K’O S’ONI (IT DIDN’T JUST START TODAY)

Opinion:

By ‘Lekan Alabi

Above statement, spelt and pronounced, “Koh show knee”, by some Lagos, Egbado, Egba and Ijebu bearers/families, is a statement of fact by Yoruba generally when they want to emphasise a fact of their long ancestral cleavage/claim to a positive act/deed.

Simply put, Yoruba want “outsiders/strangers” to know that their valour, industry, chilvary, integrity, good breeding, prosperity, beauty, intelligence etc is/are NOT an hapstance/s. The values were/are inheritances.

The reason most strangers/envious clans wrongly label Yoruba as being arrogant, vain, wasteful etc.

Even, the eccentric, queer British ex-soldier, who was cashierred out of the Royal British Army, Mr, or if you so choose, Lord Frederick Luggard, wrote (out of personal hatred) in his infamous assessment of the characteristics of the Nigerian tribes that Yoruba “are a lazy, arrogant, fun-seeking people, even though brave, industrious, accomodating and liberal.”

History and the recording-breaking achievements of many Yoruba, before, during and after Nigeria’s Independence from Britain, have since proven Luggard wrong.

The current sad happenings in Sudan, after which he (Luggard) fashioned Nigeria, when he was the overlord in Sudan, expose the former British overlord’s bias and eccentricity.

Kindly read the book (or is it a confession and restitution) on British colonialism in Nigeria, authored by the Oxford University graduate and former Assistant District Officer in Lagos, Mr. Ian Wilson.

Little wonder, the late Sir Ahmadu Bello, Premier of Northern Nigeria, described the January 1, 1914 Amaglamation of Nigeria “the greatest mistake of the British.”

Back to the Yoruba innocent remark on “Koshoni”

*Senior Chief ‘Lekan Alabi, the Maye Olubadan of Ibadanland writes in from Ibadan, Oyo State.

Pictured left: 36 YEARS AGO…Senior Chief ‘Lekan Alabi, the Maye Olubadan of Ibadanland and the first Culture Ambassador of the National Museum and Monument Ile Ife, on the grounds of the old Government House, Agodi, Ibadan, on the maiden old Oyo State Merit Award Night in April, 1987.

He was then serving the third of the four (1 civil and 3 military) Governors of old Oyo State (present-day Oyo and Osun States) as the Press Secretary.

The photograph was taken by the late Dada Osasona, then the OYS Chief photographer of the now-defunct Concord Press of Nigeria.

As if a seer, Osasona had asked me to pose for CPN” because this your unique Yoruba aristocrat regalia will be a reference in future”. 37 years after, Osasona words now echo: Koshoni la ti nsoge!