ÀGBÀ KÒ NÍ WÀ L'ÓJÀ APOPHTHEGM AND THE YORUBA GRADUAL DESCENT INTO THE BROBDINGNAGIAN ABYSS - Dr. Tayo Douglas, Esq; Ph.D*

Ojulari- Good morning my dear brother, Balogun. Hope there is no problem and why are you this early to my house ?

Balogun- I've got to be this early to see you because ever since the last few hours when I've read some "kòbákùngbé" news on the social media, I've really not been myself. In particular, are the news to the effect that our present number one son in the country (who the yoruba people would like to call "Dawodu") is set to be named the ÒKANLOMO OF YORUBA LAND" by a King. Mind you, this conferment is coming barely a week after another reverred King, reputed to be the Head of all Yoruba race, has just conferred the same title on another person. Although, the latter king has named his recipient as "ÒKANLOMO OODUA" but the confusion starring me at the face till now is whether the word "Oodua" is any different to the word "Yorubaland" ?

Ojulari - Balogun, if I tell you that I'm not confused as well, then I'm not being truthful to you. At any rate, this shouldn't be our bother because when a catamaran has become rudderless, sophistry becomes the norm while shipwreck or foundering seems the end result. How do we start counting Adépèlé's teeth when they are so intertwined and interlocked?

Balogun - I can understand your feelings my dear brother but then our parents have always told us that when a lunatic is left to take charge of his mother's corpse, he may decide to make a mincemeat of it or do a barbecue with the body. After all, it is equally our elders' saying that if Olóde is still alive, his compound can never be overgrown with weeds. In this case, if we decide to resign the Yoruba race to its fate, it is as bad as saying that the entire land is now devoid of elders and so therefore, the land can go up in flame or ruins. Definitely, something has to be done and quickly too. 

Ojulari - What exactly do you want me to say again? You were here in 2023 when a ninety something years old usurper or an impostor was busy challenging the headship of Baba Fasoranti within the Yoruba Afenifere fold. Who among these present yoruba Kings or leaders intervened in the matter till it degenerated into a bolshie of delinquent ? Curious enough, when you ask our people about the fons-et-Origo of all Yoruba Towns, they have always bandied Ile-Ife as the cradle of all Yoruba race and not Oyo town. Why then would any King take it upon himself to always swim in a murky water of controversy and all other Yoruba Kings will keep quiet all the time ? What right has any Alaafin got over other yoruba Oba or towns to the extent that each time he's set to confer any chieftancy title on anybody, he must provocatively attach "Yorubaland" to the title as if other superior Oba in Yorubaland have given their consent to the aberration and eccentricity ? Until that time when the likes of Deji of Akure, Alake of Egba, Oluwade of Akunu, Awujale of Ijebu, Akarigbo of Remoland, Ewi of Ado-Ekiti, Omo N'oba N'edo, Obaro of Kabba, Olokuku of Okuku, Owa Ajaka of Ijesa land, Olu of Warri, Osemawe of Ondo, Owa of Idanre, Soun of Ogbomosoland, Alara of Ilara, Elekole, Ajero, Orangun, Olowo, Olukare, Ataoja, Ogoga, Rebuja of Osoroland and other prominent Yoruba Oba too numerous to mention here put their feet down and place Alaafin of Oyo to where he belongs, this anomaly and impunity will continue. Nobody says Alaafin should not confer chieftancy title on anybody but he should please detach the words "of Yorubaland" from such title and limit it to "of Oyo." Enough is enough. 

Balogun- You have rightly spoken Ojulari but then the conferment which forms the fulcrum of our discussion now is slated for this very Sunday, being the 21st of December, 2025. What can we do to prevent another round of Gordian knot and gremlin in the weeks to come in our land or are you happy with this silence of the graveyard ?

Ojulari - If I were to give any advice, I will tell the would-be-conferee to suspend everything for now and look for any other auspicious time to take any chieftancy title which is not likely to promote controversy in yorubaland. That is even if at all he needs any chieftancy title for that matter. Our Dawodu should understand today that the people who are putting him on this saddle are not doing so because they love him. He's being considered mainly because of the temporary position being occupied by his father. Such is the unpleasant situation in which we have found ourselves today in yorubaland. The time tested yoruba saying is that when the mischief makers are beating their 'àbèntè and pamí-nkú' drums, those who are wary should be more careful or reluctant to dance to the rhythm. If one may ask and without being immodest; What has been our Dawodu's track record in yorubaland that he would now be conferred with such title? 

Balogun - My own worry now is the gradual but abysmal descent of the yoruba race from their olympian heights to the gutter slab everyday. We have had Yoruba leaders in the past whose children were never known to the public let alone gallivanting the corridor of power with such paraphernalia that are equal in rank to any elected holder of an office. Baba Adekunle Ajasin (may he continue to rest in perfect peace) was once a Governor in the old Ondo State between 1979 and 1983. None of his children were ever found anywhere near the government house or even appointed into any office. They were at that period in time gainfully employed in their respective and diverse callings. What we now have today is a clear departure from the norms. It is a pity that we are now happy, urging on our present leaders to continue doing the abohela. If the truth must be told, is this even the auspicious time when our leaders and their families should be throwing parties here and there, taking chieftancy titles when several families are in sorrow and mournful mood ? In the last few weeks/months, bandits, terrorists and rampaging or marauding herders have maimed, killed and kidnapped several people in the country. How many of the affected families would be happy today watching the children or wives of those leaders, who are paid to protect them, rejoicing and taking one chieftancy title after the other as if it is well with the country ? Where then is the moral value and humanity in Yorubaland? The other day Baba Wole Soyinka in his artistic and sarcastic manner had something to say about this same moral turpitude but we all pretended as if we heard him not. Whether we do or not, time would surely tell. 

Ojulari- Where then do we go from here Balogun ? After all, it used to be our saying that the elders would not fold their hands at market place when a struggling mother is battling to properly back her baby. Anyway, my simple advice or appeal to our Dawodu could be taken as follow:

1. He should with immediate effect put a call through to the Oba who wants to confer on him the chieftancy title of okanlomo to please cancel everything and perish the thought. If the Oba is among of the families (God forbid) whose loved ones have been lost to the insecurity ravaging the land at the moment or whose children are among of those being held captive by the kidnappers, would he be happy doing what he's about to do on this very Sunday?

2. What is even in this vain glory of chieftancy title when there are other benevolent or humanitarian purposes to which money and resources could be channelled at the moment ?

3. It would even be a sheer disservice to the interest of the nominee's father who, God willing, would be seeking another term in office any moment from now. How would he face the people whose sensibilities are aldready tampered by this show of insensitivity? These are moral questions which any reasonable parent is bound to contend. We can't be doing as if we are operating in another planet quite different to the one we are in at the moment. Hunger is in the land, many youths are unemployed and above all, life has become meaningless to the less privileged in the society. How would these sets of people be happy seeing our leaders living the "i-don't-care" attitude everyday? This is certainly not the time to exhibit the most unfortunate pomp and pageantry by our political leaders and their families. 

4. Above all, Dawodu himself is old enough to know that those who seem to be showing loyalty to him today are not wholeheartedly doing so to his person but to the office held or occupied by his father. No matter how long, the masquerade festival will definitely come to an end. Enough for the wise. 

Balogun - Thank you for this expository submission Ojulari. I think your name should even have meant a lot to our Dawodu by now ? That is, a deceptive look which exhibits friendship but deep down the heart is laid an anaconda python waiting for that time when the elephant would dance to the rhythm of our folklore - "Erin ká re'lé ò kó wá j'oba, Erin yéyé o, Erin yèyè. Ìwòyí òla re, Erin yéyé oo, Erin yèyè eeeee. May our Dawodu never play into the hands of these 'ojulari òré ò dé'nú' who will continue to urge him to take any deadly apple.

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Dr. Tayo Douglas, Esq, is a Solicitor & Advocate of the Supreme Court of Nigeria. He has been in practice for over Three (3) decades and has in the course of his legal career appeared before various Courts,Tribunals and Arbitration established under the laws of the country. He has published many articles/papers in both local and international peer reviewed journals. He's a scholar of note and also an expert on Energy and Natural Resources Laws. He's an Adjunct Professor of the Faculty at the ICLED Business School (International Centre for Leadership and Entrepreneurial Development), located in Lekki, Lagos and which school is an affiliate of the University of America.

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*● Dr. Tayo Douglas, Esq; Ph.D (18th December, 2025)*

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