“Experience is the best teacher. I would not tell anyone whether to go to Saudi Arabia or not. But before you go, find out whether the agency taking you there is genuine or not,” she says.

https://iyeyiexprex.com/faith-murunga-narrates-her-near-death-experience-in-saudi-arabia/

By Olobe Yoyon

Every religion on this planet has its own liturgical language.

In Judaism, the liturgical language is obviously Hebrew and in rare cases Kaddish or Aramaic. A Yorùbá or Igbo covert to Judaism cannot substitute his/her mother tongue for Hebrew. Yahweh must be worshipped in Hebrew.

In Islam, Arabic is the liturgical language for salat and ibadah (Islamic prayer and worship). You cannot perform your salat and ibadah in Yorùbá or English or Hausa.
A Yorùbá muezzin cannot use Yorùbá for call to prayer even if all the worshippers are Yorùbá. Also, your prayer in any other language, even in your mother tongue is not acceptable! If you pray using Yorùbá at your mosque, the prayer will not be answered by Allah! In fact, you could be banished from the mosque for sacrilege.

In Roman Catholicism, the liturgical language is Latin. A Pope, irrespective of his mother tongue must communicate with the Catholic God in Latin even though Latin is a dead language here on planet Earth! No other language is acceptable for performing liturgy, not even Italian – the lingua franca of the Vatican!

In Protestantism, you must use the correct Hebrew lingo if you want your prayer to be answered irrespective of your mother tongue. “Hallelujah”, “Hosanna”, “Amen” etc are not Yorùbá words but you must sprinkle them on your prayers or during your worship before your request can be accepted for consideration by the Judeo Christian God.

In Pentecostalism, you must speak in tongues using the angelic language of heaven (glossolalia). You cannot speak in tongues in any African language. In fact, you cannot use any decipherable earthly language at all.

In Ifá, the liturgical language is Yorùbá. you cannot chant Odù Ifá in any other language except in Yorùbá when communicating with Ifá. No other language is acceptable. Your ẹbọ and ètùtù must be accompanied by the correct liturgy in Yorùbá. English or Arabic or German or Spanish etc will not cut it! In fact, you can incur the wrath of the Irunmọlẹ if you try it!

Same thing goes for other religions. You must use the language of the God of that religion whenever you want to communicate.

https://iyeyiexprex.com/liturgical-languages-of-our-gods/

A Pan-Africanist and undisputably one of the greatest African leaders of our time, Thomas Isidore Noël Sankara carved out a reputation dominant in African politics and history for generations to come. Within four years of his presidency, Sankara fulfilled what other leaders cannot do in decades of governance. Sankara’s leadership style is incomparable and uncontestable with the present-day trend of governance in the African continent. Wait a minute! Are we speaking of leaders who travel for virtual summits because of poor internet connectivity?

The military captain took over the mantle of leadership in a bloodless and majorly supported coup in 1983, aged 33 years old. He took rapid steps to refurbish and reform the subservient mindset of the burkinabés to colonialism.

He followed in proximity to democratic and social reforms through women’s empowerment and large scale development. Sankara was sadly killed in a military coup on 15th October 1987. A coup organized and machinated by his best friend, Blaise Compaoré.

Here are 8 reasons why studying the leadership style of Thomas Sankara should be mandatory for African leaders.

1. Reduced drastically on Government’s wasteful spending

Thomas Sankara’s elevation to power wasn’t banked on self aggrandizement. After seizing power, Sankara immediately sold off the government’s fleet of mercedes cars and replaced them with the small and economical Renault 5: The cheapest car in Burkina Faso.



This car was the official vehicle for all government officers and ministers. He took a bold step in reducing the salaries of all public servants, including his own. As a minister, you’ll have to personally drive your vehicle as the use of government chauffeurs were prohibited. 1st class airline tickets for government officials were also forbidden.

Thomas Sankara as president, lowered his salary to a meager $450 a month and limited his possessions to a car, four bikes, three guitars, a fridge and a broken freezer.

2. Elevated the status of women in Burkina Faso

Sankara was an antagonist to male domination and misogyny. Actively involved in women’s empowerment, he outlawed the practice of female genital mutilation, forced marriages and polygamy in support of women’s right. Fines and civil punishments were enforced to ensure the protection of women’s right. The burkinabé leader also appointed women to high ranking government positions, motivated them to deliver, recruited them into the military, and implemented a policy which granted young girls pregnancy leave during education.

Sankara was literally a feminist. A revolutionary attuned with feministic principles. He had a women-only presidential guard which travelled with him around the country. He encouraged men to visit the marketplaces while their wives sat at home. This was done for men to experience the diverse conditions faced by women in fulfilling their wifely duties.


Africa’s Che Guevara
3. Shattered any form of personality cult and political hype

This is somewhat a peculiar call. The former president was not a fan of praises and political exaltation. He contradicted the personality cult theory which is a norm similar with African leaders. Sankara declined to have his portrait hung in public places and government offices. His argument was that there were millions of Sankaras out there who also wanted their portraits on walls, but did not hung them. Thomas Sankara adopted a humble lifestyle.

He refused to use the air conditioning in his office on the grounds that such luxury was not accessible to anyone but a handful of Burkinabés. Yes! There was once such a political leader.

4. Sankara rebranded and carved out a worthy image for Burkinabés

Sankara renamed the country from the french colonial name Upper Volta to Burkina Faso which means (“Land of Incorruptible People”) and its citizens called Burkinabés (“Upright People”). Being an accomplished guitarist, Sankara composed the nation’s new national anthem. He also converted the army’s provision store into a state-owned supermarket open to everyone. The first in the country.

5. Embarked on massive health programs and schemes

Sankara’s passion for developing the health sector is a far cry from present day leaders who would prefer foreign comfort to their local hospitals. He launched a mass vaccination program with the aim of eradicating polio, meningitis, and measles. Within the space of two years, over 2 million Burkinabés were vaccinated. Infant mortality plummeted from 20.8% to 14.5%.

Record says Sankara’s administration was the first to publicly recognize the AIDS epidemic as a major threat to Africa. Interacting with the local level, Sankara called on every village to build a medical dispensary and had pharmacies built in 5,384 out of 7,500 villages. He was an health ambassador!

6. Education was a priority.

Prior to Sankara’s presidency, the country’s illiteracy rate was a staggering 90%. School attendance under Sankara increased from 6% to 22%. The construction of schools were endorsed through government programs.

7. Pushed for the conservation of the environment

Sankara was keen on averting the problems of deforestation. A national agenda was enrolled to plant 10 million trees. This was done to halt the growing desertification of the sahel.


8. An unfaltering opposition towards foreign aid and a crusader for African unity

This was the defining hallmark of this outstanding Pan-Africanist. Sankara placed an ultimate ban on the abysmal trend of foreign aid in Africa. His foreign policies were formulated to penetrate and dissipate any form of imperialism. Additionally, Sankara objected aid from organizations including the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

. “DEBT IS A CLEVERLY MANAGED RECONQUEST OF AFRICA. IT IS A RECONQUEST THAT TURNS EACH ONE OF US INTO A FINANCIAL SLAVE.”

Sankara speaking at an OAU summit, 1987.

The demotivation of the reliance on aid by boosting domestic revenues and diversifying the sources of assistance were the core objectives of Sankara.

He actualized the African dream by improving on food sufficiency. Total cereal production rose by 75% between 1983 and 1986. The railway building program was facilitated without any consideration of foreign aid or help. Over 700km (430 mi) of rail was laid by the Burkinabé people to help ease the burden on manganese extraction. An act which reformed mindsets in believing African countries could be prosperous without foreign aid or assistance.

He delivered powerful speeches in platforms like the Organization Of African Unity opposing neo-colonialist infiltration of Africa through deceitful western trade and finance. In one of his speeches, Sankara said: “He who feeds you controls you”. Foreign aid was a way to keep poor nations under the grip of the colonizer. He rallied excessively submitting reasons on why Africa should be united.


The story of Thomas Sankara is worthy of emulation for any successive president. Corruption was unfashionable during his time as public officials accused were left to defend themselves in court without defense counsels.

“WHILE REVOLUTIONARIES AS INDIVIDUALS CAN BE MURDERED, YOU CANNOT KILL IDEAS”.
Thomas Isidore Noël Sankara


https://iyeyiexprex.com/8-reasons-why-studying-the-leadership-style-of-thomas-sankara-should-be-mandatory-for-african-leaders/

After the death of the Founder & Spiritual Leader of the Taliban, Mullah Mohammad Omar on 25 April 2013, so many analysts and diplomats believe the war against the Taliban in Afghanistan was half-worn. That belief was sustained after Mullah Omar’s successor, Mullah Akhtar Mansour was killed in a U.S drone strike in May 2016. Mind you; throughout his reign as the “Commander of the Faithful” and the most prominent and ruthless leader of the Taliban, the one-eye-Mullah Omar could not be arrested by either the Afghan security forces or the U.S security network. He was living near the U.S base in Southern Afghanistan before his death.

The closest the U.S forces came was at the airport in Kandahar but Mullah disappeared on a motorbike leaving U.S security forces in dismay. He died of Tuberculosis on the 25th of April, 2013 but nobody, not even the U.S and the Afghan authorities were aware until July 2015.

I was in secondary school during the reign of Mullah Omar as his name re-echoed every 4:am when I tuned to the Voice of America. Mullah Omar was succeeded by Mullah Akhtar Mansour who was killed in a U.S airstrike in May 2016

Mansour was succeeded by the incumbent Mawlawi Hibatullah Akhundzada who was elected in May 2016 a few days after the US drone killed his predecessor. Mawlawi Akhundzada is becoming more offensive, fulfilling the agenda of Mullah Omar today.

The Afghan government and the U.S seem to be more focused on eliminating the Commanders of the Faithful of Taliban but they have more deadly foot soldiers. During the reign of Hamid Karzai as President of Afghanistan, Jalaluddin Haqqani was the military leader of the Taliban who led the offensive that captured the city of Khost from the government of Kabul in 1991 and later captured Kabul in 1995. Hamid Karzai made him Prime minister in an attempt to split off the Taliban’s moderate wing and that perfectly worked.

The world needs to rally around Ashraf Ghani and proposed a workable diplomatic approach towards taking the provinces from the Taliban that may be a wild-goose chase.

https://iyeyiexprex.com/taliban-dislodges-afghan-government/

By Bode Durojaiye

As the world is celebrating the Sango festival, the life of Alaafin Sango would be an excellent example of leadership considering the fact that his rule of Oyo was far less than a decade.

This is a question of not how long but how intensive and significant.

Before Sango ascended the throne, his brother Ajaka was deposed probably because his temperament did not meet the requirements of the turbulent period.

Sango was preferred because he was a man of valour, purpose-driven and master of diplomacy.

He became king when Oyo was at its formative stage and surrounded by mighty and warlike states such as Nupe, Ibariba and Owu.

His charismatic leadership re-defined the character and pattern of intergroup relations and diplomacy and made Oyo the centre-piece of his foreign relations.

His dynamic alliances, including marriages, were constructed to pursue the greater interest of Oyo just as he spared no effort in consolidating the military ascendancy of Oyo in the region.

In Nigeria, the Republic of Benin, and Togo in West Africa as well as Brazil, Colombia, Cuba, Puerto Rico, the Guyanas, Jamaica, Grenada, Trinidad and Tobago, St.Kitts, and St.Vincent, in the New World, are millions of Sango adherents.

In Santeria, Candomblé, the Cuban and Brazilian manifestations of Yoruba religion are very high.

In these countries, the beliefs and organizational structure of the Yoruba religious system remain generally intact, even though they may incorporate other African roots.

In Yoruba cosmology, Olodumare or Olorun is the Supreme Being whose supremacy is absolute.

Olodumare is acknowledged by all divinities as unique and pre-eminent.

https://iyeyiexprex.com/sango-a-man-of-valour-purpose-driven-master-of-diplomacy/

The divinities called orisha (orisa) are offspring of Olodumare and are believed to be ministers and functionaries in the universe.

Among the orisas is Sango or Shango which represents the divinity of vengeance against theft, and other crimes and is more dreaded than other divinities.

Shango is of special significance in Yorubaland, Nigeria and several Caribbean countries.

Under the inspirational leadership of Sango, the Oyo kingdom became known not just for the effectiveness of its political system, but as well for its military strength.

Sango’s seven years reign was marked by several wars fought to liberate Oyo from its predatory and truculent older neighbours.

His short reign consolidated the position of Oyo as the foremost Guinea Savannah State and also secured the independence and sovereignty of the nascent kingdom.

Sango eventually became the hero of his people and the circumstances of his death as controversial and mysterious as they were have continued to be referenced all over the world.

He disappeared into the ground with the concern of his people paramount in his heart. He paid the supreme sacrifice and left Oyo more grandiose, more stable, better administered and more secured than he met the nascent kingdom.

He would be remembered as one of the rare African leaders who became an instant success in empire building.

Unfortunately, what owners of the culture do not appreciate at home are being cherished, admired and highly valued by those outsides and are doing everything humanly possible to acquire it by all means and at all cost.

The uniqueness of Oyo traditions is worthy of emulation taking for example the respect Yoruba people have for the institutional authority, clothing and mode of dressing, the beauty of Yoruba language with its semantics, the use of proverbs and aphorism, different satires of Yoruba poems full of wisdom and philosophy that has no equal all over the world.

He explained further that Oyo tradition is the pride of Oyo, and it is the main reason why the city continues to enjoy respect among the African nations and the black races in general.

This is best explained in the common saying that due process is the nature of administration at Oyo. This is justice which Sango stands for. It is the practice of his Imperial Majesty. The ALAAFIN of Oyo is known for, and this is what Nigeria should be known for because where there is justice, there shall be peace and where there is peace, there will be development.

And it is a development everybody should be working towards to complement whatever the governments at the local, state and federal levels are doing.
A celebration of Sango as evidenced in the festival provides everyone with a rare opportunity to define his or her attitude to culture by identifying with the virtues of Sango, and in so doing equip ourselves with an understanding of these virtues that transformed Sango from being just the fourth ruler of the kingdom of Oyo to a global brand that he has become today.

In this era of African cultural re-awakening, the life, leadership, administration and government under Sango as Alaafin here in Oyo should be explored in the strictest academic tradition and the ennobling values intellectualized.

The life of Alaafin Sango would be an excellent example in leadership, considering the fact that his rule of Oyo was for less than a decade.

This year’s world Sango festival gives another opportunity to examine and conceptualize the entire building qualities of Sango and use that as a possible template for efforts in nation-building.

Yoruba cultural studies should go beyond a study of the performing traditions, but should now begin to emphasize scholarship in the intellectual foundation of this universal culture.

While Yoruba in the diaspora should immerse themselves in their religion and traditions for spiritual strengthening, personal fulfilment in life, global understanding and harmony, they should look beyond the challenges of nation-building we are currently facing in Nigeria and concentrate attention on the spiritual significance of your homecoming to rebuild your cultural identity and spiritual self-rediscovery.

Explaining the essence of the festival, the celebrant and the Alaafin of Oyo, Oba (Dr.) Lamidi Olayiwola Adeyemi 111, in a chat pointed out that going by the happenings around the world in contemporary times, there is the need for Yoruba as a people to retain our traditional and cultural identity in the face of the global village, which the world has become as a result of fast-improving technology.

The Paramount Ruler noted that while great countries celebrate their glorious past, Africans do not give much reverence to theirs due to super-imposition of the two main religions of Islam and Christianity.

‘Unfortunately, preachers of these two religions are known for etching their sermons and creed into the consciousness of Africans’ psyche, which have conditioned our sense of appreciation and thinking.

“The colonial mentality has blindfolded us and made us to perceive erroneously our invaluable culture and tradition as fetish.

“This has also resulted in the way we picture our past heroes and great men of valour and virtues, who should be immortalised, venerated and celebrated. Not only that, their deeds, acts and wise sayings were worthy of compiled, documented, reserved and preserved for generation yet unborn.

Conclusively, Alaafin postulated that, ‘’in everything, be it science, astrology, dressing, language, social sciences and even businesses, Yoruba remains the pace-setter. There are empirical data and proven track records to show for this assertion. Oyo not only remains centre piece of Yoruba Nations world-wide, but Mecca and Vatican of the richest culture and traditions in the universe’

https://iyeyiexprex.com/sango-a-man-of-valour-purpose-driven-master-of-diplomacy/

The fact that the early scholars who wrote our history were not indigenous writers made it very clumsy, complicated and stultified with the attendant ambiguities and irregularities coupled with what I will prefer, false assumptions and erroneous beliefs about our history. Though some of these persons laid today what I would refer the foundation for us to build upon, that doesn’t mean their work can’t be subject to criticism; History those days were hurriedly written just for the award of a certificate, especially those written in respect of Igala deliberately underestimated, exaggerated and discredited in attempts to reduce our strength and fame as a people.


The fact remains, all Igala groups are related from one source as reflects in our dialect, ritual, Name bearing, settlement/location and many more. However, there’s Something I would like to say more today on Idah settlement.
The fact is that, the first Igala to reach Idah are the Igalaogba ( First Igala) and the Etemahis’. It’s Important to note that Igalamela is not a clan but a fusion of many clans who came to Idah at different times. Igalamela was a later identity of the earliest clans that occupy Idah and among them, Igalaogba ( first Igala), Etemahi( root) were the first. The Igala Kingdom was long-established earlier than even the 4th century. But lack of historical records was what reduced the knowledge of earlier Historians about us.


The Ooni Ife recently said in a national publication that is still on Google that Igala, the Yoruba and Igbo are the oldest races in Nigeria. However, it’s important to further note that the Igalaogba(First Igala) people have related to pre-Ife Igala from Egypt and not the present Ife Ada-Adagba/ Abutu-eje lineage.

Meanwhile, the Ada-adagba/ Abutu Ejeh and Etemahi are most probably related. This early Igala groups formed what was popularly known then as Atinolos. The Atinolos never used Ata as the title for their kings. The used Onu. And that’s why till today, they have Onu Ede, Onu Ubiogbo etc with salutation Onu Igala.


These people long had their kingship system before some other Igalas came along with their half brothers like the Agatu ( Idoma), Ebira, Egbura and others joined them in very later years.Atinọlọ, Igalamela, Igalaogba are all aboriginal Igalas whose date of existence on the soil of Idah is even almost lost. Now, the attempt at Igala unification began with Ata Ogala with the alias, Eri who was an Attah Igala
of the Igalamela clan. According to many records, Ata Ogala Eri ruled from 1371-1373


But was later chased away by Igalogba leading to the Igalaogba man, Omaji later corrupted by the European writers as Aji. Ata Omaji took over as Attah in 1373. Ogala (Eri) then left Idah with some loyal Igala soldiers and settled in the present Anambra state to establish his territory. In this location, he established all the Igala structures and started dressing like Attah Igala. When Attah Igala started wearing Ejubejuailo, his descendants ruling at that period added that to their royal regalia too. This is also confirmed thus: According to Mr Lawton in 1917, “The Nris are of Igara(Igala)stock, extended themselves southward from Idah”. “Practically all the towns north of the Onitsha-Akwa road are Nri- including Nteje, Umuleri and Aguleri”. In the Awka Division, Akwuju, Igbariam and Amanuke, Orumebo, Oreri are Nris” In 1955, an Aguleri man, M. C. M. Idigo stated that “The Aguleri people originated from Igara (Igala) and migrated to their present area about three or four centuries ago. According to him The Igala leader Ogala Eri, a warrior, took his people on a war expedition, and after long travel and many fights, established his camp at Eri-aka, near Odanduli stream, a place which lies between Ifite and Igbezunu Aguleri. Eri, with his soldiers, went out regularly from his settlement to Urada, Nnadi and other surrounding towns on war raids and captured many of the inhabitants. These were the Ibo-speaking people and by mixing with them and inter-marriage, the immigrants adopted the language”.In 1960, J. S. Boston stated that “The northern Umunrivillages say that the clan was founded by a man called Eri who came to the Anambra area from Igala country and settled at the Aguleri…”.The Igalaogba produce; Ata Agbo, Ata Agosi, ( Ogoshi bridge), Olema1, Olema11. Making Igalaogba leading with almost three ATAs before the Advent of ABUTU EJE possibly could be a reason for the altercation at least for an Igalamela to emerge again.

The refusal led to the emergence of ABUTU EJE and Igalamela supported him tacitly to weaken the continuous dominance by Igalaogba. ABUTU-EJE now domesticated the throne to his dynasty and discovered that the only open disputant will be the Igalaogba and persecution sets in at various stages and degrees. Reasons why you have the Igala ogba scattered and found in most Igala settlements today.

Another important thing to note is that the Igalamela people are not of the same heritage but igalaogba has a relationship by blood and settled in a clustered linear and uterine arrangement to date.

Take a survey of Igala land today with Idah, in particular, you will realize that the Igalaogba people owe much of the Igala land by the status of heritage before they relinquished Power to Abutu Ejeh descendants. The account of our ORIGIN lies in our settlements and role in our ritual and culture you do not need Miles, Clifford, Boston of blessed memory to know.

https://iyeyiexprex.com/igala-people-dont-need-miles-clifford-or-boston-to-tell-us-our-origin/