A TIME F0R SOLIDARITY‹COMMUNIQUE ISSUED AT THE END OF AN AD HOC MEETING OF CONCERNED NIGERIAN HISTORIANS AND STAKEHOLDERS HELD TO ADDRESS THE LINGERING FEUDS AMONG SOME LEADING YORUBA OBAS, AT UI HOTELS, UNIVERSITY OF IBADAN, ON 1ST MAY 2019
Michael Vickers
Oloruntoyin,
A timely and vital communiqué, my friend. Thank you.
Tis a time for soldarity.
As many have noted: tis Obas and others of lasting traditional heritage--the Natural Rulers that our modern politicians most certainly are NOT--though little meedja/ cha cha cha attention is given to their often determining roles in 1000s of Nigeria communities, that have kept the handy Lugardian extractive device from disintegrating, with all the devastation that would then surge forward--as already has been/ is being demonstrated as we speak, in the Africa we mourn.Our politicians/ rulers cannot and will not save us from the feral fate that awaits; only those who know their people/ who have carried that responsibility over the centuries/ and whose people find in this period of bewildering, prolonged turbulence the deep threads within they can draw on to maintain some semblance of stability/ some community order to battle for survival and maintain hope/ only in this context can proper Light in this Nigeria Era--indeed this Africa Era--be sighted.The ultimate end/ destiny of Nigeria/ Africa is filled with the Light and Actuation/ with Positive Activity and Productivity. This is not in question. What first must be negotiated is this lengthy Corridor of Darkness. The tide will turn. The force from below becomes daily greater.It is intelligent and pubic-spirited youth that will carry this ever-rising tide. And it is the rooted presence and message of Yoruba Obas and other Natural Rulers in Nigeria that offer the continuing vital stability in these trying and dangerous times.There is work to do. Obas of Yorubaland are challenged. How they respond will go far towards determining how the folk entrapped within this Lugardian contraption survive. As one eminent Nigerian recently lamented to me, "I cannot live without hope".
To this one can but say: Hope is ALWAYS present. It is part of the Light Within. It is belief in that Light within; and awareness of that Light which can carry us eventually through our present Dark Corridors and on to that Horizon Future which we all can see, indeed a future that may well be closer than we think.Best, Baba mSent from my iPad
On 16 May 2019, at 15:26, Toyin Falola <toyin...@austin.utexas.edu> wrote:Approved Version for circulation
COMMUNIQUE ISSUED AT THE END OF AN AD HOC MEETING OF CONCERNED NIGERIAN HISTORIANS AND STAKEHOLDERS HELD TO ADDRESS THE LINGERING FEUDS AMONG SOME LEADING YORUBA OBAS, AT UI HOTELS, UNIVERSITY OF IBADAN, ON 1ST MAY 2019
Introduction
Following incessant public altercations among some of our highly placed Yoruba traditional rulers and unbecoming poise and carriage in public on the part of quite a number of them in recent times, the underlisted eminent historians whose scholarly works have touched on the subject of Yoruba traditional culture and institutions, together with some stakeholders, held a meeting at UI Hotels, University of Ibadan on May 1, 2019, to deliberate on the key issues that were viewed as of urgent importance, affecting the history, traditions and culture of Yorubaland and people, especially but not limited to, a number of recently noticed misguided remarks, disparaging comments and the conducts of some leading Yoruba monarchs in recent times.
Triggered by a manifestation of a latent disagreement between the Alaafin of Oyo and the Olugbo of Ugbo during the 80th birthday ceremony and book launch of Professor Anthony Asiwaju at the University of Lagos on the 18th of April 2019, an event where these concerned historians were also present. The meeting was convened by Professor Bolanle Awe but chaired by Professor Banji Akintoye and attended by Professors Emeriti Anthony Asiwaju and Akinjide Osuntokun as well as Professors Akin Alao, Toyin Falola who joined the conversation by phone from Austin, Texas, and Olukoya Ogen. The other two participants were Chief Sola Ebiseni, a traditional historian and politician as well as Chief Musa Alao Adedayo, publisher of Alaroye.
The meeting carefully considered the afore-mentioned issues and observed as follows:
1. That the traditional legitimising processes, especially the institution of Ipebi, the traditional seclusion of successful candidates to Yoruba thrones, whereby nominees, prior to formal enthronement, are usually grounded, for periods ranging from three to six months, in the history and culture of the people as well as in the etiquettes of the Obaship institution, would appear to have been gravely eroded, and hallowed roles of high chiefs, members of the Oba-in-Council would also appear to have been recklessly abandoned, all resulting in utterances and behaviours of our Obas not being subjected to customary checks and moderation, and tending ultimately to spell doom for the institution as a whole;
2. It would also appear that some Yoruba Oba are not sufficiently versed in the history and traditions of Yorubaland, including their specific areas of prescribed authority in it. This patent ignorance has resulted in blanket statements that border on either plain falsehood or, worse still, half truths, all of them capable of demeaning the cherished traditions of the Yoruba;
3. There is an aggravation of the proliferation of the Obaship institution both within and outside Yorubaland by some leading Yoruba Obas and sponsoring politicians, resulting in a worrisome debasement of the institution. This is capable of questioning the relevance, credibility and survival of the institution, especially, its sacredness and mysticism;
4. There seems to have arisen the need to clearly distinguish and separate cultural tourism from the more serious issue of enduring legacies of Yoruba culture. Promoters of cultural tourism have yet to clearly grapple with the more serious concerns with Yoruba traditions and acceptable cultural practices as distinct from cultural tourism and public entertainment;
1
5. Yoruba historical studies stands in dire need of a serious revival and reinvigoration; the defunct Yoruba Historical Research Scheme of the mid-1950s, such that once gave rise to what may be validly referred to as Ife School of History, must be revived and appropriately funded to the end, among new emphasis, a reappraisal of the pre-Oduduwa phase of the culture history; the renewed emphasis on antiquity of the history would deepen our understanding of both the intra-and Inter-group relations among the Yoruba and between them and other peoples of Nigeria and wider Africa, including the Diaspora.
Based on these aforementioned observations, the meeting resolved:
1. The necessary initiation rites and training in statescraft and oath of allegiance to Yoruba culture and traditions which are usually carried out at the Ipebi for any new Oba must be enforced and executed to the letter in the tradition of our forebears. Ipebi provides schooling in appropriate moral conduct and truth, principled leadership, commitment to causes, spiritual rebirth and a life guided by higher values. For the Oba elect, the Ipebi is a sine qua non in order to avoid conducts and utterances that are capable of demeaning or embarrassing the Yoruba nation.
2. The selection, initiation and coronation rites for every incoming Oba must be fully and properly performed in accordance with Yoruba customs and traditions and in strict compliance with the statutory chieftaincy declaration for the said throne.
3. The proliferation of the Obaship institution will ultimately lead to the debasement of Yoruba traditional values and a desecration of the institution. The meeting frowns at the installation of any Oba in the diaspora and queries its cultural foundations. It wonders why anybody will be interested in becoming an Oba in the diaspora. The meeting resolved that rather than proliferate the Obaship institution across the globe, the appropriate titles for Yoruba leaders in the diaspora could be Asiwaju, Alakoso, Aare, Olori, etc., but, clearly, not Oba. Similarly, the new fad for installing coronet Oba as well as the coronation of Eze Ndigbo and Sarki Hausa in every part of Yorubaland is a debasement of Yoruba traditional institution and an aberration that should be discouraged.
4. In the light of recent developments, it has become necessary for Yoruba scholars especially historians to devote serious attention to a more comprehensive history, including particularly the pre- Oduduwa era in Yorubaland.
5. Scholarly research and publications point to the essentially representative and constitutional, if not uncompromisingly democratic nature and character of Yoruba Obaship institution, providing for the representation of geographical spread and interest groups within given kingdoms or chiefdoms, and ensuring appropriate checks and balances that abhor every form of autocracy and related excesses on the part of any individual Oba, no matter how highly placed.
6. Accordingly, the meeting endorsed that the essential place of Yoruba traditional rulership and, indeed, African traditional rulership in and outside Nigeria is in the residual level of modern governance arrangement, that is the local community level, where they should be held more accountable to their people than government, be this Local, State or Federal.
7. Against the backdrop of the chronic poverty, insecurity and underdevelopment in Yorubaland, the meeting could not find any justification for the legendary supremacy battles among leading Yoruba monarchs. This is believed to be capable of working against the actualisation of Yoruba unity and sustainable socio-economic progress.
Done in Ibadan, May 1, 2019.
Toyin Falola
Department of History
The University of Texas at Austin
104 Inner Campus Drive
Austin, TX 78712-0220
USA
512 475 7222 (fax)
Begin forwarded message:
From: Michael Vickers <mvic...@mvickers.plus.com>
Date: 16 May 2019 at 22:12:00 BST
To: Michael Vickers <mvic...@mvickers.plus.com>
Cc: Michael Vickers <mvic...@mvickers.plus.com>
Subject:TIS A TIME FOR SOLIDARITY-- Re: COMMUNIQUE ISSUED AT THE END OF AN AD HOC MEETING OF CONCERNED NIGERIAN HISTORIANS AND STAKEHOLDERS HELD TO ADDRESS THE LINGERING FEUDS AMONG SOME LEADING YORUBA OBAS, AT UI HOTELS, UNIVERSITY OF IBADAN, ON 1ST MAY 2019
Mmmmmm. A timely and vital communique, my friend. Thank you.
Tis a time for soldarity.
As many have noted: tis Obas and others of lasting traditional heritage--the Natural Rulers that our modern politicians most certainly are NOT--though little meedja/ cha cha cha attention is given to their often determining roles in 1000s of Nigeria communities, that have kept the handy Lugardian extractive device from disintegrating, with all the devastation that would then surge forward--as already has been/ is being demonstrated as we speak, in the Africa we mourn.Our rulers cannot and will not save us from the savage fate that awaits; only those who know their people/ who have carried that responsibility over the centuries/ and whose people find in this period of savage, prolonged turbulence the deep threads within they can draw on to maintain some semblance of stability/ some community order to battle for survival and maintain hope/ only in this context can proper Light in this Nigeria Era--indeed this Africa Era--be sighted.The ultimate end/ destiny of Nigeria/ Africa is filled with the Light and Actuation/ and Positive Activity and Productivity. This is not in question. What first must be negotiated is this lengthy Corridor of Darkness. The tide will turn. The force from below becomes daily greater.It is intelligent and educated youth that will carry this ever-rising tide. And it is the rooted presence and message of Yoruba Obas and other Natural Rulers in Nigeria that offer the continuing vital stability in these trying and dangerous times.There is work to do. Obas of Yorubaland are challenged. How they respond will determine how the folk entrapped within this Lugardian contraption survive. As one eminent Nigerian recently lamented to me, "I cannot live without hope". To this one can but say: Hope is ALWAYS present. It is part of the Light Within. It is belief in that Light within; and awareness of the Light which can carry us eventually through our present Dark Corridors and on to that Horizon Future which indeed may well be closer than we think.Best, Baba m
Sent from my iPadApproved Version for circulation
COMMUNIQUE ISSUED AT THE END OF AN AD HOC MEETING OF CONCERNED NIGERIAN HISTORIANS AND STAKEHOLDERS HELD TO ADDRESS THE LINGERING FEUDS AMONG SOME LEADING YORUBA OBAS, AT UI HOTELS, UNIVERSITY OF IBADAN, ON 1ST MAY 2019
Introduction
Following incessant public altercations among some of our highly placed Yoruba traditional rulers and unbecoming poise and carriage in public on the part of quite a number of them in recent times, the underlisted eminent historians whose scholarly works have touched on the subject of Yoruba traditional culture and institutions, together with some stakeholders, held a meeting at UI Hotels, University of Ibadan on May 1, 2019, to deliberate on the key issues that were viewed as of urgent importance, affecting the history, traditions and culture of Yorubaland and people, especially but not limited to, a number of recently noticed misguided remarks, disparaging comments and the conducts of some leading Yoruba monarchs in recent times.
Triggered by a manifestation of a latent disagreement between the Alaafin of Oyo and the Olugbo of Ugbo during the 80th birthday ceremony and book launch of Professor Anthony Asiwaju at the University of Lagos on the 18th of April 2019, an event where these concerned historians were also present. The meeting was convened by Professor Bolanle Awe but chaired by Professor Banji Akintoye and attended by Professors Emeriti Anthony Asiwaju and Akinjide Osuntokun as well as Professors Akin Alao, Toyin Falola who joined the conversation by phone from Austin, Texas, and Olukoya Ogen. The other two participants were Chief Sola Ebiseni, a traditional historian and politician as well as Chief Musa Alao Adedayo, publisher of Alaroye.
The meeting carefully considered the afore-mentioned issues and observed as follows:
1. That the traditional legitimising processes, especially the institution of Ipebi, the traditional seclusion of successful candidates to Yoruba thrones, whereby nominees, prior to formal enthronement, are usually grounded, for periods ranging from three to six months, in the history and culture of the people as well as in the etiquettes of the Obaship institution, would appear to have been gravely eroded, and hallowed roles of high chiefs, members of the Oba-in-Council would also appear to have been recklessly abandoned, all resulting in utterances and behaviours of our Obas not being subjected to customary checks and moderation, and tending ultimately to spell doom for the institution as a whole;
2. It would also appear that some Yoruba Oba are not sufficiently versed in the history and traditions of Yorubaland, including their specific areas of prescribed authority in it. This patent ignorance has resulted in blanket statements that border on either plain falsehood or, worse still, half truths, all of them capable of demeaning the cherished traditions of the Yoruba;
3. There is an aggravation of the proliferation of the Obaship institution both within and outside Yorubaland by some leading Yoruba Obas and sponsoring politicians, resulting in a worrisome debasement of the institution. This is capable of questioning the relevance, credibility and survival of the institution, especially, its sacredness and mysticism;
4. There seems to have arisen the need to clearly distinguish and separate cultural tourism from the more serious issue of enduring legacies of Yoruba culture. Promoters of cultural tourism have yet to clearly grapple with the more serious concerns with Yoruba traditions and acceptable cultural practices as distinct from cultural tourism and public entertainment;
1
5. Yoruba historical studies stands in dire need of a serious revival and reinvigoration; the defunct Yoruba Historical Research Scheme of the mid-1950s, such that once gave rise to what may be validly referred to as Ife School of History, must be revived and appropriately funded to the end, among new emphasis, a reappraisal of the pre-Oduduwa phase of the culture history; the renewed emphasis on antiquity of the history would deepen our understanding of both the intra-and Inter-group relations among the Yoruba and between them and other peoples of Nigeria and wider Africa, including the Diaspora.
Based on these aforementioned observations, the meeting resolved:
1. The necessary initiation rites and training in statescraft and oath of allegiance to Yoruba culture and traditions which are usually carried out at the Ipebi for any new Oba must be enforced and executed to the letter in the tradition of our forebears. Ipebi provides schooling in appropriate moral conduct and truth, principled leadership, commitment to causes, spiritual rebirth and a life guided by higher values. For the Oba elect, the Ipebi is a sine qua non in order to avoid conducts and utterances that are capable of demeaning or embarrassing the Yoruba nation.
2. The selection, initiation and coronation rites for every incoming Oba must be fully and properly performed in accordance with Yoruba customs and traditions and in strict compliance with the statutory chieftaincy declaration for the said throne.
3. The proliferation of the Obaship institution will ultimately lead to the debasement of Yoruba traditional values and a desecration of the institution. The meeting frowns at the installation of any Oba in the diaspora and queries its cultural foundations. It wonders why anybody will be interested in becoming an Oba in the diaspora. The meeting resolved that rather than proliferate the Obaship institution across the globe, the appropriate titles for Yoruba leaders in the diaspora could be Asiwaju, Alakoso, Aare, Olori, etc., but, clearly, not Oba. Similarly, the new fad for installing coronet Oba as well as the coronation of Eze Ndigbo and Sarki Hausa in every part of Yorubaland is a debasement of Yoruba traditional institution and an aberration that should be discouraged.
4. In the light of recent developments, it has become necessary for Yoruba scholars especially historians to devote serious attention to a more comprehensive history, including particularly the pre- Oduduwa era in Yorubaland.
5. Scholarly research and publications point to the essentially representative and constitutional, if not uncompromisingly democratic nature and character of Yoruba Obaship institution, providing for the representation of geographical spread and interest groups within given kingdoms or chiefdoms, and ensuring appropriate checks and balances that abhor every form of autocracy and related excesses on the part of any individual Oba, no matter how highly placed.
6. Accordingly, the meeting endorsed that the essential place of Yoruba traditional rulership and, indeed, African traditional rulership in and outside Nigeria is in the residual level of modern governance arrangement, that is the local community level, where they should be held more accountable to their people than government, be this Local, State or Federal.
7. Against the backdrop of the chronic poverty, insecurity and underdevelopment in Yorubaland, the meeting could not find any justification for the legendary supremacy battles among leading Yoruba monarchs. This is believed to be capable of working against the actualisation of Yoruba unity and sustainable socio-economic progress.
Done in Ibadan, May 1, 2019.
Toyin Falola
Department of History
The University of Texas at Austin
104 Inner Campus Drive
Austin, TX 78712-0220
USA
512 475 7222 (fax)
Date: Thursday, 16 May 2019 15:26
To: USA-AFRICA dialogue <usaafric...@googlegroups.com>, Yoruba Affairs <yoruba...@googlegroups.com>
Subject: COMMUNIQUE ISSUED AT THE END OF AN AD HOC MEETING OF CONCERNED NIGERIAN HISTORIANS AND STAKEHOLDERS HELD TO ADDRESS THE LINGERING FEUDS AMONG SOME LEADING YORUBA OBAS, AT UI HOTELS, UNIVERSITY OF IBADAN, ON 1ST MAY 2019
Approved Version for circulation
COMMUNIQUE ISSUED AT THE END OF AN AD HOC MEETING OF CONCERNED NIGERIAN HISTORIANS AND STAKEHOLDERS HELD TO ADDRESS THE LINGERING FEUDS AMONG SOME LEADING YORUBA OBAS, AT UI HOTELS, UNIVERSITY OF IBADAN, ON 1ST MAY 2019
Introduction
Following incessant public altercations among some of our highly placed Yoruba traditional rulers and unbecoming poise and carriage in public on the part of quite a number of them in recent times, the underlisted eminent historians whose scholarly works have touched on the subject of Yoruba traditional culture and institutions, together with some stakeholders, held a meeting at UI Hotels, University of Ibadan on May 1, 2019, to deliberate on the key issues that were viewed as of urgent importance, affecting the history, traditions and culture of Yorubaland and people, especially but not limited to, a number of recently noticed misguided remarks, disparaging comments and the conducts of some leading Yoruba monarchs in recent times.
Triggered by a manifestation of a latent disagreement between the Alaafin of Oyo and the Olugbo of Ugbo during the 80th birthday ceremony and book launch of Professor Anthony Asiwaju at the University of Lagos on the 18th of April 2019, an event where these concerned historians were also present. The meeting was convened by Professor Bolanle Awe but chaired by Professor Banji Akintoye and attended by Professors Emeriti Anthony Asiwaju and Akinjide Osuntokun as well as Professors Akin Alao, Toyin Falola who joined the conversation by phone from Austin, Texas, and Olukoya Ogen. The other two participants were Chief Sola Ebiseni, a traditional historian and politician as well as Chief Musa Alao Adedayo, publisher of Alaroye.
The meeting carefully considered the afore-mentioned issues and observed as follows:
1. That the traditional legitimising processes, especially the institution of Ipebi, the traditional seclusion of successful candidates to Yoruba thrones, whereby nominees, prior to formal enthronement, are usually grounded, for periods ranging from three to six months, in the history and culture of the people as well as in the etiquettes of the Obaship institution, would appear to have been gravely eroded, and hallowed roles of high chiefs, members of the Oba-in-Council would also appear to have been recklessly abandoned, all resulting in utterances and behaviours of our Obas not being subjected to customary checks and moderation, and tending ultimately to spell doom for the institution as a whole;
2. It would also appear that some Yoruba Oba are not sufficiently versed in the history and traditions of Yorubaland, including their specific areas of prescribed authority in it. This patent ignorance has resulted in blanket statements that border on either plain falsehood or, worse still, half truths, all of them capable of demeaning the cherished traditions of the Yoruba;
3. There is an aggravation of the proliferation of the Obaship institution both within and outside Yorubaland by some leading Yoruba Obas and sponsoring politicians, resulting in a worrisome debasement of the institution. This is capable of questioning the relevance, credibility and survival of the institution, especially, its sacredness and mysticism;
4. There seems to have arisen the need to clearly distinguish and separate cultural tourism from the more serious issue of enduring legacies of Yoruba culture. Promoters of cultural tourism have yet to clearly grapple with the more serious concerns with Yoruba traditions and acceptable cultural practices as distinct from cultural tourism and public entertainment;
1
5. Yoruba historical studies stands in dire need of a serious revival and reinvigoration; the defunct Yoruba Historical Research Scheme of the mid-1950s, such that once gave rise to what may be validly referred to as Ife School of History, must be revived and appropriately funded to the end, among new emphasis, a reappraisal of the pre-Oduduwa phase of the culture history; the renewed emphasis on antiquity of the history would deepen our understanding of both the intra-and Inter-group relations among the Yoruba and between them and other peoples of Nigeria and wider Africa, including the Diaspora.
Based on these aforementioned observations, the meeting resolved:
1. The necessary initiation rites and training in statescraft and oath of allegiance to Yoruba culture and traditions which are usually carried out at the Ipebi for any new Oba must be enforced and executed to the letter in the tradition of our forebears. Ipebi provides schooling in appropriate moral conduct and truth, principled leadership, commitment to causes, spiritual rebirth and a life guided by higher values. For the Oba elect, the Ipebi is a sine qua non in order to avoid conducts and utterances that are capable of demeaning or embarrassing the Yoruba nation.
2. The selection, initiation and coronation rites for every incoming Oba must be fully and properly performed in accordance with Yoruba customs and traditions and in strict compliance with the statutory chieftaincy declaration for the said throne.
3. The proliferation of the Obaship institution will ultimately lead to the debasement of Yoruba traditional values and a desecration of the institution. The meeting frowns at the installation of any Oba in the diaspora and queries its cultural foundations. It wonders why anybody will be interested in becoming an Oba in the diaspora. The meeting resolved that rather than proliferate the Obaship institution across the globe, the appropriate titles for Yoruba leaders in the diaspora could be Asiwaju, Alakoso, Aare, Olori, etc., but, clearly, not Oba. Similarly, the new fad for installing coronet Oba as well as the coronation of Eze Ndigbo and Sarki Hausa in every part of Yorubaland is a debasement of Yoruba traditional institution and an aberration that should be discouraged.
4. In the light of recent developments, it has become necessary for Yoruba scholars especially historians to devote serious attention to a more comprehensive history, including particularly the pre- Oduduwa era in Yorubaland.
5. Scholarly research and publications point to the essentially representative and constitutional, if not uncompromisingly democratic nature and character of Yoruba Obaship institution, providing for the representation of geographical spread and interest groups within given kingdoms or chiefdoms, and ensuring appropriate checks and balances that abhor every form of autocracy and related excesses on the part of any individual Oba, no matter how highly placed.
6. Accordingly, the meeting endorsed that the essential place of Yoruba traditional rulership and, indeed, African traditional rulership in and outside Nigeria is in the residual level of modern governance arrangement, that is the local community level, where they should be held more accountable to their people than government, be this Local, State or Federal.
7. Against the backdrop of the chronic poverty, insecurity and underdevelopment in Yorubaland, the meeting could not find any justification for the legendary supremacy battles among leading Yoruba monarchs. This is believed to be capable of working against the actualisation of Yoruba unity and sustainable socio-economic progress.
Done in Ibadan, May 1, 2019.
Toyin Falola
Department of History
The University of Texas at Austin
104 Inner Campus Drive
Austin, TX 78712-0220
USA
512 475 7222 (fax)
Michael Afolayan
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m vickers
On Friday, May 17, 2019 at 6:36:42 AM UTC+1, Michael Afolayan wrote:
Baba M., my concern is that the Yoruba Obas, who are culturally constituted to settle disputes among their citizens, inside their palaces, are now those being called to order by their citizens and getting their regal brouhahas settled in the marketplace. What a travesty of a sacred but eroding institution. You got it right, "there is work to do" indeed. There is work! Otherwise, we will live without hope" - literally and figuratively. Don't you think?The other Michael
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