So where Awo would have seen this problem as a national one, and rather than peremptorily asking Fulani herdsmen to leave Yoruba land, he would have thoroughly analysed it and suggested ways of resolving them as such.
The vice royal of Ilu-Abo, Chief Samuel Oluyemisi Falae CFR, is far too important and distinguished a personality than to be laid upon by some incorrigible vermin’s – here I must be careful not to sound like that irascible author of “herdsmen from hell”– like the ones whose photographs we saw displayed in newspapers, claiming they were looking for money to celebrate Sallah. In ages gone by, long before the dictates of law and order prescribe otherwise, these ones would have been fed to lions. Such is the enormity, and how macabre the moment is!
We talk here of a Chief Olu Falae, spiritual head of his people, a celebrated economist who, long before he ventured into politics, had served this country meritoriously as a top and distinguished civil servant, leading banker and minister of the federal republic; not forgetting that he was secretary to the federal government. In politics, where he would later contest the presidency, it was Nigeria that lost when he was defeated by Gen Olusegun Obasanjo because, were the result otherwise, the trajectory of our country would have been different, and a lot better, given that the military would have been handing over to a democrat. The most profane of humanity should never have had the effrontery to put the chief through such ordeal as well as put the nation on such tenterhooks, even the president had to intervene. It is sincerely hoped that the consequences of that atrocity would be fully visited on the miscreants who, of course, represented, not the Fulani, but themselves.
Unfortunately, sad and nauseating as the above is, it is the saner part of this unfortunate Fulani herdsmen incident as Afenifere’s subsequent reaction has been absolutely embarrassing, to say the least. So uncharacteristic was it, of our respected elders, that you begin to wonder what has happened to the concept of leadership in Yoruba land. So totally strange were the reactions that you wonder if they were coming from elders who dined and wined with the avatar, the inimitable Chief Obafemi Awolowo: his very associates and collaborators in that unmatchable, and unforgettable, era in the socio, politico-economic history of the Yoruba. For Awo had a template as he uncannily demonstrated when, seeing the trajectory the Nigerian economy was headed under President Alhaji Shehu Shagari during the Second Republic, he drew his (Shagari’s) attention to it. Since I cannot pretend to be teaching Awoism to core Awoists, let me invite Idowu Samuel for elucidation, as he did to the Awo template on Wednesday, 15 September 2010, in the article: ‘Obafemi Awolowo: One prediction, one democracy’. Wrote Idowu: “When Awo stepped out to speak, the shout of ”Awooo…!” would be thunderous and almost endless. Papa would pause for more than 30 minutes to gain control. He had to do it, sensing that the message he was to pass was germane, eternal and compelling. He would clear his throat for the last time to indicate seriousness. And then, there would be pin drop silence everywhere.” Awo’s style was simple and direct, aimed at a resolution of the problem. He would draw attention, complete with verifiable facts and figures, indicate the likely consequences if situation was left unattended, and then posit ways out of the problem. His was never, as we saw in the instant case, a scruffy, knee-jack and, on-the-spur of the moment megalomania, left in the hands of some young men: the types described by Robert Greene in the 48 Laws of Power, mutatis mutandis, as being eager to “draw attention to themselves by creating an unforgettable, even controversial image and doing anything to make them seem larger than life in order to shine more brightly than those around them.” Writing further, Green says of these youngsters: “they make no distinction between kinds of attention, as notoriety of any sort will bring them recognition as having fire in their bellies.” Better to be slandered and attacked than ignored -seems to be their mantra. Some of them are now trying more than is necessary to be remembered by President Muhammadu Buhari.
So where Awo would have seen this problem as a national one, and rather than peremptorily asking Fulani herdsmen to leave Yoruba land, he would have thoroughly analysed it and suggested ways of resolving them as such. Never would he have deigned to use Chief Falae’s kidnap, opportunistically, to re-open a political contestation already settled for the next four years. When, therefore, Afenifere threatened thunder, when it served notice of a unilateral declaration of independence by a Yoruba people it did not consult, when it undertook to banish a group of Nigerians from Yoruba land against the provisions of the Nigerian constitution, it was obvious that the traditional nation-cohering role for which the Yoruba leadership is well known, was being sacrificed on the altar of crude partisan politics, far away from fighting for Yoruba interest. At a time when former President Goodluck Jonathan has gloriously relocated back home to Otueke, it can only nauseate that our respected elders could, like the Catholic Bishop of Sokoto, still not appreciate that the next election is not due until 2019. Or what, other than politics, could have brought together all of President Jonathan’s election time allies in Yoruba land – Afenifere, the now divided OPC plus Femi Fani-Kayode, all, not only splitting hairs, but like they did to the former president on Yoruba votes, making promises on which they are in no position to deliver? When, for instance, they threatened secession, how many Yoruba have they consulted or carried along with them? For Dr Faseun and Gani Adams – leaders of OPC which they arrogantly claim is the Yoruba military wing – is the Yoruba nation now no more than their 5000- strong politicised OPC they claim to have deployed to their misbegotten oil pipeline security contract?
In a mail to the ekitipanupo web portal this past week, I raised the following posers: ‘What does Afenifere do when after their 2-week ultimatum, Fulani herdsmen are still in the Southwest complete with their flock? What do they do if northerners also ask Yorubas- traders, tailors, businessmen, and taxi drivers etc – in their tens of thousands – to also leave the north? What succour would they give if, consequent upon their threat, helpless Yorubas are attacked up north? What percentage of Yorubas any longer trust their leadership, post Jonathan, given that the period saw our palaces completely bastardised with dollars with not a few Yoruba believing it was on their advice? How many Yoruba are in support of this threatened UDI – unilateral declaration of independence – when most of those threatening it can neither play “MASSOB”, nor would volunteer their own well-heeled children to lead the charge? Do they think secession is a tea party that should not be thoroughly interrogated, even if it were necessary? These elders are obviously inviting something they no longer have the capacity to handle. And they should just honourably sheathe their sword.’
I am certain they are aware that for almost no other reason than the Fulani herdsmen, states like Plateau, Nasarawa, Benue etc have become literal killing fields just as they cannot be unaware that some Yoruba persons have actually lost their lives, for the same reason, in the Oke Ogun area of Oyo State but with nary a word from our elders as if one Yoruba life is more important than the other. Without any iota of doubt, the Fulani herdsmen have become a pain in the neck; a murdering horde spewing blood wherever they go. It is now of the utmost urgency that they are reined in and separated from their menacing AK47’s most probably supplied them by some wealthy Fulani leaders as these weapons don’t come cheap. However, that is the business of our law enforcement agencies which should be seen, or dragged, if need be, to perform their lawful duties. That murderers in successive crises in the north were neither tried, nor punished for decades, is one of the causative factors of Boko Haram now laying prostrate the entire Northeast with tens of thousands dead and billions of naira consumed in fighting it. Governments, at all levels, must now rise to find a lasting solution to this pan-Nigeria problem and elders will help that process if they do not lend themselves to making incendiary demands.
