₦airaland Forum

The killing of the street evangelist, Mrs Eunice Elisha, two weekends ago in Kubwa, Abuja was the final point that made me conclude that something strange and inexplicable has happened to the Yoruba in the past one year.

Two Saturdays ago, The Punch broke the news that Mrs Elisha, wife of Pastor Olawale Elisha of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, left her home around 5.30 a.m. with a megaphone to preach in her neighbourhood, as she did every morning. But she never came back.

At first, the report claimed that the killers cut off her head and placed it on top of her copy of the Holy Bible. Later, the police said that she was killed, not decapitated.




The entire nation received the news with shock, especially coming a month after a woman in Kano State and a man in Niger State were killed for religious reasons.

But the greater surprise came from the South-West. The Yoruba seemed to have reached an understanding not to discuss the killing of Mrs Elisha, their kinswoman, in the Northern city of Abuja. Posts and radio comments about her death were systematically avoided by many people. Instead, most people in the South-West were busy discussing Cristiano Ronaldo and Euro trophy or the trial of Senate President, Bukola Saraki. By midweek, the focus shifted to Senators Dino Melaye and Oluremi Tinubu and the transition in the United Kingdom.

Before Elisha’s murder, similar things had happened that surprised me. First, it was the 22nd anniversary of the aborted June 12 election. I was in the South-East and Port Harcourt during that period. So I could not gauge the way the event was marked in the South-West. But I read the papers, watched the TV and monitored the online media. It was clear to me that there was a lull in the remembrance. But, coming about two weeks after the inauguration of President Muhammadu Buhari, I felt that the South-West was still engulfed in the euphoria of being instrumental to the emergence of the new government.

However, when the June 12 event came this year and went by without any fanfare in the South-West, I was puzzled. Since 1999 when democracy returned in Nigeria, there had been an argument, championed by the Yoruba, that June 12 ,rather than May 29, should be observed as Democracy Day because it was the same day in 1993 when “true democracy” was instituted in Nigeria. All South-West states declared June 12 a public holiday and held elaborate rallies and parades. Also, they made memorable speeches about June 12, democracy and the sacrifice of Chief Moshood Abiola.

As if that was not enough, on July 7, 2016, which was the anniversary of Abiola’s death, there was deafening silence. Unlike in the past, what I saw was a team led by Admiral Ndubuisi Kanu and Dr Joe Odumakin, laying a wreath on Abiola’s grave. During the anniversary of the killing of Kudirat Abiola on June 7, the same attitude prevailed. None of the leaders of the South-West identified with the ceremony.

That was not all.

In March, there was an ethnic clash between the Yoruba and Northerners at the popular Mile 12 market in Lagos. The incident also got the same treatment of silence.

In May it was reported that some herdsmen had invaded a village in Ekiti State and killed two people. Again, there was silence in the South-West.

The region, however, found its voice when, a day after the killings, Governor Ayo Fayose, in his exuberant and dramatic fashion, addressed the hunters in the state and urged them to shoot anybody who tried to attack the people again. Many people descended on Fayose – the same fellows who kept quiet when a Southwestern state was invaded and fellow Yoruba people were killed!

The same scenario has played out on the lopsided appointments made by Buhari. In private discussions, you could hear the anger of the people from the South-West over the skewed appointments, but there seems to be an unwritten code not to raise it in public discussions.

However, the most prominent is the issue of restructuring Nigeria. For many decades, especially since the callous annulment of the June 12, 1993 election by General Ibrahim Babangida (Rtd), supported by late General Sani Abacha, the battle cry from the South-West has been “restructuring and true federalism”. Till they died, Chief Michael Ajasin sang it, Chief Abraham Adesanya chanted and shouted it, and Chief Bola Ige amplified it. When democracy returned in 1999, Chief Bola Tinubu never made any speech without mentioning restructuring. Mr Babatunde Fashola, Mr Rauf Aregbesola, Dr Kayode Fayemi, Prof Yemi Osinbajo and others from the South-West said repeatedly that without restructuring, Nigeria would not progress. I agreed with them.

On May 29, 2015, Buhari and Osinbajo were sworn in as President and Vice President, respectively, with Fashola and Fayemi as ministers, Mr Femi Gbajabiamila as Majority Leader at the House of Representatives and Aregbesola and others as state governors. The issue of restructuring has met with silence from the leaders of the South-West and their followers, especially in the ruling All Progressives Congress. Only the voices of members of the Afenifere like Mr Yinka Odumakin, Senator Femi Okurounmu, Chief Ayo Adebanjo are still heard consistently asking for restructuring of the federation or implementation of the decisions of the 2014 National Conference.

One would think that, having come into power, the South-West leaders of the All Progressives Congress would be in a vantage position to initiate the process of restructuring the federation, given that it is in the manifesto of the political party. But the new argument now is that restructuring is not the most pressing issue now; that the country needs to be stabilised first. What a lame excuse! Before now, the argument was that the country was unstable because of lack of restructuring.

What is difficult to understand is what led to this new belief in the South-West that complaining about the killing of a fellow Yoruba is tantamount to opposing the government led by Buhari and Osinbajo. Definitely, there is no connection between the two. It is said that only a very close person can tell you that you have mouth odour. It should not be interpreted as hatred or opposition.

Nigeria has been ruled from Independence by people with a hearing problem. You need to shout before they can hear you. When about 500 residents of Agatu in Benue State were killed in February, the government said nothing. But when Ukpabi-Nimbo in Enugu was invaded in April, there was an uproar. And for the first time, the presidency commented on the menace of the Fulani herdsmen.

Similarly in late May, four people were killed in Niger State for allegedly blaspheming against Islam. Not much was said about it. A few days later an Igbo woman was killed in Kano in similar circumstances and hell was raised. The Presidency, Kano State government and the police reacted, announcing that the perpetrators had been arrested.

In addition, many girls had been reportedly abducted and forcefully converted to Islam. It was when Ese Oruru’s case was raised to a high pitch in March that she was released to her parents. Other girls in the same condition were also released.

These issues did not show any opposition to Buhari, Islam or the North. Such uproar was raised when a political billboard that read “Bring Back Our Goodluck” appeared in Abuja: a parody of the BringBackOurGirls movement. Dr Goodluck Jonathan ordered the board to be brought down. Hell was also raised when Chief Olusegun Obasanjo seized the official vehicles of his estranged Vice President Atiku Abubakar. The vehicles were immediately released.

The Yoruba are not known to keep quiet in the face of injustice or aberration. I don’t know what has happened in the South-West. If anybody knows, please let him enlighten me.


http://punchng.com/something-strange-happening-south-west/

I will agree with the writer on the part of the APC shouting for restructuring before gaining power but now keeping lull when they have the power to restructure.... that shows the veracity at which their deceit runs


BUT

On the part of the Yorubas not commenting on the killings in the North, is the writer trying to instigate a tribal war or what did he/she aims to achieve with this article

.

Hmm.... The problem his many of our yoruba people are too blinded by their love for buhari,try nd mention anything wrong bout the way things are going nd watched them tear u down with their mouth...

RZArecta:
The killing of the street evangelist, Mrs Eunice Elisha, two weekends ago in Kubwa, Abuja was the final point that made me conclude that something strange and inexplicable has happened to the Yoruba in the past one year.

Two Saturdays ago, The Punch broke the news that Mrs Elisha, wife of Pastor Olawale Elisha of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, left her home around 5.30 a.m. with a megaphone to preach in her neighbourhood, as she did every morning. But she never came back.

At first, the report claimed that the killers cut off her head and placed it on top of her copy of the Holy Bible. Later, the police said that she was killed, not decapitated.




The entire nation received the news with shock, especially coming a month after a woman in Kano State and a man in Niger State were killed for religious reasons.

But the greater surprise came from the South-West. The Yoruba seemed to have reached an understanding not to discuss the killing of Mrs Elisha, their kinswoman, in the Northern city of Abuja. Posts and radio comments about her death were systematically avoided by many people. Instead, most people in the South-West were busy discussing Cristiano Ronaldo and Euro trophy or the trial of Senate President, Bukola Saraki. By midweek, the focus shifted to Senators Dino Melaye and Oluremi Tinubu and the transition in the United Kingdom.

Before Elisha’s murder, similar things had happened that surprised me. First, it was the 22nd anniversary of the aborted June 12 election. I was in the South-East and Port Harcourt during that period. So I could not gauge the way the event was marked in the South-West. But I read the papers, watched the TV and monitored the online media. It was clear to me that there was a lull in the remembrance. But, coming about two weeks after the inauguration of President Muhammadu Buhari, I felt that the South-West was still engulfed in the euphoria of being instrumental to the emergence of the new government.

However, when the June 12 event came this year and went by without any fanfare in the South-West, I was puzzled. Since 1999 when democracy returned in Nigeria, there had been an argument, championed by the Yoruba, that June 12 ,rather than May 29, should be observed as Democracy Day because it was the same day in 1993 when “true democracy” was instituted in Nigeria. All South-West states declared June 12 a public holiday and held elaborate rallies and parades. Also, they made memorable speeches about June 12, democracy and the sacrifice of Chief Moshood Abiola.

As if that was not enough, on July 7, 2016, which was the anniversary of Abiola’s death, there was deafening silence. Unlike in the past, what I saw was a team led by Admiral Ndubuisi Kanu and Dr Joe Odumakin, laying a wreath on Abiola’s grave. During the anniversary of the killing of Kudirat Abiola on June 7, the same attitude prevailed. None of the leaders of the South-West identified with the ceremony.

That was not all.

In March, there was an ethnic clash between the Yoruba and Northerners at the popular Mile 12 market in Lagos. The incident also got the same treatment of silence.

In May it was reported that some herdsmen had invaded a village in Ekiti State and killed two people. Again, there was silence in the South-West.

The region, however, found its voice when, a day after the killings, Governor Ayo Fayose, in his exuberant and dramatic fashion, addressed the hunters in the state and urged them to shoot anybody who tried to attack the people again. Many people descended on Fayose – the same fellows who kept quiet when a Southwestern state was invaded and fellow Yoruba people were killed!

The same scenario has played out on the lopsided appointments made by Buhari. In private discussions, you could hear the anger of the people from the South-West over the skewed appointments, but there seems to be an unwritten code not to raise it in public discussions.

However, the most prominent is the issue of restructuring Nigeria. For many decades, especially since the callous annulment of the June 12, 1993 election by General Ibrahim Babangida (Rtd), supported by late General Sani Abacha, the battle cry from the South-West has been “restructuring and true federalism”. Till they died, Chief Michael Ajasin sang it, Chief Abraham Adesanya chanted and shouted it, and Chief Bola Ige amplified it. When democracy returned in 1999, Chief Bola Tinubu never made any speech without mentioning restructuring. Mr Babatunde Fashola, Mr Rauf Aregbesola, Dr Kayode Fayemi, Prof Yemi Osinbajo and others from the South-West said repeatedly that without restructuring, Nigeria would not progress. I agreed with them.

On May 29, 2015, Buhari and Osinbajo were sworn in as President and Vice President, respectively, with Fashola and Fayemi as ministers, Mr Femi Gbajabiamila as Majority Leader at the House of Representatives and Aregbesola and others as state governors. The issue of restructuring has met with silence from the leaders of the South-West and their followers, especially in the ruling All Progressives Congress. Only the voices of members of the Afenifere like Mr Yinka Odumakin, Senator Femi Okurounmu, Chief Ayo Adebanjo are still heard consistently asking for restructuring of the federation or implementation of the decisions of the 2014 National Conference.

One would think that, having come into power, the South-West leaders of the All Progressives Congress would be in a vantage position to initiate the process of restructuring the federation, given that it is in the manifesto of the political party. But the new argument now is that restructuring is not the most pressing issue now; that the country needs to be stabilised first. What a lame excuse! Before now, the argument was that the country was unstable because of lack of restructuring.

What is difficult to understand is what led to this new belief in the South-West that complaining about the killing of a fellow Yoruba is tantamount to opposing the government led by Buhari and Osinbajo. Definitely, there is no connection between the two. It is said that only a very close person can tell you that you have mouth odour. It should not be interpreted as hatred or opposition.

Nigeria has been ruled from Independence by people with a hearing problem. You need to shout before they can hear you. When about 500 residents of Agatu in Benue State were killed in February, the government said nothing. But when Ukpabi-Nimbo in Enugu was invaded in April, there was an uproar. And for the first time, the presidency commented on the menace of the Fulani herdsmen.

Similarly in late May, four people were killed in Niger State for allegedly blaspheming against Islam. Not much was said about it. A few days later an Igbo woman was killed in Kano in similar circumstances and hell was raised. The Presidency, Kano State government and the police reacted, announcing that the perpetrators had been arrested.

In addition, many girls had been reportedly abducted and forcefully converted to Islam. It was when Ese Oruru’s case was raised to a high pitch in March that she was released to her parents. Other girls in the same condition were also released.

These issues did not show any opposition to Buhari, Islam or the North. Such uproar was raised when a political billboard that read “Bring Back Our Goodluck” appeared in Abuja: a parody of the BringBackOurGirls movement. Dr Goodluck Jonathan ordered the board to be brought down. Hell was also raised when Chief Olusegun Obasanjo seized the official vehicles of his estranged Vice President Atiku Abubakar. The vehicles were immediately released.

The Yoruba are not known to keep quiet in the face of injustice or aberration. I don’t know what has happened in the South-West. If anybody knows, please let him enlighten me.


http://punchng.com/something-strange-happening-south-west/

The yoruba leaders are disintegrated cos of politics forgetting that politics will go and Oduduwa will remain. As for the murdered of our Christian fellows they are martyrs and the battle is for the Lord

AFONJAS must not avoid this thread.

After eating Aisha's jellof rice, what do you expect?

Do you know the content of the jellof rice they swallowed?

The jellof rice has closed their eyes/ears so they shall see and hear no evil in buhari and what the northerners are doing.

Why did op but the picture of Ibadan at the end of the article?

Hummmmmmm. Tinubu, Akande and Osinbajo are all political joblers fighting for their immediate families. They tricked us and sold our future to murderous Fulani herdsmen. it's high time we came together and speak with one voice. Let's come together

Am really happy that the write-up is coming from a yoruba.
The yorubas are beginning to get it twisted. They somehow see critisizing the policies of this govt as attacking Buhari and their Osibanjo and hence,should be resisted. The implication is that they constantly keep mum in the face of religious attacks,glaring lop sided appointments in favour of the north,failure of all economic indices,attacks on their communities by fulani herdsmen and the president's tacit support,etc.
Rather,they prefer to make themselves the guard dog employed and kept outside to ensure that the south east doesn't speak up,that the south east is shouted down when they confront the aforementioned ineffeciencies while the northern oligarchy sit inside the 'inner court' to feast on the spoils.
Sometimes I wonder if there's something 'spiritual' with which the broom or Tinubu have used to keep them in perpetual docility.
Whatever it is,I hope they get to realize that they are gradually losing respect in the eyes of the north which they are serving.

eyeview:
Am really happy that the write-up is coming from a yoruba.
The yorubas are beginning to get it twisted. They somehow see critisizing the policies of this govt as attacking Buhari and their Osibanjo and hence,should be resisted. The implication is that they constantly keep mum in the face of religious attacks,glaring lop sided appointments in favour of the north,failure of all economic indices,attacks on their communities by fulani herdsmen and the president's tacit support,etc.
Rather,they prefer to make themselves the guard dog employed and kept outside to ensure that the south east doesn't speak up,that the south east is shouted down when they confront the aforementioned ineffeciencies while the northern oligarchy sit inside the 'inner court' to feast on the spoils.
Sometimes I wonder if there's something 'spiritual' with which the broom or Tinubu have used to keep them in perpetual docility.
Whatever it is,I hope they get to realize that they are gradually losing respect in the eyes of the north which they are serving.

anyone can claim to be Yoruba.how do you know the Op is Yoruba?

OBAFEMIawolowo:
Why did op but the picture of Ibadan at the end of the article?

Hahahaha...
Exactly my thought when I saw it.
I guess the writer wants us to know he was referring to the Brown Roof Republic (BRR).

Noted!!!!!

Brown roof republic B R R.

Everything in Nigeria is tied to politics, even issues which ordinarily should have nothing to do with politics are usually influenced by partisan sentiments.

The niger-delta activists all went dumb during the reign of GEJ, even though we all know GEJ did nothing for the region during his presidency. Similarly we had cases of policemen arresting, incarcerating and even killing massob members some years back under GEJ, but we never heard any uproar from anyone in the SE cos the politics in Abuja appeared to be favourable. Similarly there were countless number of fulani herdsmen strikes and clashes with communities in the middlebelt region and in some cases, in the upper parts of the SE; there was never an uproar against the government for the same obvious reasons not until May 29th 2015, and then we all remembered there was some menace in existence called fulani herdsmen.

Furthermore, during the time of GEJ, northern youths raised a lot of dust over even the most meaningless things, today worse things are happening but they've all gone cold and dumb. Can someone please imagine what would have happened had it been that the zaria shiite massacre happened under GEJ?... Hell would have been let lose and the northern sunnis would have remembered that even the shiites are still their brothers and sisters.

Now the SW which has always championed the cause of restructuring seems to have also gone mute, the reasons are obvious, its the abuja political sentiment.

In summary, the fact is that when people make a loud uproar against a perceived injustice, the driving force most times is usually politics; when the politics in Abuja appears to favour a group, the group tends to sheath their swords.

MidasTouche01:
I will agree with the writer on the part of the APC shouting for restructuring before gaining power but now keeping lull when they have the power to restructure.... that shows the veracity at which their deceit runs


BUT

On the part of the Yorubas not commenting on the killings in the North, is the writer trying to instigate a tribal war or what did he/she aims to achieve with this article

dont look at the tribal side of it, all he said is the truth. Most times SWners hide under diplomacy to cover up thier cowardice forgetting that in Nigeria you match violence with violence and not peace talk; failing to do so your case will be like that of Agatu

OBAFEMIawolowo:
Why did op but the picture of Ibadan at the end of the article?

that's the photograph that came with the article from Punch twitter handle

Cc lalasticlala

OBAFEMIawolowo:
Why did op but the picture of Ibadan at the end of the article?

what? Do you want him to put the picture of bayelsa?

OBAFEMIawolowo:
Why did op but the picture of Ibadan at the end of the article?

na that one be your problem?
You didn't see the article to read and comment on?

true talk, hausas are trying to take out other regions despite all their yeye leaders they are d most poverty stricken community in nigeria, spits!

One day the truth of what's really happening shall be revealed and traitors shall be shamed

babyfaceafrica:
anyone can claim to be Yoruba.how do you know the Op is Yoruba?

The original article is in punch newspaper written by Azuka Onwuka. What's the essence of the tribe of the writer? Is the article a lie?

Two types of Yorubas...

1. Yoruba Muslims>>>>> Pro Buhari (if Nigeria is sinking, not their wahala.)

2. Yoruba Christians / Pagans >>>>> Pro Nigeria.

You know where u belong.

khadaffi:
The original article is in punch newspaper written by Azuka Onwuka. What's the essence of the tribe of the writer? Is the article a lie?

the question should be directed to the person I quoted,he was the first that alluded that it was written by a Yoruba man..I don't care who wrote it!!!

we are more divided with politics than tribe

obailala:
Everything in Nigeria is tied to politics, even issues which ordinarily should have nothing to do with politics are usually influenced by partisan sentiments.

The niger-delta activists all went dumb during the reign of GEJ, even though we all know GEJ did nothing for the region during his presidency. Similarly we had cases of policemen arresting, incarcerating and even killing massob members some years back under GEJ, but we never heard any uproar from anyone in the SE cos the politics in Abuja appeared to be favourable. Similarly there were countless number of fulani herdsmen strikes and clashes with communities in the middlebelt region and in some cases, in the upper parts of the SE; there was never an uproar against the government for the same obvious reasons not until May 29th 2015, and then we all remembered there was some menace in existence called fulani herdsmen.

Furthermore, during the time of GEJ, northern youths raised a lot of dust over even the most meaningless things, today worse things are happening but they've all gone cold and dumb. Can someone please imagine what would have happened had it been that the zaria shiite massacre happened under GEJ?... Hell would have been let lose and the northern sunnis would have remembered that even the shiites are still their brothers and sisters.

Now the SW which has always championed the cause of restructuring seems to have also gone mute, the reasons are obvious, its the abuja political sentiment.

In summary, the fact is that when people make a loud uproar against a perceived injustice, the driving force most times is usually politics; when the politics in Abuja appears to favour a group, the group tends to sheath their swords.

Wooooow! so amazing, what a sensible and rational comment. I am from the east, your comment is devoid of sentiment which has beclouded our reasoning. All hope is not lost with people like you

That fateful day, madam Aisha Buhari invited them to state house in abuja and gave them an "Aso Rock-prepared jollof rice, that same day, people like Kayode Ogundamisi, Japhat Omojuwa, Tolu Ogunlesi activated their mute organ.

The crazy fact is that these guys arent insulated from the reality. I've been in the same gathering at Landmark village in Oniru, Victoria Island, seated very close to one of these social media guys (wont mention his name) and listened to conversations between him and his guests. I even took pictures with him after the event. I can bet you, they know for sure this government is hitting the yoruba nation real hard.......more than grossly expected. But why they have decided to look unusually ignorant and surprisingly less concerned is amazing.

Anywhere, lets keep acting everything is cool.

DaniDani:
Wooooow! so amazing, what a sensible and rational comment. I am from the east, your comment is devoid of sentiment which has beclouded our reasoning. All hope is not lost with people like you

Amen oo

Ahh! I can see all the ingredients for a superb tribal e- war are already cooking on this thread!




1: Possible ipob or ND miscreant creates compelling thread aimed at infuriating oduwa republic nairalanders with a picture of a brown roof settlement for added fuel!




2: Usual tribalists fill the thread with afonja and brown roof comments usually the preferred method of shots fired in the direction of the oduwa crews while also loading pix of dirty parts of ibadan, lagos, ogun etc!





3 Angry oduwa republic landers visiting the thread respond to the shots fired with volleys of their own and gifs filled with flat headed beings and erosion ravaged or dirty streets of major eastern capitals as well as the pictures of some of the pro- ipob monikers!




4: After about an hour and 30 minutes of blood and guts being spilled online and nigerian history being remixed by all parties, the thread hits front page!





5: Mods arrive and start handing out strange bans and hiding savage comments or pictures of the warriors! By late evening sanity is restored to the section while banned perpetrators are busy creating new monikers!





6: By tomorrow morning the same thing pops of again!











**lights spliff while viewing the carnage**

funlord:



Ahh! I can see all the ingredients for a superb tribal e- war are already cooking on this thread!




1: Possible ipob or ND miscreant creates compelling thread aimed at infuriating oduwa republic nairalanders with a picture of a brown roof settlement for added fuel!




2: Usual tribalists fill the thread with afonja and brown roof comments usually the preferred method of shots fired in the direction of the oduwa crews while also loading pix of dirty parts of ibadan, lagos, ogun etc!





3 Angry oduwa republic landers visiting the thread respond to the shots fired with volleys of their own and gifs filled with flat headed beings and erosion ravaged or dirty streets of major eastern capitals as well as the pictures of some of the pro- ipob monikers!




4: After about an hour and 30 minutes of blood and guts being spilled online and nigerian history being remixed by all parties, the thread hits front page!





5: Mods arrive and start handing out strange bans and hiding savage comments or pictures of the warriors! By late evening sanity is restored to the section while banned perpetrators are busy creating new monikers!





6: By tomorrow morning the same thing pops of again!











**lights spliff while viewing the carnage**

I'm no "IPOB or Niger Delta miscreant" . Please be advised

RZArecta:
I'm no "IPOB or Niger Delta miscreant" . Please be advised

Don't worry about it. That's what anybody who speaks up against this govt's inefficiencies are called. I don't think its limited to any tribe now cos I have seen a yoruba boy label his own brother ipob for speaking against tinubu.