THE OODUA PEOPLE’S CONGRESS (NEW ERA) ON THE OCCASION OF THE 2021 ANNUAL OGUN AJOBO (OGUN FESTIVAL) WHICH HELD AT ANSAR UD DEEN PRIMARY SCHOOL, MAKUN, SAGAMU, OGUN STATE, ON 13TH - 14TH DECEMBER, 2021.
Distinguished ladies and gentlemen,
I welcome you to yet another historical moment in the history of this organisation. The worship of the Ogun deity is not an unusual incidence among the Yoruba people in Nigeria and indeed in the Diaspora, as far away as the Caribbean islands, Latin America and even at the 27 acres Oyotunji community in South Carolina, United States of America. What distinguishes this celebration of ours is that, it is the inaugural edition to be adopted for joint celebration by the national leadership of our great organisation.
As ambassadors and custodians of the traditional rites and practices of our ancestors, we owe it a duty to uphold, promote and successfully transmit these cultural objects and practices of our forefathers to prevent what our fathers warned against by saying that, ‘the stream/river which forgets it source will without any doubt dry up.
Our people are in the season and spirit of celebrations. While there is a flurry of activities is ongoing among the traditional native worshippers, Christmas and the Gregorian new year is only a matter of days away too.
But as Nigerians eagerly await these various dates and events, it is not with the usual optimism and feeling of celebrations that usually accompanies the period.
Rather, Nigerians are generally, angry, frustrated by the failings of elected and appointed political leaders and their mismanagement of the Nigerian economy to the extent of our inflation deteriorating to the levels of Venezuela and Zimbabwe. The same government has also woefully failed in the area of providing security and the enabling environment for businesses to be established and allowed to flourish properly.
What Nigerians have gotten from this government at the centre and the maladministration of Gen. Muhammadu Buhari have been, regrets, kidnappings, banditry, genocidal and ethnic cleansing by Fulani herders, hunger, inflation and all manners of sufferings among many other negatives.
It is rather unfortunate that while the northerners, particularly the Fula look after themselves and their interests, those who call themselves the leaders of the Yoruba are busy negotiating us away and selling us short for their selfish and pecuniary gains.
This present crop of so-called Yoruba leaders are merely self-centred, egoists, opportunistic and non- empathetic to the plights and sufferings of the people they claim to lead.
Another cause for concern among the masses of the Yoruba people is the dumping of our erstwhile role of the champions and promoters of our democracy. Since the days of the involvement of the likes of Herbert Macaulay, H.O. Davies, Ọbáfẹ́mi Awólọ́wọ̀ Samuel Akínsànyà, Kòfó Àbáyọ̀mí, etc, we have witnessed the emergence of another set of leaders turned ‘dealers' who are more concerned with how much they steal and loot of our collective commonwealth. Gone are the days when service to the community was the watchword. Those days when the Yoruba as the most enlightened and sophisticated nationality in the country, served as both a lighthouse emmiting light to guide other subgroups and as a barometer to guage the mood of the nation.
The above qualities which our new set of political leaders have seemingly lost is what stood Ogun out amongst his colleagues.
Ogun was the ideal leader. A warrior and the ‘god of war', he was also a farmer, hunter, innovator, craftsman and pathfinder/trailblazer among other qualities.
At this juncture in the history of the Yoruba of Nigeria, it is high time we shelf the tendency to be self-serving and egoistic in the collective interests of the generation still coming after us.
We, as an enlightened and opinionated race need to sit up and retake our lost glory. We must learn to put ourselves and interest(s) first. As the legendary Chief Gani Fawehinmi (SAN) was once quoted, 'it would be illegal to act legally in a society where illegality is the norm'.
Our standard bearers need to reconnect with the people they represent to avoid incidents such as the'endsars' protest.
On a final note, I also reach out to the young men and women who today waste their lives in the name of cultism and related activities which are in reality not beneficial to the society. All over the world, the youth drive the direction of social and economic affairs, but in Nigeria, our youth are yet to know their call.
Once again, I thank all of you for making this a memorable and remarkable occasion.
I am yours in service,
AROGUNDADE Rasak,
President.
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