Nigeria’s open sore in Soyinka’s Aba Alapata... Oyo ANA/Oracles Repertory honour Nobel laureate with a parody of the nation's ills

From YINKA OLUDAYISI FABOWALE, Ibadan

The unenviable state of the Nigerian nation was again theatrically laid bare in Aba Alapata, Prof. Wole Soyinka’s latest play staged at the Arts Theatre, University of Ibadan to commemorate the literary giant’s 80th birthday on Sunday, July 13, 2014.

The production, put up by Oracles Repertory Theatre Company in collaboration with the Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA) Oyo State chapter, is a dynamic, satirical comedy of errors that brought out the open wound of the nation in so many tropes and symbolisms, depicting the rape and “butchering” of the nation, struggles for power-sharing, mis-governance, the evil of godfatherism and the insensitivity of the political elite towards the toiling masses among others.

 •A scene from the play: Seni Pinhero as Alaba and chiefs from the traditional council.

I WAS ALMOST CONSUMED BY TRIBULATIONS -BLACK HERO, PHYSICALLY CHALLENGED MUSICIAN

.As debut album rekindles hope in Nigeria
By Yinka Oludayisi Fabowale 

 KEEP HOPE ALIVE. That is the title of the wave -making hit song by Lagos–based musician and comedian, Black Hero (Okoro Emmanuel Izukamma).

The hit single released on audio CDs and currently enjoying generous airplay on some radio stations in the nation's former capital and Abuja, comes in three popular musical genres- reggae, gyration and hip hop, obviously to cater for the tastes of the diverse segments of music loving Nigerians.

Black Hero

Copyright war 'll be better served with public education- Gbenro Adegbola, First Veritas boss

Adegbola

By YINKA OLUDAYISI FABOWALE
Mr. Gbenro Adegbola is the CEO/MD of First Veritas,  a digital publishing firm he went to set up after quitting Evans Publishers Ltd, where he was the Managing Director  some years back.
Adegbola's crossover to digital publishing was an expression of a cumulative experience he garnered in a tripartite career spanning decades- broadcasting, publishing and ICT. From his stint with Spectrum Books, through co-founding his own publishing outfit, Book Craft and his switch to Evans, which he not only helped in reviving from comatose, but put on an even business keel, Adegbola has always striven to push the frontiers of the industry.

WHO OWNS THE LAND?

Amid political undercurrents, Ibadan cosmopolitanism sparks controversy between natives and residents claiming indigeneship rights by virtue of birth, statutory residency

By YINKA OLUDAYISI FABOWALE

Who is an Ibadan person?

Ordinarily, a casual visit to the densely populated inner ring of the Oyo State capital such as Beere, Idi arere, Idi ose, Foko, Inalende, Oniyanrin, Ita merin, or the clusters of farmsteads/villages that make up its suburbs will readily yield up a kindred population often perceived as “sons and daughters of the soil”.
They are the tribe of locals with faces scarred with tribal marks and a  funny Yoruba dialect that has made them the butt of  comic jokes for its phonetic defect in pronouncing some English words. For instance, an average Ibadan man substitutes the English consonants, [ch and sh] for [s] and vice versa, such that he pronounces ‘chiken’ as ‘sikin’, ‘show’ as ‘so’ and ‘sure’ as ‘suo’.
But, that concept of the identity of an Ibadan indigene is being challenged, amid modernization, social changes and contest for power for the control of political levers in the megalopolis itself, reputed to be the largest south of the Sahara and the larger Oyo political landscape of which it is the headquarters.
Advocates of a redefinition of who an Ibadan native is argue their position not only on the Nigerian Constitution, but, by the very nature of the Oyo capital as a settler city!
Ibadan has been in existence for only  a little over 200 years, formed by refugees fleeing their homesteads during the Yoruba inter-tribal wars as well as Fulani Jihadists after the sack of Old Oyo, headquarters of the famous Oyo Empire.
It became a formidable community because of its hilly and mountainous topography, which made it impregnable for enemies, as well as the presence of a conglomeration  of mighty war generals and men of valour who trooped from various Yoruba kingdoms-Oyo, Iwo, Ife, Ijebu, Egba, Ejigbo, Efon Alaye, Ibadan, etc to make it a military camp. The invincibility of the Ibadan Imperial Army attracted more migrants from these and other parts of Yorubaland seeking protection from the bloody internecine conflicts ravaging the entire landscape, thus swelling the population of the city to its present size!
Although traditions had it that the area grew from a small community earlier founded in the 16th century by a small band of migrants led by Lagelu, a prince from Ile Ife, the cradle of the Yoruba people and was known as Eba Odan (An area by the Savannah), this history is hardly reckoned with in the emergence of the present Ibadan for two main reasons. The early settlers were said to have lived on the mountain and shifted location at least twice.
In fact, descendants of  Lagelu lost out in the power play following the incursion of  military men into the fast growing city, which established for itself a republican system of government, with a unique system of political succession and power sharing between the nobles and the military corps.
Today, members of the original lineage complain against what they called exclusion from the Olubadan royal stool.
Their head, the Aboke, however, serves as chief priest of the deity believed to protect and prosper the city.
The new view

Because they came in succession over time, champions of the new idea of an Ibadan indigene, are saying the concept of indigeneship must necessarily cover even latter generations of migrants and people born in the city.
An Ibadan socialite and businessman, Mr. Femi Bablola, remarks that Ibadan is composed of people from virtually every part of Yorubaland, who flocked to the city because of commerce or to avoid wars at one time or the other. “My question is, who drew the cut off line, that you came in 1960 and as such, you can’t claim Ibadan? That’s what I keep asking people. Who ruled the line and when was it ruled?, ” querries Babalola, one of the propellers of the economy of the city, born and bred there, although with roots in Fiditi, near Oyo, in Afijio Local Government area of the state.
But, an Ibadan High Chief, Oloye Lekan Alabi, the Aare Alasa Olubadan, disagrees with Babalola. The former General Manager, Corporate Affairs, Odua Investments Company says: “There’s no controversy at all. An Ibadan indigene, by the qualification of indigeneship is a woman or man, whose ancestry dates back to the founding of Ibadan, just as it affects a Bangladeshi, a Mexican, a Briton or any other race in the world.”
According to him, anyone who cannot trace his roots to the fourth generation (of the city), cannot claim to be an Ibadan indigene, “because we’re a people with distinct culture, philosophy, language and customs.”
Alabi explains further: “Anybody who says his ancestor came during or after (national) independence, even if it were to serve in the civil service or work with the Railways, is missing the point, if he imagines that makes him an indigene. He will be told a story of his life. Mr. Fayed, owner of Harrods and Fulham City FC in England, does not have a British citizenship. Britain still renews his visa. In Britain, there are classes of citizens. You have the likes of Mrs. Margaret Thatcher, the former Prime Minister, who are full-bred and others granted citizenship if they fulfilled some immigration laws and conditions.”
Oloye Alabi says given the greatness and cosmopolitan nature of Ibadan as well as its position as the de facto political capital of the South West, it is understandable that people would wish to identify with it. “Ibadan is a magnet that attracts, like the USA”, he remarks. What more, the people, he notes, are hospitable and accommodating of strangers, irrespective of tribe or ethnic backgrounds, a situation, he says, explains why it keeps attracting Nigerians from different parts of the country to settle and flourish within the conurbation.
Yet, he waxes proverbial: “Oko ko le je ti omo, ti baba, ko ma ni ala” (Even there are boundaries in a family farm holding), implying that stakeholders must recognize limits.
The position of the law

However, a constitutional lawyer and Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Dr. Akin Onigbinde, believes that the law would seem to back the claim of those insisting on non-discriminatory definition of the Ibadan person. According to him,  provisions of the Nigerian Constitution and the Electoral Act confer the rights of indigeneship of a town or state on the citizen who was born or has resided there for a period of at least 10 years, especially with respect to participation in the political/electoral process.
The former Speaker of the state House of Assembly submits: "Every Nigerian is free to live in any part of the federation without fear of discrimination on the basis of tribe, ethnicity, religion or gender."
Oloye Alabi agrees, but at the same time differs with this legal clause. He says: “That’s the law and the constitution, not only in Nigeria, but everywhere. Or else, there won’t be a Nigerian in the British Parliament. But, there’s the law and there’s culture… and it’s not peculiar to Ibadan, or Benin, or Enugu.
‘There’s something that makes people unique and have special bond to their homeland. The best example of this nationalism is reflected in the Jews. They are homogenous and impregnable both in their homeland and abroad. You meet their girls for relationship, it can’t go beyond friendship, because their tradition would not allow it. The same applies to some other cultures and popular towns even in Nigeria.
“This special bond is why some people, despite the fame and fortune they made in foreign lands, put it in their WILLS or instruct their families not to bury them outside their family roots. They insist they must be brought home."
A come one, come all city

However, the Otun Olubadan, the second in command to the paramount ruler of the city, High Chief Lekan Balogun, describes the dispute as unnecessary and contrived by the proponents and antagonists for selfish pursuits. His words: "The controversy is man-made. It is unreal. People are only overreacting to the political maneuvering of others, who sometimes seek to overexploit the indigeneship issue in their favour. Which city in the world is not a settler city? Every city has the same status as Ibadan. It's just that Ibadan is a more recent discovery of just about 200/300 years. Because of its historical context, it's assumed it had no founder. But, this doesn't deprive the Ibadan man of his indigeneship than Nigerians today who are British or American citizens. A non-Ibadan man who acquires citizenship also becomes an Ibadan man by law and constitutionally.
"I'm an Ali Iwo man in Ibadan. Up till about 300 years ago, I was Aremo of Ogbomoso. In the interval of 200-300 years, I became Balogun (Chief of Army Staff) of Iwo. In the course of prosecuting wars, we co-founded Ibadan, in 1863, we formally moved to Ibadan and we have produced an Olubadan, Mehmudu Ali Iwo I (1952). Now, I'm Otun Olubadan. What I have said here applies to everyone in the world."
Balogun is right. Indeed, Saturday Sun learnt that the origins of many of Ibadan prominent personalities are traceable to other Yoruba town. For instance, the forebears of the late strongman of Ibadan politics, Chief Lamidi Adedibu are said to come from Oyo, multi-billionaire, late Alhaji AbdulAzeez Arisekola Alao's from Efon Alaye and Second Republic Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Chief Richard Akinjide's from Ogbomoso!
In fact, the immediate past Olubadan, the city;s paramount ruler, Oba Odulana Odugade hailed from Ijebuland in Ogun State!
Chief Balogun observes that: "The controversy is this great in Ibadan because of its status as the political capital of the West. The pressure is not as much, say in Ekiti, or any other part of Yorubaland. Those who want to claim Ibadan are perching from the perspective of disadvantage of not being from Ibadan. And those trying to preserve the sanctity of indigeneship from the perspective of depriving them…. Or you might as well expect an Ibo person to become an Olubadan. I think what those who make claim to origins fight for is that as the ones who can lay claim to family relationships that go beyond immediacy, to greet grandfathers and so forth in the city, they qualify to be called Ibadan persons, more so since they can't claim those places where they'd left again, unlike the newcomers, who still maintain a cord of relationship with and like to claim their hometowns when it is advantageous to them. "A disadvantage would be entrenched thereby," notes Chief Balogun, a Senator of the Federal Republic and former Chairman of the Senate Committee on National Planning.
But, Balogun says both parties are merely being selfish, stressing: "It's like saying you 're not part of humanity."
A game for political fortune seekers

The intrigues to exploit the indigeneship question become even more intense and complex when there are political competitions or when prospects of material advantage are involved. For instance, during the Second Republic, the now famous slogan, "Omo wa ni, e je o se" (He is our own, vote him), became the rallying cry with which the Ibadan political elites led by the former National Chairman of the defunct National Party of Nigeria, NPN, Chief Meredith Adisa Akinloye, Chief Akinjide (SAN) and Chief Adedibu, mobilized people of the city, with one of the highest electoral population to support Dr. Victor Omololu Olunloyo, an Ibadan man against Chief Bola Ige in the 1983 governorship election in the old Oyo State. Ige, the incumbent governor, lost the poll, although in controversial circumstances.
During the 1999 elections into the Fourth Republic, former governor of the state, Alhaji Lam Adesina of the Alliance for Democracy, AD, also had to fight vicious propaganda disclaiming him as an indigene of the city by opponents. In a desperate bid to stop him, the firebrand pro-democracy activist, who was set to win the ballot, was  said to be a descendant of an itinerant Ibira man from Kogi State that worked as a labourer for Ibadan farmers in Oluyole Local Government area, a suburb of Ibadan.
Lam, as he was popularly called, was forced to unearth details of his pedigree and origin from his family compound in Kudeti area of Ibadan South East Local Government, as well as Ikija village in Oluyole  to counter the cheap falsehood.
The Ibadans, observers allege, have also been using their numerical voting population, which amounts to 52 per cent of that of the entire state, to politically dominate other zones including Oyo, Ogbomoso, Ibarapa, and Oke Ogun, especially in the governance.
Since the Third Republic, Ibadan alone has produced all the governors, who ruled the state, except for Otunba Adebayo Alao Akala (2007-2011) from Ogbomoso, who was elected with the massive backing of Ibadans. Among governors produced by Ibadan are: Dr. Olunloyo, Kolapo Ishola, Adesina, Senator Rashidi Ladoja and Senator Abiola Ajimobi.
The apparent stranglehold of Ibadan on the rest of the state has been ascribed to the more than passing interest its establishment has taken in the affairs and governance of the state. Apart from surreptitious meetings by indigenous clubs and associations all organized under the umbrella of the Central Council of Ibadan indigenes, leaders of thought in the city including eminent professionals, retired bureaucrats, diplomats, traditional chiefs and industrialists take positions on candidates to back and dictate the direction of votes. An example of this was when the Ambassador Olu Saanu-led group openly endorsed Senator Ajimobi for the 2007 governorship election, when the ambivalence of Ladoja, who initially refused entreaties to withdraw from the race for his kinsman threatened to give the trophy to Alao Akala. The latter, however, clinched the votes.
But, critics say it would be uncharitable to cast Ibadan people in the cloak of Xenophobes. The natives, they insist, have always been very accommodating and tolerant of strangers and had even demonstrated  maturity and sophistication in  the evolution of political marriage with other tribes to whom they conceded leadership in the past. They cited the case of Chief Obafemi Awolowo, (from Ijebu Remo in the present Ogun State) who ruled the old Western Region, with Ibadan as capital, and later, Ige, an Ijesa man (Osun State), who was governor of the old Oyo, carved out of the erstwhile political behemoth.
"You must, in fact, recall that the Ibadan Peoples Party led by Chief Akinloye, made Awo Premier, when its members, having won all its constituencies in the elections in the early 50s, cross carpeted overnight, thus, giving the Action Group the edge to form government instead of Zik's (Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe's NCNC," remarks erudite historian, Prof. Charles Olutayo Adesina, although he notes that, that move in itself could have stemmed from primordial, paternalistic sentiments of solidarity for a fellow Yoruba, as has been alleged in some quarters.
Yet, non Ibadan natives have continued to enjoy the freedom and backing of people of the city to realize their political aspirations. One of such is Hon. Babatunde Oduyoye, who hails from Ijebu, Ogun State, but elected to represent Ibadan North West/South West Federal Constituency in the National Assembly and a former Chairman of Ibadan North Local Government, Beckley from Ogun State.
Also, observers note that although there exist some groups such as Ibadan Descendants  Union (IDU) in public institutions in the metropolis suspected to have been formed to defend and promote the interests of members, these are hardly known to exploit the advantage, even when members are at the headship to achieve their goals, or gain undue advantage during recruitment, promotion or disciplinary exercises. A top official of The Polytechnic, Ibadan told Saturday Sun of  how he and a colleague, who is a fellow Ibadan man felt let down by the association when they had some issues with the polytechnic management some years ago.
 A professor at the University of Ibadan also hinted that although there was a burgeoning movement and attempt by a few Ibadan elements angling for positions to use such "parapo" (communal solidarity) attitude to gain political advantage on the campus, it did not succeed and soon fizzled out.
As 2019 draws closer and political aspirants file out again, observers note that the indigeneship question may turn out the trump card that will spell the success or doom of many in the quest for power.
But, the former Speaker of the state House of Assembly, Onigbinde, has an advice. "In this matter, our people should be guided in their choices by electing only people that are competent and committed to the rescue and development of our geopolitical space, wherever they come from," he enjoins.

This article was first written for and published in Saturday Sun.

So what is it about Austria and the rest of the world now?

By YINKA FABOWALE, (who was in Vomperberg, Austria)

The Austria Embassy is almost an innocuous address in Maitama District, the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.

Sharing Number 9 on Usuma Street with the Belgian Embassy, directly opposite the Embassy of Lebanon, the main building, although a massive edifice, is not directly visible from the road, lying some meters back from the gatehouse, a modest off white bungalow, with a shield of green foliage lined along the fairly long wall fence.

I almost picked an argument with my friend, Sanya Adejokun, when he stopped the car in front of the entrance and announced we were at the Embassy, where I had a Visa interview appointment that morning of August 14, 2013, because I spotted the crest of the Embassy of Belgium first, before my eyes caught the slightly smaller white dish beside it that bore the Austrian logo. Golden and big, it sat majestically on the gatehouse with the name “Ambassade van Belgie” boldly etched on it.

But even before I sighted the words: “Ostrreichische Botcschaft”, on the other, I knew my friend could not be wrong, because apart from being an Abuja resident and working in the city for about 13 years, he had been at the Embassy only the previous day to help me pick the Schengen Visa application form for me to fill, as I made my way to Abuja from Ibadan for the appointment.

The modest profile it chose to keep and the fact of its sharing tenancy with a sister European nation abroad may tempt people unfamiliar with Austria’s character to regard it as, perhaps, another one of the small, inconsequential countries in Europe.

Such superficial view seems to have been encouraged by its quiet temper, unlike those of England, France, Belgium, Italy, Spain and Germany, its more known neighbours whose boisterous capitals and cities have placed on the world map on account of commerce and industrial feats, or as a result of colonial adventure that brought them into early historical contact with other parts of the world that has since then been and continued to be nourished.

Despite not having such historical advantage, which, arguably the others exploited to develop themselves to the heights they now occupy at the expense of their colonies – mostly in Africa, Asia, Australia and Canada, Austria, which bordered Germany on the South, is a silent, great force on the continent and indeed the world, with a resilient economy that rests mainly on agriculture!

Besides, its capital, Vienna, is the headquarters of the global oil  cartel, the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC). Although it produces no oil of its own, the country of about eight million people has many petroleum refineries, besides a vibrant agro-export trade involving beef, cattle and diary products. Its chief markets are North African countries including Morocco and Tunisia. It is also home to the Watten-based crystal manufacturing giant, Swarrosski, which, is said to have concluded plans to set up a plant in Nigeria.

Vienna

Another major prop of the national economy is tourism. Tourists from other European countries and America flocked to the country for skiing during winter when its mountains, adapted for the sport, are covered in snow.

Austria also gave the world one of its epic films – Sounds of Music being the setting of the world- acclaimed movie that told the popular war-time story of the experiences of a family under Nazi-Germany during World War II.

Indeed, Vienna, the nation’s capital is a renowned centre of the best of European classical arts, music, culture and philosophy.

Politically, Austria is a strong, stable democracy. Although it may not count as one of the contemporary major world powers, many people are unaware that it used to be one of the dominant European powers, having preeminence even over Deutschland, which later came to be known as Germany in the 18^th/19th Century.

The Austro-Hungarian Empire and its respected diplomat, Prince Metternich played decisive roles in the affairs of Europe, yielding sway only after the unification of other smaller Germanic states under its arch-rival, Prussia in the 19^th Century.

The rise of Germany under its great statesman and Chancellor, Otto Von Bismarck at the turn of the century and later under Adolf Hitler in the early 20^th Century marked a substantial decline in the enormous power Austria hitherto wielded. The recent global economic meltdown also affected the country, but it has stood resiliently.

I had a lot of good reasons to look forward to a trip to Austria. First as an Advance Level History student in the 80s, one of the two most fascinating 18th/19th century political figures in European History I found intriguing, apart from Napoleon Bonaparte were Bismarck and Prince Metternich of Austria. For me, therefore, it would be exciting to experience the reality of all I had read only in the books and journals.

The prospect became more intriguing to visit the homeland of the famous Austrian female artist, who renounced her citizenship for Nigeria’s, which she adopted as her new home after falling in love with a local deity in the Yoruba heartland, the late Susan Wenger (Adunni Olorisa) the priestess of Osun River goddess in Osogbo, Osun State.

Abd-ru-shin

But, more compelling was my excitement at the opportunity of spending part of my annual vacation in the country, which, still unknown to many, is the earthly base of a Divine agenda destined to affect all mankind. It was here that Abd-Ru-Shin (civil names – Oskar Ernst Bernhardt) the author of In The Light of Truth: The Grail Message lived, wrote and gave mankind His highly beneficial epic work of spiritual enlightenment that clears up all questions about life and existence and the Truth about God and His working in Justice, Love and Perfection.

I count myself among the privileged few across the nations of the world to have come across this work and discovered its significance for humanity of the present time, for in it, I have found the true meaning and confirmation of Christ’s admonition: “Seek and ye shall find”, where treasures of lasting value are concerned. Since coming across this work in the 90s, I have made it the basis of my life for the profound inner bliss it gives and the values of eternity it proffers the one who strives to live according to its teachings.

Although it is, alongside other associated writings, available in 11 international languages including English, French, Portuguese, Russian, Czech, Spanish, Italian and Arabic the original text is in German, a language also spoken in Austria.

From new revelations, it is now known that the language was specially chosen and developed for the mediation of the vast and new knowledge contained in the Message and that the incarnation of the Bringer among the Germanic people was not by accident. Indeed, like the Jewish people of the old, Germans are right in their perceiving that they are special breed.

And by that I do not refer only to their legendary discipline, efficiency, industrial prowess or the claim of being of the purest extraction of the Aryan race (the best race in the world) which, unfortunately, stirred the xenophobic sentiments and triggered the ill -thought attempt at subjugating others that led to and fuelled the Second World War in which Germany was pitched against the rest of the world and in which millions of souls perished.

They are right to the extent that through them enlightenment about Divine Truth, the Will of God and the long predicted judgment that goes hand in hand with purification and winnowing was to come and reverberate across the lands: This makes them the chosen people at this time. And this is a fact, which marching events have and will continue to confirm. And Vomperberg, a modest and sedate community in the mountainous region of Austria, which is the bastion of this mission is poised to refocus world attention on Austria and restore it to its erstwhile enviable place among the comity of nations more than ever before, as it has already started doing.

The writer on Vomperberg

SEE WHY AND HOW SOME DOGS LIVE IN AFFLUENCE, EVEN IN BUHARI'S RECESSION-RIDDEN NIGERIA!

A German Sheppard

 BY YINKA FABOWALE and LAWRENCE ENYOGHASU
With a concerned look and a dirty pale yellow bowl of water in her hand, Mama Sadiq bent over the sick little child, as he crouched vomiting and defecating on the bare floor in front of the house where she lived with her husband, Nurudeen Ajibike at Irewolede Estate, Idiomo, a suburb of Ibadan, Oyo State capital. Satisfied that the ailing toddler was done, she rinsed his mouth and washed his buttocks with a flush of the water and frisks of her left hands. And then beckoning to a mongrel lying in the shade of her Blacksmith-husband's workshop adjacent to the open space in front of the humble tenement, she called: "Agbon! Agbon !! Agbon!!! Wagba, wagba, wagba."
The hound sprang to its feet and hastened  to devour with relish the vomit and fecal meal to which he
 was invited, as the Blacksmith's wife led the little boy inside the house.....Read more after the cut

A German lady's love for Naija

A German Lady’s love For Naija

By YINKA FABOWALE, (Just back from Vomperberg, Austria)

  

 

 

I met her just after we disembarked from the Lufthansa airbus that flew us from Lagos to Frankfurt, Germany.

We both had connecting flights to catch- she to Munich, I to Innsbruck. She seemed to know her way around among the crowd of passengers trying to find directions to the next various boarding gates – so, I asked her help, which she willingly gave on learning I was a Nigerian.

Obviously, Cathy Streicher was still delirious about her experience staying in Nigeria. She had been on vacation and spent two weeks in the country – her first trip to Africa as an adult.