My writing on this issue arose from the responses to last week’s column from two anonymous readers, who I believe are from either of the South – East or South – South or both, who accused me of tribalism and that my people, the Yorubas, are the problem of Nigeria. I find it difficult to understand why anyone, who is not a tribalist, would have these opinions over a write – up in which I was merely pleading with President Muhammadu Buhari to pardon Major – General Tajudeen Olanrewaju, Colonel Edwin Jando and late Lt – Colonel Olu Akinyode. Officers who were left out by ex – President Goodluck Jonathan when in 2013 he pardoned Lt – General Oladipupo Diya, his Chief Security Officer, Major Seun Fadipe and late Major – General Abdulkadir Adisa, who were sentenced to death with them over the phantom coup plot of 1998.
These are the weird reactions of the two. The one who sent the message through GSM number 090 – 9344 – 4918 had this to say: “You see the problem with Nigerians. You did not call your brother Obasanjo names when he did not pardon the Yoruba people you mention (sic). But Jonathan who try and pardon (sic) some you are blaming. While this more virulent one came from the owner of phone number 080 – 9268 – 2235: “I find it hard to believe that you Yoruba race thinks (sic) any other tribes (sic) are fools.
“Truly speaking as some said Yorubas are the problems (sic) Nigeria is facing. Ojukwu released Awolowo from prison, what did he use to tell him thank you, back stabbing. You mentioned how many presidents that did not pardon …….” The rest of the message was missing.
I forwarded a text to the person to resend the message, but I did not get a reply. As a result, I do not know whether or not the person gave the reason for why he or she claimed that the Yorubas are Nigeria headaches.”
Contrary to the claim of the second respondent, it was not Lt – Colonel Chukwuemeka Ojukwu, the then Military Governor of Eastern Region, made up of the five states in present – day South – East and the six states in the South – South, was not the one who in August 1966 released from prison, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, the boss of the Action Group who was jailed for 10 years in 1963 for treasonable felony to overthrow the Federal Government of Prime Minister Abubakar Tafawa Balewa. The Asiwaju of the Yorubas was set free by Lt – Colonel Yakubu Gowon, the Head of State and Commander – in – Chief, who sent a plane to Calabar to bring him to Lagos.
Writing about the unjust way Dr. Jonathan treated Olanrewaju and the colonels, did not require me to blame or condemn ex – President Olusegun Obasanjo for not granting Diya, Olanrewaju, Adisa, Jando, Akinyode and Fadipe clemency during his eight years in office (1999 – 2007). I did that in 2013 when I commended Jonathan for pardoning Diya and the other two, which I recalled Obasanjo did not do, and pleading with him to extend the same grace to Olanrewaju, Jando and late Akinyode. But which he never did until he left office two years and two months later.
In that piece three years ago, as I did with Jonathan last week, I had pointed out that it was bad as a Christian that Obasanjo did not pardon the six officers, when Jesus Christ during the Sermon on the Mount said people should forgive their enemies and those who wronged them. I wrote that given this statement of the Lord that Obasanjo had no excuse not to have granted clemency to the officers. Even if it was true that Diya had an affair with his late wife when he was in prison from 1995 – 98. Because rumours had it then, that this was why he did not pardon Diya and the other five officers.
Next week: Proofs the Igbos, Hausas and Fulanis are Nigeria’s problem and the Yorubas are not.


Yoruba/Benin ancestry dispute (11)

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I ended the last piece in the series published two weeks ago with the impression given by the late Oba of Benin, His Majesty Erediauwa, that Yoruba lecturers were dominant in the Department of History, University of Ibadan and that one of them was the Head. And that they must have made Benin – born Chief Jacob Egharevba (1893 – 1980), whose mother was from Akure, to come out in his A Short History of Benin book published in 1953, that Benin was founded by Obagodo, a son of Oduduwa, from Ile – Ife.
To be continued next week with the revelation in the Vanguard Newspaper by Oba Arisco Osemwengie, the Ogiso of Benin, that Oduduwa was not a Benin prince and that Ile – Ife was founded before Benin.
Oba Erediauwa’s insinuation is not correct because my research showed that Professor Kenneth Onwuka Dike (December 17, 1917 – October 26, 1983), was the only Nigerian lecturer in the Department in 1953. Professor Jacob Festus Adeniyi Ajayi (May 26, 1929 – August 9, 2014) the first Yoruba – born lecturer in the Department joined the staff in 1958, five years after Egharevba’s book had been published. By the time I was admitted into the Department for undergraduate studies in 1965, Dike had become the Vice – Chancellor of the University and Ajayi, the Head of the Department of History. It goes without saying that Dike, an Igbo from present – day Anambra State and the expatriate lecturers in the Department in 1953, would not have made Egharevba to have published a book that Benin was founded by Yoruba man. The renowned author came out with the information the Benin elders he interviewed from 1914 – 52 provided to him.
To be continued next week with the revelation in the Vanguard Newspaper by Oba Arisco Osemwengie, the Ogiso of Benin, that Oduduwa was not a Benin prince and that Ile – Ife was founded before Benin.