Some of us in the Yoruba part of this Country ain't better than the most vilified and criticised Fulanis who we accused of holding tight to power with the long championed "Born To Rule" dominating mentality. .
What do I mean before my head is cut off? The most divisive ethnic nation bearing all indices is the Yoruba nation. Among us, we stoke the fire of hate, envy, ethnic dominance, greedily amassing of wealth and many more. We are so fast to sell our blood, friends, our native land to a foreigner just to get our belly filled and palms greased.
Funny enough, the Yoruba people are the majority among those that criticised Chief Adeyemo Sunday Igboho for his approach and mannerism towards championing our course. Of course, I'm not saying caution should be thrown into the wind while defending your people. I'm not saying our cultural values and norms should be trampled upon but must the Yoruba people speak so vitriolic against any man that rise to liberate the land from the claws and fangs of our detractors? Other ethnic nations will rather remain silent than thwart the efforts of their fellow countrymen no matter how crude.
Go and investigate the Fulanis, they will never place their personal interests above the collective communal one. The same voice echoed by some groups of Fulani in Futa Toro is what you'll hear in Futa Jallon. When a fulani man beat the gong of war in Masina in the west and Central Nigeria, the reverberation will be resounding in Sokoto and Adamawa in the east. But can such be said of us? If we ain't divided by ethnicity, religion fanaticism and politics are there to tear us apart.
Fulani people valued their culture, religion, language, business and family life even education more than anything else. All Fulani have an elaborate code for interacting among themselves and with other people. The code, known as Pulaaku, decrees semteende (modesty), munyal (patience), and hakkiilo (common sense). All of these virtues must be practiced in public, among one's in-laws, and with one's spouse. Islam, which also requires modesty and reserve, has tended to reinforce this code.
How many of us have kept or can keep to the beauty of our language, culture and tradition? How many of us value all that our fore fathers left and bestowed on us? While an average fulani man craves for civilization, he will never allow such to erode the value inculcated in him by Uthman Dan Fodio, their ancestor.
The earlier we deal with the enemies of envy, ethnic hatred and greediness festering within us the better else we shall continue to be slaves in our own land. They know we are divided against ourselves, so they explore our obvious disunity against us. When we purge ourselves of all elemental ingredients of division, then victory and unity is sure.
Ogungbemi Adeyemi Orimisan
Writes from Okitipupa
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